Tauri Case Study

Author: Laura Karaliene <LauraKaraliene>

Tauri screenshot

Introduction

Tauri is an open-source framework for building lightweight, secure, and cross-platform desktop applications using web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. At its core, Tauri leverages Rust, a systems programming language whose focus on memory safety—without relying on a garbage collector—makes it an excellent fit for Tauri’s backend. This enables efficient resource management and robust security. By combining Rust with native web renderers, Tauri provides developers with a modern, high-performance alternative to frameworks like Electron, offering significantly reduced application size and improved execution speed.

Since its launch, Tauri has become a popular choice for developers seeking a secure and efficient solution for cross-platform application development.

Brief History

2020: Tauri is introduced as a framework to simplify the development of secure and lightweight native applications. Designed to leverage Rust’s safety features and support any frontend framework, it offers flexibility to developers of all experience levels.
2021: Co-founders Daniel Thompson-Yvetot and Lucas Nogueira emphasize Tauri’s commitment to secure development and creative flexibility, helping the framework gain traction in the open-source community.
2022: Tauri releases its first stable version (1.0), enabling developers to create robust desktop applications for Windows, macOS, and Linux with minimal bundle sizes.
2023: The Tauri team partners with CrabNebula to further enhance the project’s development and expand its ecosystem. This collaboration brings additional expertise and resources to the framework.
2024: Tauri 2.0 is launched, introducing support for mobile platforms like Android and iOS, allowing developers to build cross-platform apps from a single codebase while maintaining the framework’s focus on security and performance.

Funding and Usage

Funding

Tauri, as an open-source project, operates without traditional revenue streams. Instead, it relies on grants, sponsorships, and contributions from its community:

Grants and Sponsorships: Tauri has received support from organizations like NLnet through the NGI Assure Fund, backed by the European Commission’s Next Generation Internet programme. These grants fund the development of features focused on security and privacy.
Community Contributions: The project thrives on contributions from a global network of developers who provide code, time, and resources to enhance the framework.
Non-Profit Governance: Tauri is governed by the Tauri Programme within The Commons Conservancy, a Dutch non-profit organization. This ensures that the project aligns with open-source principles and community interests.

Usage

Tauri has grown steadily in adoption since its release, attracting developers and companies worldwide for its innovative approach to desktop application development:

Adoption by Companies: Approximately 90 companies use Tauri, including notable names like Cloudflare, ABBYY, and Cboe Global Markets.
Geographical Distribution: Tauri is used in 17 countries, with the largest adoption in the United States, followed by the United Kingdom, Canada, France, and Spain.
Developer Community: Tauri’s open-source ecosystem includes contributions from developers across the globe, fostering a vibrant and growing community.

Main Features

Tauri is designed to address common challenges in desktop application development, including performance, security, and application size. By leveraging Rust’s memory safety and supporting any frontend framework, Tauri stands out as a lightweight, flexible, and secure alternative for developers. These are key Features of Tauri:

Feature	Description
Lightweight Apps	Generates small application bundles (~600 KB) using the system’s native web renderer.
Cross-Platform	Supports building apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS from a single codebase.
Enhanced Security	Utilizes Rust’s memory safety and sandboxing to minimize vulnerabilities.
Frontend Agnostic	Works with any frontend framework, such as React, Vue, Angular, and Svelte.
Minimal Resources	Low memory and CPU usage compared to competitors like Electron.
Developer Tools	Offers a CLI with features like hot reload, app bundling, and icon generation.

Lightweight Applications

Problem Solved: Large bundle sizes in frameworks like Electron increase disk space usage and download times.
Tauri’s Solution: Generates application bundles as small as 600 KB by using the system’s native web renderer (e.g., WebKit or Edge Webview2).
Benefit to Developers: Faster downloads, reduced storage requirements, and easier deployment.

Cross-Platform Support

Problem Solved: The need to build separate applications for each platform.
Tauri’s Solution: Allows developers to build for Windows, macOS, Linux, and mobile platforms like Android and iOS from a single codebase.
Benefit to Developers: Saves time and effort by using one framework for multiple platforms.

