tauri-apps/tauri

Analysis updated 2026-06-20

★ 106,271RustAudience · developerComplexity · 3/5LicenseSetup · moderate

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((Tauri))
    What it does
      Desktop apps
      Mobile apps
      Web UI wrapper
    How it works
      OS webview reuse
      Rust backend binary
      Small executable
    Platforms
      Windows macOS Linux
      iOS and Android
    Features
      App bundler
      Self-updater
      System tray
      Native notifications

mindmap root((Tauri)) What it does Desktop apps Mobile apps Web UI wrapper How it works OS webview reuse Rust backend binary Small executable Platforms Windows macOS Linux iOS and Android Features App bundler Self-updater System tray Native notifications

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What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Package an existing React, Vue, or Svelte web app as a small, fast desktop app for Windows, macOS, or Linux.

USE CASE 2

Build a cross-platform mobile app for iOS and Android using your web frontend skills backed by a Rust binary.

USE CASE 3

Ship a desktop app with native features like system tray icons, native notifications, and automatic self-updates.

What is it built with?

RustJavaScriptTypeScriptHTMLCSS

How does it compare?

	tauri-apps/tauri	denoland/deno	rust-lang/rust
Stars	106,271	106,607	112,573
Language	Rust	Rust	Rust
Setup difficulty	moderate	easy	hard
Complexity	3/5	3/5	5/5
Audience	developer	developer	developer

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 1h+

Requires Rust toolchain plus platform-specific webview dependencies, setup steps and prerequisites vary by operating system.

Licensed MIT or Apache 2.0, use freely for any purpose including commercial projects with no 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

Walk me through wrapping my existing React project as a Tauri desktop app, show me the setup steps and the folder structure.

Prompt 2

How do I call a Rust backend function from my JavaScript frontend in a Tauri app? Show me a minimal working example.

Prompt 3

Set up a Tauri app with an auto-updater so users get a notification when a new version is available.

Prompt 4

I want to add a system tray icon to my Tauri app with a right-click context menu, what does the Rust and JavaScript code look like?

Frequently asked questions

What is tauri?

Tauri lets you build installable desktop and mobile apps using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for the UI and Rust for the backend, producing tiny executables by reusing the OS's built-in webview instead of bundling a browser.

What language is tauri written in?

Mainly Rust. The stack also includes Rust, JavaScript, TypeScript.

What license does tauri use?

Licensed MIT or Apache 2.0, use freely for any purpose including commercial projects with no restrictions.

How hard is tauri to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated moderate, with roughly 1h+ to a first successful run.

Who is tauri for?

Mainly developer.

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