Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Electron VS Qt Creator

Compare Electron VS Qt Creator and see what are their differences

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Electron logo Electron

Build cross platform desktop apps with web technologies

Qt Creator logo Qt Creator

Qt Creator is a cross-platform C++, JavaScript and QML integrated development environment. It is the fastest, easiest and most fun experience a C++ developer could wish for.
  • Electron Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-02-01
  • Qt Creator Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-21

Electron features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    Electron allows developers to create applications that run on Windows, macOS, and Linux using a single codebase, making it easier to reach a broader audience.
  • Web Technologies
    Developers can utilize HTML, CSS, and JavaScript (including popular frameworks like React, Angular, and Vue) to build Electron apps, enabling a more accessible development process for web developers.
  • Rich Ecosystem
    Electron benefits from the vast ecosystem of Node.js, granting access to a multitude of packages and modules, and simplifying the inclusion of various functionalities in applications.
  • Auto-Update Mechanism
    Electron has built-in support for auto-updating applications, which saves developers time and effort in managing updates and improves the user experience by keeping the application up-to-date seamlessly.
  • Active Community
    An active community and extensive documentation provide a wealth of resources for developers, from tutorials to plugins, making it easier to find support and improve productivity.

Possible disadvantages of Electron

  • Large File Size
    Because Electron packages both the application code and a version of Chromium, applications tend to be significantly larger in file size compared to native counterparts.
  • High Memory Consumption
    Electron apps can consume more memory because each window runs its instance of Chromium, which can lead to inefficient resource usage, especially on systems with limited memory.
  • Performance
    Due to its reliance on web technologies and Chromium, Electron applications may not perform as well as optimally coded native apps, particularly in resource-intensive scenarios.
  • Security Concerns
    Electron's use of web technologies and features like Node.js integration increases the attack surface, requiring careful handling of security practices to prevent vulnerabilities such as injection attacks.
  • Complexity in Debugging
    Debugging Electron applications can be more complex due to the blend of backend (Node.js) and frontend (browser-like) code, requiring developers to be proficient in multiple debugging tools and techniques.

Qt Creator features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Development
    Qt Creator allows developers to write code once and deploy it across multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android, saving time and resources.
  • Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
    It provides a comprehensive IDE with features like code completion, syntax highlighting, and integrated debugging that streamline the development process.
  • Rich Library of Widgets
    Qt Creator includes a wide range of widgets for UI development, making it easier to build complex user interfaces.
  • Strong Community and Documentation
    The tool is backed by a robust community and extensive documentation, providing valuable support and resources for developers.
  • Native Performance
    Applications built with Qt Creator often exhibit near-native performance due to its effective use of C++ and platform-specific optimizations.
  • Designer Tool
    Qt Creator features a visual designer that helps developers create and modify UI components through drag-and-drop functionality.

Possible disadvantages of Qt Creator

  • Steep Learning Curve
    New users might find Qt Creator challenging to learn due to its comprehensive set of features and the intricacies of C++ programming.
  • License Cost
    While Qt is free and open-source under the LGPL, for commercial use or access to additional features, the licensing fees can be quite high.
  • Heavy Resource Usage
    The IDE can be resource-intensive, potentially slowing down development on less powerful machines.
  • Limited Non-C++ Language Support
    Qt Creator is primarily designed for C++ development, and although it supports other languages, the support is not as robust.
  • Deployment Complexity
    Deploying applications across multiple platforms can sometimes be complex and require significant configuration.
  • Large Binary Size
    Applications built with Qt often have a larger binary size compared to those built with some other frameworks, which might be a concern for resource-constrained environments.

Analysis of Electron

Overall verdict

  • Electron is generally considered a good choice for creating cross-platform desktop applications, especially when rapid development and leveraging web technologies are priorities. However, it may not be suitable for applications where performance and resource efficiency are critical, as Electron apps tend to be resource-heavy compared to native applications.

Why this product is good

  • Electron is a popular framework that allows developers to build cross-platform desktop applications using web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. One of its main advantages is that it enables the use of existing web development skills to create apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Electron also benefits from a large community and a rich ecosystem of tools and libraries, making development quicker and more flexible.

Recommended for

    Electron is recommended for developers or teams that already have experience with web technologies and need to create desktop applications quickly across multiple platforms. It's especially useful for applications that require a high degree of flexibility and customization in the UI, or for products that benefit from sharing a codebase with a web application. Startups and small to medium-sized businesses that prioritize development speed and cost efficiency may find Electron particularly attractive.

Analysis of Qt Creator

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Qt Creator is considered a good choice for developers who are working within the Qt framework. It combines functionality with a user-friendly interface, making it suitable for both beginners and experienced developers. While it excels in Qt-focused development, it might not provide the same level of convenience for projects outside of this framework.

Why this product is good

  • Qt Creator is a well-regarded integrated development environment (IDE) primarily used for developing cross-platform applications with the Qt framework. It offers a robust set of features including a powerful code editor, GUI design tools, integrated debugging and profiling, and excellent support for C++ and QML languages. The IDE supports version control systems such as Git and offers various plugins and extensions, enhancing its capabilities. Its cross-platform nature allows developers to compile applications for multiple operating systems with relative ease, making it a versatile tool for application development.

