I’ve been contemplating the idea of developing desktop applications using JavaScript. I’m particularly interested in whether a complete desktop application can be built to connect and work with a MySQL database in 2025. I understand that there are frameworks available, like Electron, but I’m uncertain about their ability to manage database connections and if the performance meets the requirements for practical applications. Has anyone successfully created a desktop app using JavaScript? What tools or frameworks did you choose? I would love to know how you approached database integration. Any recommendations on whether this path is worth exploring, or if I should stick with conventional desktop programming languages, would be greatly appreciated.
Honestly, Electron gets way too much hate - it’s totally doable. Built a small CRM that connects to MySQL and it runs great on both Windows and Mac. Sequelize ORM saved me tons of time over writing raw SQL queries. Sure, the bundle’s chunky at ~200MB, but users don’t really care anymore. The real pain was handling offline mode and syncing data when the connection comes back. If you already know JS/React, it’s way faster than learning Qt or WinForms from scratch.
I built a desktop app with Electron last year for managing client data. Used direct MySQL connections with node-mysql2 - worked great, but you’ve got to watch your connection pooling and error handling. The app uses about 150MB RAM, which isn’t bad for what it does. Packaging was a pain though, especially getting MySQL drivers bundled right across different platforms. Performance is solid - handles thousands of records no problem, but UI animations can get choppy when you’re really pushing it. If you already know JavaScript, it’s way easier than dealing with C++ or C#. Just make sure you’ve got proper SQL injection protection since you’re hitting the database directly.
JavaScript desktop apps work great in 2025, but there are trade-offs. I built a small inventory management system with Tauri instead of Electron - way better performance and smaller bundles. For the database, I used a REST API between the frontend and MySQL instead of direct connections. Much safer and easier to maintain. Biggest pain was debugging across different layers, especially with async stuff. Performance was solid for what I needed, though heavy apps might have issues. If you already know JavaScript and web tech, go for it. Development speed crushes traditional desktop languages, plus you get the whole npm ecosystem. Just expect bloated app sizes with Electron.
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