Desktop apps

deno desktop turns a Deno project (anything from a single TypeScript file to a Next.js app) into a self-contained desktop application. The output is a redistributable binary that bundles your code, the Deno runtime, and a web rendering engine into one bundle per platform.

Why deno desktop Jump to heading#

Web technology is the most widely-known UI toolkit in the world. Desktop apps built on web stacks (Electron, Tauri, Electrobun) take advantage of that, but each has tradeoffs you have to live with: huge binaries, missing platform support, no JavaScript ecosystem, no built-in update story, no framework integration.

deno desktop is opinionated about those tradeoffs:

• Small by default, full Node compatibility. The default WebView backend uses the operating system's own webview for small binaries, and you still have the entire npm ecosystem available through Deno's Node compat layer. Opt into the bundled Chromium (CEF) backend when you need identical rendering across macOS, Windows, and Linux.
• Framework auto-detection. Point deno desktop at a Next.js, Astro, Fresh, Remix, Nuxt, SvelteKit, SolidStart, TanStack Start, or Vite SSR project and it runs: the production server in release mode, the dev server with hot reload under --hmr. No code changes are required to take an existing web project to the desktop.
• In-process bindings instead of IPC. Backend and UI communication goes through in-process channels, not socket-based IPC, so there is no serialization step between your Deno code and the webview.
• Cross-compile from one machine. The same machine can build for macOS, Windows, and Linux. Backends are downloaded as needed, not built locally.
• Built-in binary-diff auto-update. Ship a single latest.json manifest and bsdiff patches; the runtime polls, applies, and rolls back automatically on failed launches.

Hello, desktop Jump to heading#

Create a one-file desktop app:

Deno.serve(() =>
  new Response("<h1>Hello, desktop</h1>", {
    headers: { "content-type": "text/html" },
  })
);

deno desktop main.ts

The compiled binary opens a window pointed at a local HTTP server bound to your Deno.serve() handler. Run it directly:

./main      # macOS / Linux
.\main.exe  # Windows

Deno.serve() automatically binds to the address the webview navigates to, so you do not need to pass a port or hostname. See HTTP serving for details.

What's in this section Jump to heading#

• Configuration: the desktop block in deno.json.
• Backends: CEF, webview, raw; how to choose.
• HTTP serving: Deno.serve() integration and the serving model.
• Frameworks: Next.js, Astro, Fresh, Remix, Nuxt, SvelteKit, and others.
• Windows: Deno.BrowserWindow lifecycle, multiple windows, events.
• Bindings: calling Deno code from the webview via bindings.<name>().
• Menus: application and context menus.
• Tray and dock: system status icons and the macOS dock.
• Dialogs: prompt(), alert(), confirm() as native popups.
• Notifications: native OS notifications via the Web Notification API.
• Hot module replacement: --hmr for framework and non-framework apps.
• DevTools: unified DevTools attached to both the Deno runtime and the webview.
• Auto-update: Deno.autoUpdate(), manifests, bsdiff, rollback.
• Error reporting: capturing uncaught exceptions and panics.
• Distribution: cross-compilation, output formats, installers.
• Comparison: how deno desktop relates to Electron, Tauri, Electrobun, Dioxus.