Enhanced Security

Problem Solved: Many frameworks allow access to Node.js APIs, increasing the attack surface of applications.
Tauri’s Solution: Leverages Rust’s memory safety and sandboxing features, minimizing vulnerabilities.
Benefit to Developers: Safer applications with reduced risk of exploits.

Frontend Agnostic

Problem Solved: Frameworks often limit developers to specific frontend technologies.
Tauri’s Solution: Supports any frontend framework, including React, Vue, Svelte, and Angular.
Benefit to Developers: Flexibility to use existing skills and codebases.

Minimal Resource Usage

Problem Solved: High memory and CPU usage in frameworks like Electron.
Tauri’s Solution: Low memory footprint (~80 MB) and optimized resource usage through Rust and native webviews.
Benefit to Developers: Faster applications with reduced system strain.

Developer Tools

Problem Solved: Lack of integrated tools in some frameworks.
Tauri’s Solution: Provides a CLI with features like hot reload, cross-platform building, and app icon generation.
Benefit to Developers: Streamlined development process and faster iteration cycles.

Market Comparison

There are other platforms similar to Tauri, like Electron, NW.js, Flutter for Desktop, Qt, and Neutralino.js. Each platform has its strengths and weaknesses, making them suitable for different use cases:

Framework	Strengths	Weaknesses
Electron	Large community, extensive documentation, mature ecosystem, and widespread adoption.	Large bundle sizes, higher memory usage, and slower performance compared to Tauri.
NW.js	Simple integration with Node.js and Chromium.	Larger bundle sizes and less modern compared to Tauri.
Flutter for Desktop	Unified framework for mobile, desktop, and web apps with a rich widget ecosystem.	Requires learning Dart, not as lightweight as Tauri for desktop-only apps.
Qt	High performance, long-established in the industry.	Steep learning curve, expensive for commercial licenses, and not focused on web technologies.
Neutralino.js	Extremely small bundle sizes, minimal dependencies.	Less mature and fewer features compared to Tauri.

To compare their technical features more directly, the following table highlights key trade-offs and advantages across these platforms:

Feature	Tauri	Electron	Flutter	NW.js	Neutralino.js
Bundle Size	~600 KB	~50-100 MB	~10-20 MB	~50-100 MB	~1-5 MB
Performance	High	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	High
Security	Strong (Rust)	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	Basic
Frontend Framework Support	Any framework	Any framework	Flutter (Dart)	Any framework	Any framework
Cross-Platform Support	Desktop + Mobile	Desktop Only	Desktop + Mobile	Desktop Only	Desktop Only
Community/Ecosystem	Growing	Large	Large	Small	Small

Tauri vs Electron

A detailed comparison between Tauri and it’s main competitor Electron was conducted using a real-world application, Authme—a simple cross-platform two-factor authenticator app for desktop. This comparison highlights that while Tauri offers advantages in bundle size, startup time, and security, it may require developers to adapt to Rust for backend development and address potential rendering inconsistencies across platforms. Electron, with its mature ecosystem and consistent rendering, remains a robust choice, especially for those already proficient in JavaScript.

Bundle Size

Tauri: The installer is approximately 2.5 MB, resulting in a significantly smaller application bundle.
Electron: The installer is around 85 MB, leading to larger application sizes.

Startup Time

Tauri: Approximately 2 seconds.
Electron: Approximately 4 seconds.

Performance

Tauri: Lower RAM usage (~80 MB) and minimal CPU and GPU usage when idle.
Electron: Higher RAM usage (~120 MB) with similar CPU and GPU usage when idle.

App Backend

Tauri: Requires backend development in Rust, which may present a learning curve for developers unfamiliar with the language.
Electron: Allows backend development in JavaScript using the Node.js runtime, which may be more accessible for web developers.

Rendering

Tauri: Utilizes the system’s native webview (Edge Webview2 on Windows, WebKitGTK on Linux, and WebKit on macOS), which may lead to inconsistencies across platforms due to varying support for web standards.
Electron: Bundles Chromium, ensuring consistent rendering across all platforms.

