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tauri-apps/tauri

🔥 Hot★ 106,786RustAudience · developerComplexity · 3/5ActiveLicenseSetup · moderate

TLDR

Framework for building tiny, fast desktop and mobile apps using HTML/CSS/JavaScript with a Rust backend, shipping via the OS's built-in webview instead of bundling a browser.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((Tauri))
    What it does
      Web UI to desktop app
      Cross-platform bundler
      Rust backend layer
    Platforms
      Windows 7 plus
      macOS 10.15 plus
      Linux variants
      iOS and Android
    Key features
      System tray icons
      Native notifications
      Auto-updater
      App installers
    Tech stack
      HTML CSS JavaScript
      Rust compiled binary
      Native webviews
    Use cases
      Ship web skills as apps
      Minimize download size
      Cross-platform reach

Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Ship a web app as a standalone Windows, macOS, or Linux executable without bundling a full browser engine.

USE CASE 2

Build an iOS or Android app using your existing HTML/CSS/JavaScript skills and Rust backend logic.

USE CASE 3

Create a cross-platform desktop app with native system tray, notifications, and auto-update features.

USE CASE 4

Distribute installers (.exe.dmg.deb.AppImage) directly to users with minimal file size.

Tech stack

RustHTMLCSSJavaScriptWRYtao

Getting it running

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 30min

Requires Rust toolchain installation and native build dependencies (varies by OS).

Use freely for any purpose, including commercial use, under either the MIT or Apache 2.0 license; both allow modification and distribution with minimal restrictions.

In plain English

Tauri is a framework for building desktop and mobile applications using a web frontend. The problem it tackles: developers who know HTML, CSS, and JavaScript want to ship those skills as installable apps on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android, without each app being huge or slow. The README pitches Tauri as a way to produce tiny, fast binaries for that purpose. How it works, per the README: a Tauri app has two halves. The user interface is whatever HTML, JS, and CSS your chosen front-end framework produces, displayed inside the operating system's built-in webview rather than a bundled browser. The backend is a Rust-compiled binary that exposes an API the front-end can call. Tauri uses a window-handling library called tao for the OS window, and a library called WRY to talk to each platform's native webview (WKWebView on macOS and iOS, WebView2 on Windows, WebKitGTK on Linux, Android System WebView on Android). Because the system webview is reused, the executable is much smaller than if a full browser engine were shipped inside it. The README lists features like a built-in app bundler that produces installers in formats including .app.dmg.deb.rpm.AppImage.exe via NSIS, and .msi via WiX, plus a desktop self-updater, system tray icons, native notifications, and a GitHub action for CI. Supported platforms include Windows 7 and above, macOS 10.15 and above, certain Ubuntu-style Linux versions, iOS or iPadOS 9 and above, and Android 7 and above. You would use Tauri when you want to ship a cross-platform app with a web UI and care about small download size. The repo is written primarily in Rust and licensed MIT or Apache 2.0.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
How do I set up a new Tauri project with React and create a Rust backend function that the frontend can call?
Prompt 2
Show me how to build and bundle a Tauri app for Windows, macOS, and Linux from a single codebase.
Prompt 3
How do I add a system tray icon and native notifications to my Tauri desktop app?
Prompt 4
What's the difference between Tauri and Electron, and when should I choose Tauri for my app?
Prompt 5
How do I set up auto-updates in a Tauri app so users get new versions automatically?
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Generated 2026-05-18 · Model: sonnet-4-6 · Verify against the repo before relying on details.