Drop-in replacement for Electron using native web views (WKWebView / WebView2 / WebKitGTK) instead of bundling Chromium. Just run gelectron . instead of electron .
Why Gelectron exists
Run gelectron . instead of electron . and your app just works. Same Node.js code, same require('electron') imports, zero changes needed.
Uses the OS-native renderer on every platform — WKWebView on macOS/iOS, WebView2 on Windows, WebKitGTK on Linux. No bundled browser engine.
Implements core Electron APIs: app, BrowserWindow, ipcMain/ipcRenderer, Menu, Tray, Dialog, Shell, Notification, nativeImage, contextBridge, and more.
No Chromium bundle means binaries are a fraction of Electron's size. Rust static linking keeps them lean. No more 150MB+ apps.
Native web views don't need a separate Chromium process per window. Less overhead, less RAM, snappier feel. Your users will notice.
Core engine written in Rust for safety and performance. N-API addon bridges Rust and Node.js seamlessly.
Gelectron is in very early development. This is an experiment — a proof of concept that Electron apps can run using native web views instead of bundling Chromium. Many Electron APIs are currently stubs or incomplete. Some things will break. Some things don't exist yet.
The goal right now isn't to replace Electron for production apps. It's to explore whether this is possible, learn how Electron's internals work, and build a foundation that could grow into something real.
If you're curious, try it out with a simple Electron app. If you find bugs, open an issue. If you want to contribute, even better.