Recommended for

  • Developers working with the Qt framework.
  • C++ programmers looking for an integrated design and development environment.
  • Teams developing cross-platform applications.
  • Those seeking an all-in-one IDE capable of handling both development and design aspects of software creation.
  • Individuals interested in developing applications with a graphical user interface using QML.

Electron videos

💻 Why You Should Build Desktop Software With Electron

More videos:

  • Review - What is Electron: The Hard Parts Made Easy
  • Review - Electron Matrix Review Video

Qt Creator videos

Introduction to Qt - Qt Creator IDE Overview and Examples {tutorial}

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Electron and Qt Creator)
Development Tools
100 100%
0% 0
IDE
0 0%
100% 100
Rapid Application Development
Text Editors
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Electron and Qt Creator. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Electron and Qt Creator

Electron Reviews

Electron.js Alternatives For Cross-Platform Development
All of this changed when Electron.js came into the picture. The framework allowed developers to create a unique cross-platform desktop application without any hurdles. However, it uses up quite a bit of resource making it harder for developers to create lightweight applications. With this blog, we will look into suitable alternatives for Electron.js.
Source: www.atatus.com
12 Best Frameworks and Toolkits to Build Desktop Applications
If you are looking for an alternative to the Electronjs desktop application development framework, Neutralinojs is a viable option. A few applications may become bulky with Electron, but Neutralinojs can help avoid such problems.
Source: geekflare.com
10 Best Tools to Develop Cross-Platform Desktop Apps 
Electron.js is compatible with a variety of frameworks, libraries, access to hardware-level APIs and chromium engine, and Node.js support. Electron Fiddle feature is great for experimentation as it allows developers to play around with concepts and templates. Simplification is at the center of Electron because developers don’t have to spend unnecessary time on the packaging,...
Electron Alternatives﹣5 Best JavaScript Frameworks for Desktop Apps
If you’re a JavaScript developer, you’re going to need to learn a few relatively simple things on how Electron works and it’s API. You will most probably be able to set up your first Electron desktop application in just a few days.
Source: brainhub.eu
Frameworks & Tools to Develop Cross-Platform Desktop Apps – Best of
Enyo is an open-source JavaScript framework, like Electron, that allows developers to create native-quality apps for desktop, mobile, and TV. Enyo can run across all the relatively modern and standard web-based environments. It’s battle-tested and comes with a beautiful cross-platform UI toolkit for creating rich user interfaces.

Qt Creator Reviews

Top 10 Android Studio Alternatives For App Development
Qt Creator is an IDE for programmers that is used to create multiple applications and eases GUI application modifications or designs. It is the best tool for creating Qt applications.
9 Of The Best Android Studio Alternatives To Try Out
Qt Creator is a QMl, javaScript, and C++ integrated development environment for the Qt framework. It comes equipped with a visual debugger and forms designer and also has a GUI layout.
What's The Best C++ IDE? Our Top C++ IDEs & Editors In 2024
Another standout feature of Qt Creator is its design tools. This C++ IDE offers an intuitive and powerful drag-and-drop interface for designing user interfaces. This level of integration between UI design and code development can streamline your workflow, making it easier to transform your visual designs into functional code.
Source: hackr.io
10 Best Android Studio Alternatives For App Development
QT Creator is another SDK for QT Framework. It is a cross-platform development application with integration to C++, QML, and Javascript. It comes with an integrated GUI platform that lays a perfect environment for Android app development.
Source: techdator.net

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Electron seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 14 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Electron mentions (14)

  • Design Systems with Web Components
    So we talked a lot about the Atomic Design Principle, but you could just use that in any system and start creating. You could have Angular components, React Components, and Vue Components. But if you notice these don't easily work Everwhere. So the solution is to use Web Components because the modern browser can already understand these, and any Front-End framework can then utilize these components. You can use... - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Building Apps with Tauri and Elixir
    For the longest time, building desktop apps was a daunting task to web developers. That is, until technologies like Electron made creating these apps more approachable to a wider audience. Today, we’ve got a wide array of native applications built with solutions like Electron, Tauri, Capacitor, and many more. While these are great solutions, sometimes configuration can be tricky and the applications we create can... - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • SvelteKit + Electron: Create your desktop web app
    I make a new Adapter for SvelteKit apps that prerenders your entire site as a collection of static files for use with Electron. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • Electron: Build Desktop Applications Using Plain Javascript
    Electron is a cross-platform shell — a user interface for accessing operating system services both via command line (CLI) and graphical user interface (GUI). - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • Circuit To Turn On Desktop PC
    Electron (https://electronjs.org/) is a framework for developing cross-platform desktop applications using JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. This is the technology behind many popular apps like Slack, Discord and Visual Studio Code. Join for discussions around Electron! Source: over 2 years ago
View more

Qt Creator mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Qt Creator yet. Tracking of Qt Creator recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Electron and Qt Creator, you can also consider the following products

Qt - Powerful, flexible and easy to use, Qt will help you not only meet your tight deadline, but also reduce the maintainable code by an astonishing percentage.

Microsoft Visual Studio - Microsoft Visual Studio is an integrated development environment (IDE) from Microsoft.

Flutter - Build beautiful native apps in record time 🚀

IntelliJ IDEA - Capable and Ergonomic IDE for JVM

React Native - A framework for building native apps with React

VS Code - Build and debug modern web and cloud applications, by Microsoft