Sound familiar?
- Your software must work with a label printer, scale or USB device
- Staff handle very large files that are slow to upload to a web app
- An old desktop app was built on a platform that is no longer supported
- Users work offline for long periods
- A kiosk or shop-floor terminal needs to run one app, full screen, all day
Key facts
- dijitul built Adobe AIR desktop apps, including a video player supplied by an in-car camera maker to its customers
- Today's options: Electron, Tauri, and .NET with WPF, WinUI or .NET MAUI
- Direct access to local files, printers, scanners, serial and USB devices
- Full offline working with local databases such as SQLite
- Code signing and auto-update so users always have the current version
- Windows and macOS from one codebase with Electron or Tauri
Our desktop heritage
dijitul developments has built desktop software for a long time. In the early 2010s we built Adobe AIR applications, including a video player supplied by an in-car camera maker to its customers so they could view and manage their footage on a computer. AIR let web developers ship cross-platform desktop apps, much as Electron and Tauri do today.
Adobe handed AIR's ongoing development to HARMAN in 2019 and ended its own support at the end of 2020. If your business still relies on an AIR application, or on another ageing desktop platform such as Visual Basic 6 or an Access front end, we can plan a move to a current framework. See legacy software modernisation.
When desktop beats the browser
Most business software today should be a web application. A desktop app is the right call when you need:
- Hardware access: label and receipt printers, weighing scales, serial devices, card readers or specialist USB kit that browsers cannot reach reliably.
- Large local files: video, CAD, imaging or datasets measured in gigabytes.
- Long offline periods: users working for days without a connection.
- Kiosk or terminal use: one app, full screen, locked down, on a shop floor or reception desk.
- Deep operating system integration: system tray, file associations, background services or watching local folders.
A hybrid is often best. The main system is a web application that office and remote staff use, and a small desktop companion handles the part that needs local hardware, such as printing shipping labels from a thermal printer at the packing bench or reading weights from a scale. The companion talks to the same API, so there is still one set of data and one set of business rules.
Electron, Tauri or .NET?
| Framework | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Electron | Bundles Chromium and Node.js with a web front end | Feature-rich cross-platform apps; huge ecosystem; larger install size and memory use |
| Tauri | Web front end using the operating system's own webview, with a Rust core | Small, fast installers and lower memory use; cross-platform; stable since Tauri 2.0 |
| .NET (WPF, WinUI, .NET MAUI) | Microsoft's native frameworks in C# | Windows-first business apps, tight Windows and Microsoft 365 integration, existing .NET teams |
Electron and Tauri let us reuse web skills and even share screens with a web version of the same system. .NET suits Windows-only estates and integration with other Microsoft software. We recommend one based on your platforms, hardware and who will maintain it.
Data, sync and the server
Most desktop apps are not islands. We usually pair them with a central API so data is shared across users and backed up. The app keeps a local SQLite database for fast, offline work, and syncs changes to the server when connected, with each change versioned so conflicts are caught. Sensitive local data is encrypted, and login can use Microsoft Entra ID so staff use their normal work accounts. See API development.
Signing, updates and deployment
Unsigned desktop apps trigger security warnings and are often blocked. We sign Windows builds with a code signing certificate and sign and notarise macOS builds through Apple's developer programme, so users install without scary prompts. Auto-update checks for new versions and installs them in the background, so you never have a room of PCs on different versions. For managed estates we provide MSI or MSIX packages that IT can deploy through Intune or Group Policy.
Crash reporting tells us when something goes wrong on a user's machine, with enough detail to fix it. Logs stay on the device unless the user or your IT team agrees to send them, and no personal data is included by default. Release channels let a few pilot users try a new version before it rolls out to everyone.
Getting started
Every desktop project starts with a free chat about what the app must do and where it will run. We may suggest a web app or progressive web app if that would be simpler. Otherwise we scope it and give a fixed-price quote. It sits within our broader bespoke software development work. Get in touch.
What we deliver
- A signed, installable desktop app for Windows, macOS or both
- Local data storage with sync to a central server or API
- Hardware integration with printers, scanners and devices
- Auto-update and crash reporting
- Installer packages for manual or managed deployment
- Migration from an old Adobe AIR, VB6 or Access front end
How it works and what it costs
Every project gets a fixed-price quote after a free initial chat and a short scoping stage. You own the code and the data.
Free chat
Tell us the problem in plain English: what you do now, what goes wrong and what "better" looks like. No charge, no obligation.
Scoping
We map the processes, systems and data involved, agree what is in and out, and write it down so there are no surprises.
Fixed-price quote
You get a fixed price for the agreed scope, or a phased plan for bigger builds, so you can start small and prove it works.
Build and test
We build in short stages you can see and try, test against real data, then go live carefully with a rollback plan.
Hand over and look after
You own the code and the data. We can host it, support it and keep improving it, or hand it to your own team.
Frequently asked questions
Can you replace our old Adobe AIR application?
Yes. dijitul built Adobe AIR desktop apps in the early 2010s and understands how they work. We can rebuild an AIR app in Electron, Tauri or .NET, keeping the features and data your users rely on while moving to a supported platform.
Electron or Tauri: which is better?
Electron has the larger ecosystem and the most predictable rendering because it bundles Chromium. Tauri produces much smaller installers and uses less memory by using the system webview with a Rust core. dijitul chooses based on your features, platforms and hardware needs.
Can a desktop app work with our label printer or scales?
Yes. Desktop apps can talk directly to printers, scales, serial and USB devices in ways browsers cannot reliably manage. dijitul builds the hardware integration and tests it on the actual devices you use.
How do updates reach users?
dijitul builds in auto-update, so the app checks for new versions and installs them in the background. For managed IT estates we also supply MSI or MSIX packages for deployment through Intune or Group Policy.
Should our software be desktop or web?
Usually web, because it is easier to deploy and use remotely. dijitul recommends desktop only for hardware access, large local files, long offline use or kiosk set-ups, and will give an honest view in a free chat.
Related
Tell us what you need to build
Free chat, clear scope, fixed-price quote. You own everything we build.