Having created a first desktop application with Tauri and vanilla JavaScript, I have learned about what could be the most intriguing shift in desktop application development by frontend developers. This post will convince you why Tauri is worth your time to use or create desktop apps, especially if you are already using Electron or need to build desktop apps.
What is Tauri?
Tauri is a desktop application framework based on web technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) that has a Rust backend. Consider it the leaner and faster cousin of Electron. However, unlike Electron, which includes a fully-fledged Chromium browser with each application, Tauri makes use of the native webview of the operating system – and that makes a difference.
Why Should You Learn Tauri?
1. You Already Have the Skills
You just have to be a frontend developer and you are already 80 percent there. Tauri lets you:
- Use your existing HTML/CSS/JavaScript knowledge
- Work with any frontend framework (React, Vue, Svelte, Angular) or vanilla JS
- Leverage the entire npm ecosystem
- Build UIs the same way you build web apps
Rust is the only new thing to the backend–but the secret is, you can write without understanding anything about Rust, and learn more and more about it as you need it.
2. The contrast in performance is appalling.
I will set this into a perspective with real numbers:
Bundle Size Comparison:
Electron "Hello World" app: ~120MB
Tauri "Hello World" app: ~3MB
That’s a 97% reduction in app size. My vanilla JS Tauri application was smaller than 5MB and had good functionality that would easily increase to 150MB+ in Electron.
Memory Usage:
- Electron apps normally consume 100-300MB of idle RAM.
- The size of tauri apps is usually between 20-50MB of RAM idleness.
Startup Time:
- Electron: 1-3 seconds for a simple app
- Tauri: Near-instant (200-500ms)
Why? Since Tauri does not include a browser engine with each application. It relies on WebKit on the macOS, WebView2 on the Windows and WebKitGTK on Linux-elements already present on the system of the user.
3. Security by Default
Tauri’s architecture is fundamentally more secure than Electron’s:
- No Node.js in the renderer: Your frontend can’t directly access the file system or execute system commands
- Explicit API permissions: You define exactly which system APIs your frontend can access
- Capability-based security: Each window can have different permission levels
- Command pattern: All backend communication goes through explicitly defined, type-safe commands
In Electron, one XSS vulnerability can compromise the entire system. In Tauri, even a compromised frontend is sandboxed.
Technical Architecture: How Tauri Works
Understanding Tauri’s architecture helped me appreciate its design decisions. Here’s the breakdown:
The Three-Layer System
┌─────────────────────────────────┐
│ Frontend (HTML/CSS/JS) │ <- Your web tech expertise
├─────────────────────────────────┤
│ IPC Bridge (Message Passing) │ <- Tauri handles this
├─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Backend (Rust) │ <- System access & logic
└─────────────────────────────────┘
1. Frontend Layer This is your comfort zone. Build your UI exactly as you would for the web:
// In your frontend JavaScript
import { invoke } from '@tauri-apps/api/tauri';
// Call a Rust backend function
const result = await invoke('greet', { name: 'World' });
console.log(result); // "Hello, World!"
2. IPC Bridge Tauri provides a type-safe Inter-Process Communication system. Your frontend sends JSON messages to Rust functions, and receives JSON responses. It’s similar to making API calls, but lightning-fast since it’s local.
3. Backend Layer This is where Rust is involved. You specify what you refer to as commands which can be invoked by your frontend:
#[tauri::command]
fn greet(name: &str) -> String {
format!("Hello, {}!", name)
}
Even without knowing Rust, you can read this: it’s a function that takes a name and returns a greeting.
The Webview Advantage
Tauri provides the native webview of the OS instead of bundling Chromium:
- macOS: WKWebView (same as Safari)
- Windows: WebView2 (Chromium-based, yet system-installed)
- Linux: WebKitGTK
This means:
- The rendering engine is already possessed by users.
- The OS provides security updates.
- Your application observes the system themes and settings.
- Constant performance with native applications.
The Developer Experience
What’s Great
Hot Module Replacement (HMR) Just as web development, your changes are reflected instantly during the development:
npm run tauri dev
Your app window is opened, and any changes of the frontend are reloaded automatically. Backend modifications need to rebuild in a short time, yet it is still rapid.
Construct Once, Deliver Everywhere.
npm run tauri build
This generates native installers for your platform:
.dmgand.appfor macOS.msiand.exefor Windows.deband.AppImagefor Linux
Excellent Tooling
- VSCode extension for Rust
- Typescript definitions of all Tauri APIs.
- Comprehensive documentation and examples.
- Active community on Discord
The Learning Curve
And about what you are going to meet with, be honest:
Week 1: Smooth Sailing
- Setup is straightforward (
npm create tauri-app) - Frontend development feels identical to web dev
- Basic IPC commands are self-explanatory.
Week 2-4: The Rust Introduction
- Simple Rust syntax to use as custom commands will have to be learned.
- Cargo (Rust package manager) requires some acclimatization.
- The errors of compilation may be obscure.
Month 2+: The Productivity Increase
- You begin to like the type safety of Rust.
- Complex features are made easier than Electron.
- You are shipping smaller and faster apps.
My Raw Rating: You can learn enough Rust to use Tauri in case you know JavaScript. The obstacle is not as great as you believe.
Performance Deep Dive: Impact in the Real-World
Here are some numbers of my vanilla JS Tauri app vs. an analogous Electron one that I have used previously:
Bundle Size Analysis
My Tauri App:
├── Binary executable: ~2.8MB
├── Frontend assets: ~1.2MB
├── Total: ~4MB
Equivalent Electron App:
├── Electron runtime: ~100MB
├── Node.js: ~20MB
├── Frontend assets: ~1.2MB
├── Total: ~121MB
Impact: Users download 30x less. App stores love you. Metered connection users adore you.
