Bunv is a lightweight, blazing-fast, and developer-friendly cross-platform desktop application bundler built with Bun and Webview. It empowers frontend developers to build, debug, and package native desktop apps using pure JavaScript/TypeScript and web technologies—offering a compelling alternative to Electron and Tauri with smaller bundle size and faster startup.
- Minimal footprint: Bundled apps typically range from 5MB to 60MB, significantly smaller than Electron-based apps.
- Super fast startup: Thanks to Bun’s high-performance JavaScript runtime and native Webview rendering.
- Familiar web tech: Use HTML, CSS, and TypeScript/JavaScript to build your UI and app logic.
- Seamless system API access: Easily extend system integrations like clipboard, file dialogs, notifications via Bun’s native bridge.
- Simple bundling: One command bundles your app into a native executable for Windows/macOS/Linux.
- Easy scaffolding: Start a new project with a simple CLI, no complex Rust or C knowledge needed.
| Feature | Electron | Tauri | Bunv (Bun + Webview) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runtime | Node.js + Chromium | Rust + Webview | Bun + Webview |
| Bundle size | 100MB+ | 5-30MB | ~5-60MB |
| Startup speed | Moderate | Fast | Very fast |
| Development stack | JS/Node + web tech | Rust + web tech | Pure JS/TS + web tech |
| Complexity | Medium | High (Rust knowledge required) | Low (only JS/TS and Bun) |
| Cross-platform | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| System APIs | Rich, but large | Rich, Rust-powered | Growing, JS + native bridge |
| Community & Ecosystem | Mature, large | Growing, smaller | Emerging, innovative |
Bunv draws inspiration from:
- Electron: The most popular desktop app framework, providing rich APIs but heavyweight.
- Tauri: A Rust-based, lightweight alternative with excellent system integration but steep learning curve.
- webview-bun: Demonstrated the power of Bun + Webview for desktop apps with high performance and small size.
Bunv aims to combine the best of these worlds: speed, simplicity, and small size—while fully embracing JavaScript/TypeScript and modern web tooling.
- Core Bun + Webview integration to launch native windows
- Basic JS/TS bridge for calling system APIs (clipboard, file dialogs, notifications)
- Simple CLI scaffolding for new projects
- Cross-platform build pipeline for Windows/macOS/Linux
- Advanced system API wrappers (tray, shortcuts, multi-window support)
- Plugin system to extend Bunv’s capabilities easily
- Rich documentation and examples
- Continuous integration & automated releases
bun create Bunv my-app
cd my-app
bun run buildContributions are welcome! Feel free to open issues or submit pull requests.
MIT License