Tauri and Electron are both frameworks for building cross-platform desktop applications, but they have significant differences in architecture and performance:
Architecture Differences
- Electron: Bundles the complete Chromium browser and Node.js runtime, each application contains a full browser instance
- Tauri: Uses the operating system's native WebView, doesn't bundle a browser, only includes necessary runtime components
Performance Comparison
- Package Size: Tauri apps typically 3-10 MB, Electron apps typically 100-200 MB
- Memory Usage: Tauri is about 1/3 to 1/2 of Electron
- Startup Speed: Tauri starts faster because it doesn't need to load a complete browser
Development Languages
- Electron: JavaScript/TypeScript (frontend + Node.js backend)
- Tauri: JavaScript/TypeScript (frontend) + Rust (backend)
Security
- Electron: Larger default permissions, requires manual security policy configuration
- Tauri: Default minimum permission principle, requires explicit declaration of required permissions
Use Cases
- Electron: Suitable for projects needing complex browser features and teams familiar with the JS ecosystem
- Tauri: Suitable for teams pursuing performance, security, or with Rust background