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Wails

Build desktop applications with Go and web technologies (JS/HTML/CSS). Native WebView, no Chromium bundled.

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Our Verdict

The right pick for Go devs shipping desktop apps with web UI, if you accept OS-WebView quirks.

Pros

  • Go backend with web frontend, no Chromium
  • Uses system WebView — tiny binaries
  • Cleaner developer experience than CGo alternatives
  • Active maintenance and honest docs
  • Truly cross-platform desktop from Go

Cons

  • WebView differences between OSes bite you
  • Smaller ecosystem than Tauri or Electron
  • Mobile support not the primary focus
  • Debugging renderer issues can be cross-OS hell
Best for: Go developers building small-binary desktop tools with web-tech frontends Not for: Teams needing identical rendering across OSes — use Electron for uniformity

When to Use Wails

Good fit if you need

  • Lightweight Go desktop app without bundling a Chromium runtime
  • Native macOS and Windows app built with Go and JavaScript UI
  • Cross-platform desktop tool with Go backend and React frontend
  • Electron alternative for a Go-based developer utility
  • Native webview-based GUI for a Go CLI tool with a web UI

Lock-in Assessment

Low 5/5
Lock-in Score
5/5

Wails Pricing

Pricing Model
free
Free Tier
Yes
Entry Price
Enterprise Available
No
Transparency Score

Beta — estimates may differ from actual pricing

1,000
1001K10K100K1M

Estimated Monthly Cost

$25

Estimated Annual Cost

$300

Estimates are approximate and may not reflect current pricing. Always check the official pricing page.

Project Health

B

Health Score

33.8k 1.7k
Bus Factor

9

Last Commit

today

Release Freq

12d

Open Issues

374

Issue Response

N/A

License

MIT

Last checked: 2026-04-21

Community Discussion

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