wxWidgets vs Electron / Atom Shell : Which is Better?

wxWidgets icon

wxWidgets

wxWidgets (wix-widgets, formerly wxWindows) is a widget toolkit and tools library for creating graphical user interfaces (GUIs) for cross-platform applications.

License: Open Source

Categories: Development

Apps available for Mac OS X Windows Linux

VS
VS
Electron / Atom Shell icon

Electron / Atom Shell

Electron helps you build cross platform desktop apps with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. Developed by Github

License: Open Source

Categories: Development

Apps available for Mac OS X Windows Linux Online Self-Hosted

wxWidgets VS Electron / Atom Shell

wxWidgets is a C++ framework that provides native UI components and is ideal for resource-efficient applications, while Electron is a framework for building cross-platform apps using web technologies, making it easier to develop but often resulting in larger, less resource-efficient applications. The choice between the two largely depends on the specific needs of the project and the familiarity of the development team with the respective programming languages.

wxWidgets

Pros:

  • Lightweight and efficient
  • Access to native UI components
  • Good performance for resource-intensive applications
  • Better memory management
  • Supports C++ which is a widely-used language

Cons:

  • Steeper learning curve for new developers
  • Not as flexible for rapid UI changes
  • Limited community compared to Electron
  • Less support for modern web features
  • Development mainly in C++ can be a barrier for some

Electron / Atom Shell

Pros:

  • Easy to create cross-platform applications
  • Utilizes web technologies which are widely known
  • Rich ecosystem of libraries and frameworks
  • Quick prototyping using web technologies
  • Supports modern UI design trends

Cons:

  • Large application size due to bundled Chromium
  • Performance can be slower due to using web technologies
  • Higher memory usage compared to native apps
  • Dependency on Node.js and Chromium versions
  • Security vulnerabilities in web technologies

Compare wxWidgets

vs
Compare GTK+ and wxWidgets and decide which is most suitable for you.
vs
Compare PyQt and wxWidgets and decide which is most suitable for you.
vs
Compare Qt and wxWidgets and decide which is most suitable for you.
vs
Compare Qt Creator and wxWidgets and decide which is most suitable for you.
vs
Compare wxPython and wxWidgets and decide which is most suitable for you.
vs
Compare wxSVG and wxWidgets and decide which is most suitable for you.