Desktop Apps Keep Getting Heavier

Desktop applications continue to grow in size, with each program justifying its additional resources. While the arguments for requiring more memory, processes, and background services seem reasonable when considered separately, they become problematic when all of these factors are taken together. Tools like Electron, Wails, Tauri, and Electrobun attempt to provide a lightweight solution by using the host operating system's web engine, but this still requires a web engine with its own processes to run.

Even with a smaller installer, the web engine remains running somewhere in the process list. Measuring the actual impact of these applications can be challenging, as resident memory may include shared pages, and different operating systems provide varying information about memory usage. Despite the allure of using native tools for small, efficient applications, developers often face broken paths due to inconsistencies across different operating systems.

Adopting a platform's own toolkit can lead to a more pleasant experience, but this means learning a new UI ecosystem for each operating system. Electron's promise of a consistent product across operating systems remains appealing, but it still feels like an excessive amount of machinery for smaller tools.