Runtime Memory
I observed two apps that carried out the same tasks:
Task: Idle state
Tauri: 22MB RAM
Electron: 127MB RAM
Task: Processing large JSON file
Tauri: 45MB RAM
Electron: 203MB RAM
Task: Multiple windows open
Tauri: 68MB RAM
Electron: 384MB RAM
Impact: Your app can run on lower-end hardware. Battery life improves on laptops.
Startup Performance
Cold start times (first launch):
- Tauri: 0.3 seconds
- Electron: 2.1 seconds
Warm start times (subsequent launches):
- Tauri: 0.15 seconds
- Electron: 1.4 seconds
Impact: Users don’t wait. Your application is fast and responsive.
When Should You Use Tauri?
Tauri is Excellent For:
- New desktop applications in which you own the entire stack
- Performance-sensitive apps, such as editors or tools or utilities
- Apps with resource constraints (distribution over slow networks)
- Projects where you would like to know Rust (great gateway)
Stick with Electron If:
❌ You require large libraries of Node.js that do not have Rust equivalents.
❌ Your team has zero bandwidth to learn Rust basics
❌ You require functionality that is under development in Tauri.
❌ You have a significant current Electron codebase.
The Scope: What Can You Build?
Tauri is production-ready. The real companies deliver real products:
- Text editors and IDEs (fast file operations, syntax highlighting)
- Media players (low memory overhead)
- Productivity tools (notes, task managers, calendars)
- System utilities (monitors, launchers, widgets)
- Database customers (efficient data management)
- Chat applications (secure, lightweight)
Such companies as Clash Verge, Notepad-, and others have shifted to Tauri.
Getting Started: Your Roadmap
Phase 1: Hello Tauri (Week 1)
# Install prerequisites
npm install -g @tauri-apps/cli
# Create your first app
npm create tauri-app
cd my-app
npm install
npm run tauri dev
Start with your frontend framework of choice. Build a simple UI that:
- Displays some data
- Has a button, which activates a Rust command.
- Shows the result
Phase 2: Learn Basic Rust (Weeks 2-4)
There is no need to turn into an expert of Rust. Focus on:
- Functions and basic syntax
- String types (
Stringvs&str) - Error handling with
Result - The
serdelibrary for JSON serialization
Resources:
- Rust Book Chapter 3
- The Command documentation for Tauri.
Phase 3: Develop Actual Capabilities (Month 2+)
Introduce increasingly sophisticated features:
- File system access (reading/writing files)
- Database integration (SQLite works great)
- System notifications
- Auto-updates
- Custom window management
Code Comparison: Electron vs Tauri
Allow me to demonstrate how alike (and dissimilar) they are:
Reading a File
Electron:
// In renderer process
const { ipcRenderer } = require('electron');
ipcRenderer.invoke('read-file', filePath)
.then(content => console.log(content));
// In main process
const { ipcMain } = require('electron');
const fs = require('fs').promises;
ipcMain.handle('read-file', async (event, path) => {
return await fs.readFile(path, 'utf-8');
});
Tauri:
// In frontend
import { invoke } from '@tauri-apps/api/tauri';
invoke('read_file', { path: filePath })
.then(content => console.log(content));
// In Rust backend
use std::fs;
#[tauri::command]
fn read_file(path: String) -> Result<String, String> {
fs::read_to_string(path)
.map_err(|e| e.to_string())
}
The patterns are remarkably similar. The main difference is writing your backend logic in Rust instead of Node.js.
The Ecosystem and Community
Plugins and Extensions
Tauri has a growing ecosystem:
- Official plugins: Window management, dialogs, file system, HTTP requests
- Community plugins: Database connectors, authentication, analytics
- Easy to create your own: Rust’s crates.io has packages for everything
Community Support
- Active Discord server, which has approximately 20k members.
- Responsive maintainers
- Comprehensive documentation
- Increasing amount of tutorials and courses.
Future Roadmap
Tauri 2.0 (currently in development) brings:
- Mobile support (iOS and Android)
- Improved plugin system
- Better dev tools
- Enhanced security features
My Personal Takeaway
Development using Tauri altered my conceptualizations regarding desktop applications. Here’s what surprised me:
What I Expected:
- A steep Rust learning curve
- Fighting a great deal with tooling.
- Concessions over Electron.
What I Got:
- Rust that’s easier than expected (for this use case)
- Excellent tooling that “just works”
- Performance that makes Electron feel sluggish
- A sense of satisfaction shipping a 4MB app instead of 120MB
Should You Make the Switch?
If you’re a frontend developer and any of these resonate:
- You’re starting a new desktop project
- You care about app performance and size
- You’re curious about Rust but need a practical reason to learn
- You want your apps to feel native and responsive
- You’re tired of 100MB+ downloads for simple apps
Then yes, absolutely learn Tauri.
Start with a small project. Build a utility you’ll actually use. You’ll be surprised how quickly you become productive.
The future of desktop development isn’t just web technologies—it’s web technologies with native performance. Tauri is leading that charge, and as frontend developers, we’re perfectly positioned to ride that wave.
Resources to Continue Learning
- Official Tauri Documentation
- Tauri Examples Repository
- Awesome Tauri – Curated list of resources
- The Rust Book – For deeper Rust learning
- Tauri Discord – Community support
Have you built anything with Tauri? What was your experience? I’d love to hear about your journey in the comments below. And for more such blogs and updates follow Front-end Competency.