Desktop apps | Deno Docs

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

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. Values are still encoded as
  they cross the call boundary, but there is no cross-process round-trip 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

Create a one-file desktop app:

Deno.serve(() =>
  new Response("", 💬)
);

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

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

• 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.().
• 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.
• deno desktop CLI reference: the command,
  its flags, and the deno.json desktop schema.