frontpage.
newsnewestaskshowjobs

Made with ♥ by @iamnishanth

Open Source @Github

fp.

Open in hackernews

Ask HN: Which cross platform desktop GUI to use instead of Electron?

3•tones411•3h ago
Electron gets hate due to filesize and memory bloat. C++ gets hate for memory leaks. Rust with Tauri relies on a webview which could change versions underneath the app when the OS gets an update.

Which language and cross platform desktop GUI framework checks the boxes for being lightweight in terms of filesize and memory usage, has native controls, supports accessibility and uses retained mode rendering, and works the same ten years from now as the day it was installed?

If someone were to build an installable desktop app with buttons, checkboxes, inputs etc. (so not a video game) which language and GUI framework should they to use to please the memory and filesize conscious?

Comments

ofalkaed•2h ago
Tk using the themed ttk widgets might meet your needs, not sure about accessibility though. Wxwidgets is also an option but can get weird with the native controls, not sure about accessibility there either.
cx0der•1h ago
Java. JavaFX has native binding to the underlying platform.
zenlot•56m ago
I always go for Qt for this(with C++ for bigger project and Python for lighter).

There's also Delphi, which ticks all the nice boxes for UI requirements. But licencing is tricky there, not everything is available in community edition and more difficult to find support / developers for the project. Having said that, it's still great.

Kotlin with compose multiplatform shaping up too, so something to test out if it matches your current requirements.

dotancohen•3m ago
I came to mention this. I'm doing a Python/Qt project right now and I love it.
0xCE0•50m ago
The most obvious answer would be to use the OS's native UI widgets, e.g. in Windows maybe even Win32 widgets. With under 200 lines (!) of C/C++ code you get windows, buttons, text fields, lists, tables, whatever you need. The end result is an executable of size less than 8 kilobytes, and has been working last 20-30 years in the past, and most probably will work decades in the future.

Besides, there isn't really "cross-platform GUI", because not every platform has same kind of widgets and behaviors.

kode95•14m ago
Honestly, I don't get the Electron hate. The majority of developers here on HN probably use VS Code as their editor, and that editor was made with Electron. For a lot of companies who don't have a desktop app as their main product, it simply isn't feasibly to have a dedicated Windows developer, a Mac developer, and a Linux developer, when you can do everything with one codebase.
brazukadev•14m ago
PWAs! Just use the browser. The safest, fastest option

Why Can't We Have Good Documentation

https://blog.ipspace.net/2025/10/shoddy-documentation/
1•otobrglez•1m ago•0 comments

Zoo of Array Languages

https://ktye.github.io/
1•mpweiher•6m ago•0 comments

Demo released for upcoming grand strategy game "Systemic War"

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3270430/Systemic_War/
1•danielam•7m ago•0 comments

We empower you to map the global electrical grid

https://github.com/open-energy-transition/MapYourGrid
1•protontypes•7m ago•0 comments

Show HN: Mindworld.space – A Hallunicationary Wikipedia

https://mindworld.space
1•totaa•7m ago•0 comments

Why Broadcom's Bet on OpenAI Is a Big Risk

https://www.wsj.com/finance/investing/why-broadcoms-bet-on-openai-is-a-big-gamble-f6631ced
1•zerosizedweasle•9m ago•0 comments

SpaceX launches giant Starship rocket for moon and Mars on 11th test flight

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/private-spaceflight/spacex-starship-rocket-flight-11-laun...
1•pseudolus•11m ago•0 comments

The New York City Office Market Is Roaring Back, and It's Pricier

https://www.wsj.com/real-estate/commercial/nyc-office-real-estate-market-039c4796
1•JumpCrisscross•12m ago•0 comments

Getting Started with Memgraph and G.V()

https://gdotv.com/blog/getting-started-memgraph-gdotv/
1•taubek•13m ago•0 comments

Possibly a first? iOS on a Google Pixel 3

https://old.reddit.com/r/qemu_kvm/comments/1o53a34/possibly_a_worlds_first_ios_on_a_google_pixel_3/
1•sipofwater•13m ago•1 comments

Bose kills SoundTouch: Smart speakers go dumb in Feb

https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/13/bose_reminds_users_that_nothing/
2•pseudolus•13m ago•0 comments

US news outlets refuse to sign new Pentagon rules to report only official info

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/13/defense-department-media-news-rules
1•Geekette•15m ago•0 comments

Nexperia – Update on Company Developments

https://www.nexperia.com/about/news-events/press-releases/update-on-company-developments
1•weetniet•15m ago•0 comments

The Happiness of Choosing to Walk Alone

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/10/disagreement-benefits-groupthink-emerson/684490/
1•1659447091•18m ago•0 comments

Securing the Future: Changes to Internet Explorer Mode in Microsoft Edge

https://microsoftedge.github.io/edgevr/posts/Changes-to-Internet-Explorer-Mode-in-Microsoft-Edge/
1•campuscodi•19m ago•0 comments

Show HN: Open-source wallet key management

https://www.opensigner.dev/
1•joalavedra•21m ago•0 comments

Searchcode.com Is Being Rebooted

https://boyter.org/posts/searchcode-is-being-rebooted/
1•indigodaddy•24m ago•0 comments

Cyber attack contingency plans should be put on paper, firms told

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ced61xv967lo
1•FromTheArchives•29m ago•0 comments

ADS-B Exposed

https://adsb.exposed/
1•keepamovin•29m ago•0 comments

Due to AI abuse, this Bugzilla instance is available only to authenticated users

https://bz.apache.org/bugzilla/describecomponents.cgi
1•lr0•30m ago•0 comments

Months After Being Notified, Vendor Is Still Exposing Confidential Court Records

https://databreaches.net/2025/10/13/months-after-being-notified-a-software-vendor-is-still-exposi...
2•TonyTrapp•31m ago•0 comments

Disney and the Decline of America's Middle Class

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/28/opinion/disney-world-economy-middle-class-rich.html
2•Backslasher•33m ago•2 comments

Gemini 3.0 Pro One Shoted Windows Web OS

https://twitter.com/chetaslua/status/1977936585522847768
2•SweetSoftPillow•34m ago•1 comments

The Deadly Paywall Mistakes That Keep Low-Revenue Apps Poor

https://www.paywallpro.app/
1•JasonKui•35m ago•0 comments

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's mobile phone number made available online

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10-14/anthony-albanese-mobile-phone-number-available-online/1058...
11•RileyJames•37m ago•3 comments

Do you use Kafka as data source for AI agents and RAG applications

2•ganeshsivakumar•45m ago•0 comments

Nvidia DGX Spark Arrives for AI Developers

https://nvidianews.nvidia.com/news/nvidia-dgx-spark-arrives-for-worlds-ai-developers
1•javaeeeee•47m ago•0 comments

W3C Logo Refresh

https://www.w3.org/blog/2025/w3c-logo-refresh-more-than-a-cosmetic-change-a-small-step-towards-du...
5•pentagrama•48m ago•4 comments

React Compiler v1.0

https://react.dev/blog/2025/10/07/react-compiler-1
1•birdculture•48m ago•0 comments

Beyond Enshittification: Hostile

https://idiallo.com/blog/hostile-not-enshittification
2•jnord•49m ago•0 comments