Many businesses may believe that desktop apps are obsolete, but what if I tell you that this is not the case?

Three major operating systems must be considered when creating desktop applications: Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. Each operating system has its own set of prerequisites and dependencies. The effect is that the same program is being developed for several platforms. Electron promises to tackle this issue by allowing developers to retain their codebases.

ElectronJS has made it feasible to construct hybrid or cross-platform desktop apps today. Most firms like ElectronJS’s ability to focus on one specific area of expertise.

Survey results show that desktop apps are critical in banking, tourism, and property management.

This article will feature some of the top ElectronJS apps for Linux, Ubuntu, Windows, and macOS so that you may get ideas for your own application.

A Brief Overview of ElectronJS

Web technologies such as JavaScript, HTML, and CSS may be used to build native programs that run on Windows, macOS, and Linux with the help of the Electron software development framework. In addition to being free and open-source, ElectronJS is also maintained by GitHub and a global community of contributors.

Many open-source desktop apps have been built on Electron since its first release in 2013 as the Atom Shell. Electron is now a widely used framework.

Five of the most popular Electron applications are included in this list:

It’s simple to collaborate on code using Atom, an open-source code and text editor.
Discord is a VoIP application and digital distribution platform developed for gaming communities.
Cloud-based set of unique team collaboration tools and services that enables teams to communicate and collaborate in a single location.
Work and personal life may be better organized using Trello, a web-based list-building program.
It is possible to create.iso and .img disk images using Etcher, a free and open-source image-burning program.

In recent years, demand for ElectronJS has continuously increased due to various factors.

A deeper look at ElectronJS’s top 5 features will help you see why it is a smart choice for your next desktop project.

What are the benefits of an ElectronJS Desktop Application for your company?

Low entrance barrier

According to a recent report, the number of unfilled software development roles is expected to reach one million by the year 2022. Anyone on a tight budget seeking high-quality software engineers should be particularly concerned about this development.

Almost anybody who knows how to code in HTML, CSS, or JavaScript can get up and running quickly using Electron’s web technologies. Small and medium-sized enterprises are in desperate need of web developers due to the lower cost of their services compared to software experts.

Faster development

Even a tiny desktop application used to take a long time to build since programmers had to code everything from scratch in low-level programming languages that afforded no control.

Electron employs JavaScript, one of the most commonly used programming languages today, instead of low-level languages like C or C++.

To speed up application submissions, JavaScript code is parsed line-by-line, so developers can easily troubleshoot and optimize it.

Automated updates and user-friendly installers

What we anticipate from applications has changed as a result of mobile devices. It is expected that apps will automatically update when a new version is available and preferable to occur in the background. They also anticipate that apps will be distributed as handy installers that include all the application’s components.

Electra desktop programs may be automatically updated. Thanks to the auto-updater component.

Electron-builder, a full solution for packaging and generating a distribution-ready Electron program for macOS, Windows, and Linux, makes creating simple installers for Electron desktop apps a breeze.

Support for several platforms

You can be certain that an Electron application will work on all major desktop operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux. A wide range of OS integrations, including native menu bars, notification tray applets, multimedia keys, and more, are supported, reducing developers’ time.

The Chrome web browser, Google’s open-source web browser project, makes ElectronJS’ desktop apps work seamlessly on a variety of operating systems.

One of the world’s largest open-source projects, Electron has a worldwide audience. An abundance of teaching and development materials may be found in the many groups dedicated to using and developing Electron.

Due to the low barrier to joining, Electron groups tend to be quite friendly to newcomers and never penalize their members for posing questions or being interested.

A Look at Five of the Most Popular ElectronJS Desktop Apps

Consider a few well-known ElectronJS applications. These applications are probably familiar to most of you, and I’m sure many of you use them often.

Desktop software for WebTorrent:

A torrent is something everyone understands. Torrent files are files that may be exchanged over a peer-to-peer network. The more people keep a file on their computers or mobile devices, the quicker it will download. The ElectronJS application has its initial sample here.

Peer-to-peer connections are established through WebRTC, which was used with ElectronJS and other JavaScript technologies to build WebTorrent. WebTorrent Desktop was designed to run on Mac OS X, Linux, and Windows. Access all major BitTorrent and WebTorrent networks with this software.

WordPress desktop application:

WordPress is a widely used content management system for websites. ElectronJS was used to develop both a web and a desktop version of the application. At the same time, this message was sent out on several additional sites. It is thus possible to utilize the WordPress dashboard without interruption or bother, utilizing all of the WordPress functionalities to their maximum extent for macOS and Windows users.

As a result of using ElectronJS, the WordPress desktop client loads quickly on all platforms. An intriguing user experience made possible by ElectronJS and the React framework.

Slack desktop app:

Employees of all sizes utilize Slack, a chat program for the workplace. You may use it to set up secret channels, send and receive messages privately, host your website, etc. The slack desktop app supports all main operating systems. There are also mobile applications for Android and iOS platforms available.

The Slack team chose the ElectronJS UI framework to provide a desktop version on all platforms swiftly, and it is highly straightforward for a team to retain the desktop version based on ElectronJS. All systems have a single code base, as previously stated.

WhatsApp desktop software:

One of the most widely used messaging apps in the world is WhatsApp. You can make and receive phone and video calls, send and receive text messages, etc. It has a unique feature: WhatsApp allows messages to self-destruct after a certain time. WhatsApp has a desktop version for macOS and Windows, but no official desktop version for Linux exists.

The desktop version of WhatsApp was built using ElectronJS, which is a lightweight, fast, and easy-to-use framework. In order to learn more about how to construct a mobile version of WhatsApp, check out our comprehensive tutorial.

Skype desktop application:

The last ElectronJS app on our list is the widely used Skype Messenger. Voice and video calls, text messages, and paid phone calls may all be made using this service. Computers running Windows, macOS, or Linux may access it through the desktop version.

The list above does not include all popular ElectronJS-based desktops. You may get ideas for your company from a wide range of different uses as well. However, these are the finest ElectronJS applications available.

Conclusion

Atom, Discord, Skype, Slack, WordPress, and Etcher are just a handful of the notable desktop programs built using Electron, a cutting-edge software development platform.

There are several benefits to adopting Electron JS for professional development, including its low entry barrier, rapid development speed, automated upgrades and simple installers on many platforms, and the vast developer and user community.