Security

Tauri: Offers enhanced security features by default, including explicit enabling or disabling of certain APIs.
Electron: Provides full access to Node.js APIs, which could pose security risks if not properly managed.

Auto-Update

Tauri: Includes a built-in auto-updater, though it may require maintaining a custom update server or manually updating a JSON file.
Electron: Commonly uses electron-updater, which can pull binaries from GitHub releases, offering a more streamlined update process.

Developer Experience

Tauri: Provides a comprehensive CLI with features like hot reload, cross-platform building, and app icon generation. Compatible with any web framework.
Electron: Offers the core framework, but additional setup is required for features like hot reloading and bundling.

Weaknesses

While Tauri offers significant advantages, it does have some limitations:

Learning Curve for Rust: Developers unfamiliar with Rust may find it challenging to implement backend functionality.
Dependency on Native Webviews: Application performance can vary depending on the operating system’s webview.
Smaller Ecosystem: Tauri has fewer plugins and third-party tools compared to Electron, which can increase development time.
Limited Documentation for Advanced Use Cases: Developers tackling complex projects might find a lack of resources for niche scenarios.
Manual Setup for Auto-Updates: Tauri’s auto-update mechanism requires more manual effort compared to Electron’s streamlined solutions.

Getting Started

1. Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure your system meets the following requirements:

Operating System: Windows, macOS, or Linux.
Node.js: Version 16 or higher installed.
- Verify installation with:
Terminal window
```
node -v
```
Rust: Install Rust using rustup (Tauri requires Rust for backend development).
- Install with:
Terminal window
```
curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh
```
- Add it to your path:
Terminal window
```
source $HOME/.cargo/env
```
- Verify installation:
Terminal window
```
rustc --version
```
Package Manager: NPM, Yarn, or PNPM.

2. Installing Tauri CLI

Install the Tauri CLI globally using NPM:

npm install -g @tauri-apps/cli

Verify installation:

tauri --version

3. Creating a New Tauri Project

Tauri integrates seamlessly with frontend frameworks like React, Vue, Svelte, or plain HTML/CSS/JavaScript.

Set up a new project using the Tauri CLI:

npx create-tauri-app

Follow the prompts:
- Choose a frontend framework (e.g., React, Vue, or Vanilla JavaScript).
- Provide the project name and directory.
Navigate to the project directory:

cd <project-name>

4. Running the Application

Install the project dependencies:

npm install

Start the development server:

npm run tauri dev

The application will launch in a desktop window using your system’s native webview.

5. Building the Application

Run the build command:

npm run tauri build

Tauri will generate an executable file for your platform in the src-tauri/target/release directory.

6. Directory Structure

After creating a Tauri project, you’ll find the following key directories:

src/: Contains your frontend code (HTML, CSS, JavaScript).
src-tauri/: Contains the Tauri configuration and backend Rust code.

7. Deploying the Application

After building your Tauri application, you can distribute it to users by following these steps:

Locate the generated executable in the src-tauri/target/release/ directory.
Distribution Methods:
- Direct Download: Host the file on your website or a GitHub release page.
- Package Managers: Package your app for platforms like:
  - Homebrew (macOS): For easy installation by macOS users.
  - Chocolatey (Windows): A package manager for Windows systems.
Auto-Update:
- For ongoing updates, you can configure Tauri’s auto-update feature. Refer to the official Tauri documentation for setup instructions.

Conclusion

Tauri has established itself as a strong alternative for building cross-platform desktop applications, offering advantages like small application size, enhanced security, and flexibility with frontend frameworks. Its use of Rust and native web renderers allows developers to create efficient and secure applications without compromising on performance.

With recent advancements such as support for mobile platforms and ongoing contributions from its community, Tauri is expected to see continued growth and adoption. As more developers seek lightweight and secure solutions for application development, Tauri’s focus on modern needs positions it as a reliable and forward-thinking framework for the future.