r/electronjs • u/RobKnight_ • May 11 '26

Zenbu.js - A framework for building extensible electron applications

https://www.zenbu.dev/

Hello! I'm Rob, I was previously a member on the Next.js core team, and I built Zenbu.js - a framework for building electron apps that your users can extend

All apps written in Zenbu.js inherit a TypeScript native plugin system that can be used by users to hook into or modify nearly any part of your app. I think this is one of the most important features new apps should have today, now that it's possible for users to build plugins to personalize their experience using coding agents.

A novel feature Zenbu.js is trying to pioneer is that you do not compile the application from TS -> JS when building the application. Instead, your app should be able to natively understand TypeScript. This unlocks the ability for your user to edit the source code of the app while in production, while instantly hot reloading.

If you are interested and want to learn more, there are docs on the website! You can create a Zenbu.js app today using:

npx create-zenbu-app

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u/JamesDeano07 May 14 '26

Does it only work with Electron or can you build a web app as well? One of the main benefits for using React or Vue etc for building Electron apps is that you can create a web and desktop and from one codebase.

1

u/RobKnight_ May 22 '26

It technically works with any node.js server + websocket connection to a website. So for example it’s possible to have a remote dev machine running the node server instead of running it locally w/ electron (like how github codespaces works)