Electron React Boilerplate
A starter template for building desktop apps with Electron and React in TypeScript.
- Stars
- 24.3k
- Forks
- 4k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- TypeScript
- Last update
- 7 days ago
- Type
- Dev tool
What it is
Electron React Boilerplate is a pre-configured project template that combines Electron (for desktop apps built with web technologies), React, and React Router. It gives you a working starting point with build tooling already set up, so you can begin writing app code instead of configuring the project yourself. The README also mentions electron-vite and React Fast Refresh for the development workflow.
- Start a new desktop app project with React and TypeScript
- Run the app in a development mode with npm start
- Package a desktop app for your local platform with npm run package
Great for
- Developers who know React and want to build a cross-platform desktop app
- Teams starting a new Electron project who want a maintained, pre-wired setup
- People who want to avoid manually configuring Webpack, Babel, and ESLint for Electron
Not ideal for
- People who only want to build a website or web app with no desktop packaging, since this is specifically for Electron desktop apps
- Beginners new to both React and JavaScript, since the README assumes familiarity with Node.js and npm
- Projects that need a stable, unchanging template, since the README points to ongoing maintenance and a roadmap that may change the setup
How to get it
- 1
Clone and build from source
You'll need: Node.js 24 or newer · npm 10 or newer · git
Clone the repository
git clone --depth 1 --branch main https://github.com/electron-react-boilerplate/electron-react-boilerplate.git your-project-nameEnter the project folder
cd your-project-nameInstall dependencies
npm install - 2
Run it
- Run npm install in the project folder
- Start the app in development mode with npm start
- Edit the React code and watch the app update
- When ready, run npm run package to build for your local platform
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Read the docs at electron-react-boilerplate.js.org for installation and guide details
- Check the compiler tooling notes in .erb/tooling/README.md for the separate tooling install
- Use the debugging guide linked in the README if installation fails
- Follow the project roadmap linked in the docs to see planned changes
Downloads
Strengths
- Ships with React, React Router, and TypeScript already wired together
- Includes a packaging command so you can produce a distributable app
- Has a large community, a Discord server, and extensive docs on its website
Trade-offs
- Requires a recent Node.js version (the README specifies Node.js 24 or newer), which may not match older environments
- Adds a lot of tooling you must learn to customize, which can be a barrier if you only need a small app
- Packaging for distribution may need extra setup beyond the single command shown in the README
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| electron-react-boilerplate (this) | 24.3k | Dev tool | intermediate | 7 days ago | Developers who know React and want to build a cross-platform desktop app |
| electron-vue | 15.3k | Learning resource | intermediate | 4.8 years ago | Developers who already know Vue and want to build a desktop app |
| nylas-mail | 24.7k | App | advanced | 4 months ago | Developers curious about how an extensible Electron and React desktop app is structured |
| js-stack-from-scratch | 20.1k | Learning resource | intermediate | 2.4 years ago | Developers who already know JavaScript basics and want to understand how a React and Node setup is put together |
| electron | 124k | Framework | intermediate | 4 days ago | Web developers who want to ship a desktop app using skills they already have |
| storybook | 91.4k | Dev tool | intermediate | 4 days ago | Frontend teams building a shared component library or design system |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.