---
title: "Turn web apps into desktop apps"
description: "Easily build and sign lightweight desktop applications using web stacks, with Desktopr GitHub actions and a straightforward Node API."
source: https://desktopr.dev/
---

# Desktopr

> Easily build and sign lightweight desktop applications using web stacks, with Desktopr GitHub
> actions and a straightforward Node API. Desktopr wraps a web app in a native Tauri shell for
> Windows, macOS and Linux, and exposes native features to it through a typed JavaScript bridge.

- Version 2.2.0. Apache-2.0, open source, no account, backend or hosted service.
- You build it yourself: `npm run dev` and `npm run build` locally, or the `build.yml` GitHub Actions workflow for Linux, Windows and macOS installers (AppImage/deb/rpm, NSIS and MSIX, DMG).
- Signing and notarization are optional and use your own certificates, kept as repository secrets; without them builds are simply unsigned.
- The web app talks to the runtime through the `desktopr` npm SDK: files and dialogs, windows, menus, tray, clipboard, notifications, global shortcuts, deep links, autostart, diagnostics, networking, global variables and sandboxed WebAssembly plugins.
- Only the configured application origin is granted the bridge; filesystem scopes and window capabilities are enforced in Rust, and WASM plugins run in a WASI sandbox without network access.
- Desktopr Companion is a desktop app built with Desktopr for trying every feature, with a Bridge API playground; it is released on GitHub and the Microsoft Store.
- Source and issues: https://github.com/suffro/desktopr

Every page below, concatenated as one document: https://desktopr.dev/llms-full.txt

Any single page is available as Markdown at its own path with `.md` appended, for example https://desktopr.dev/guide/getting-started.md

## Introduction

- [Getting Started](https://desktopr.dev/guide/getting-started): Build your first desktop app with Desktopr - clone the repository, point it at your web app and build for macOS, Windows and Linux.
- [What is Desktopr?](https://desktopr.dev/guide/): Learn what Desktopr is, how it works, and what makes it different from other desktop app builders.
- [Architecture Overview](https://desktopr.dev/guide/architecture-overview): Understanding the internal structure and runtime model of Desktopr
- [Tauri](https://desktopr.dev/guide/what-is-tauri)
- [WASM Plugins](https://desktopr.dev/guide/plugin-development): Execute WebAssembly (WASM) plugins securely inside Desktopr's native Tauri/WASI runtime.
- [Desktopr Branding](https://desktopr.dev/branding): Official Desktopr brand assets, colors, and basic usage guidelines.

## Try Desktopr

- [Try Desktopr with the Companion](https://desktopr.dev/guide/companion): Try every Desktopr desktop feature before building your own app, with the Desktopr Companion and its Bridge API playground.

## Configuration

- [Project Structure](https://desktopr.dev/guide/configuration/project-structure): How the Desktopr repository is organised and which directory does what.
- [App Settings](https://desktopr.dev/guide/configuration/app-settings): Every option you can set when building a Desktopr app - name, identifier, version, window, deep links and updates.
- [Tauri Config](https://desktopr.dev/guide/configuration/tauri-config): How Desktopr generates tauri.conf.json and the capability file, and how to change them safely.
- [Building with GitHub Actions](https://desktopr.dev/guide/configuration/github-actions): Build Desktopr installers in CI - from a web app URL or from a web app you build in your own repository.
- [Distribution](https://desktopr.dev/guide/configuration/distribution): How to ship the installers Desktopr builds - artifacts, GitHub Releases, stores and self-hosting.

## Signing

- [App Signing Guide](https://desktopr.dev/guide/signing/what): Sign and distribute your apps with Desktopr.
- [MacOS Signing and Notarization](https://desktopr.dev/guide/signing/macos): A guide to sign and distribute your MacOS apps with Desktopr.
- [Windows Code Signing](https://desktopr.dev/guide/signing/windows): A guide to sign and distribute your Windows apps with Desktopr.
- [Microsoft Store & MSIX](https://desktopr.dev/guide/signing/microsoft-store): Learn how Desktopr can generate a Microsoft Store-ready MSIX package for your Windows desktop app.

## Bridge API

- [Desktopr Bridge Overview](https://desktopr.dev/guide/bridge/overview): Comprehensive overview of the Desktopr Bridge, its lifecycle, usage, and platform specifics.
- [App Module](https://desktopr.dev/guide/bridge/api/app): Interface for retrieving system information and controlling the Desktopr app.
- [Plugin Module](https://desktopr.dev/guide/bridge/api/plugins): Execute WebAssembly (WASM) plugins securely inside Desktopr's native Tauri/WASI runtime.
- [Badge Module](https://desktopr.dev/guide/bridge/api/badge): Manage the Dock badge count on macOS using the Desktopr Bridge.
- [Menu Module](https://desktopr.dev/guide/bridge/api/menu): Documentation for the Menu module, managing native menus and interactive menu items.
- [Events Module](https://desktopr.dev/guide/bridge/api/events): Comprehensive guide to the Events Module for managing and listening to internal and external events.
- [File System Module](https://desktopr.dev/guide/bridge/api/file-system): Comprehensive documentation for the File System module.
- [Diagnostics Module](https://desktopr.dev/guide/bridge/api/diagnostics): Manage diagnostics settings, records, errors, retention, and export operations.
- [Shortcuts Module](https://desktopr.dev/guide/bridge/api/shortcuts): Manage global and local keyboard shortcuts.
- [Deep Links](https://desktopr.dev/guide/bridge/api/deep-links): Comprehensive guide to using Deep Links in Desktopr desktop apps.
- [Notifications Module](https://desktopr.dev/guide/bridge/api/notifications): Send and manage native desktop notifications from your web app using the Desktopr Bridge API.
- [Files Module](https://desktopr.dev/guide/bridge/api/files): Documentation for the Files module of Desktopr Bridge, providing native file open and save dialogs with byte-level file content access.
- [Drag & Drop Module](https://desktopr.dev/guide/bridge/api/drag-and-drop): Documentation for the Drag & Drop module. Learn how to handle file and folder drag-and-drop events within your desktop app.
- [Network Module](https://desktopr.dev/guide/bridge/api/network): Documentation for the Network module of the Desktopr Bridge, providing connectivity monitoring, ping, DNS resolution, and bandwidth estimation functions.
- [Window Module](https://desktopr.dev/guide/bridge/api/window): The Window module of the Desktopr Bridge provides methods to manage native app windows, including opening, closing, resizing, fullscreen, and developer tools management.
- [Autostart Module](https://desktopr.dev/guide/bridge/api/autostart): Configure the automatic startup of the Desktopr Bridge app at user login.
- [Clipboard Module](https://desktopr.dev/guide/bridge/api/clipboard): Read from and write to the system clipboard.
- [Utilities](https://desktopr.dev/guide/bridge/api/utilities): Desktopr utility functions and low-level runtime helpers.

## No-code Integrations

- [Bubble.io Plugin](https://desktopr.dev/guide/bubble-plugin): Use the Desktopr Bubble.io plugin to access native desktop features in Bubble apps.

## FAQ

- [FAQ](https://desktopr.dev/support): Frequently asked questions about Desktopr, desktop builds, native features, signing, distribution, and ownership.

## Comparison

- [Desktopr vs ToDesktop, Electron and Tauri: Turn Any Web App Into a Desktop App](https://desktopr.dev/comparison): Compare Desktopr, Electron, Tauri, ToDesktop and Neutralino.js. Find the fastest, lightest way to ship your web app as a native desktop app — open source, no Rust, no Chromium bloat.