22nd of 49 in SaaS and app starters
wails
Framework for building desktop apps with a Go backend and web frontend
- Stars
- 36.9k
- License
- MIT
- Last commit
- Nov 2026
- Last release
- Nov 2026
- Language
- Go
33,217 on 10 Apr 202636,888 on 30 Oct 2026
From GitHub's daily star counts.
Checked on GitHub.
Overview
Wails packages Go code and an HTML/JS/CSS frontend into a single desktop binary, using the operating system's native webview instead of an embedded browser. A CLI handles project creation, compilation and bundling, and Go methods can be called from JavaScript with generated TypeScript definitions. It has no AI features; it is a general desktop app framework and fits this list only loosely.
Who it is for: Go developers who want a lightweight desktop app with a web UI
Ranked among open-source alternatives to ShipFast (#2 of 10).
Strengths
- Uses native rendering engines, so no bundled browser as in Electron
- Auto-generated TypeScript definitions for Go structs and methods
- Works with any frontend stack, with pre-built project templates
- Native dialogs, menus, dark/light mode and window translucency effects
Weaknesses
- No AI, model or agent functionality; off-topic for this list
- Backend must be written in Go
- Two active versions (v2 and v3) with separate install paths and docs
What it needs
- Go
- Needs Go toolchain
Quick answers
Is wails open source?
Yes. Its code is on GitHub under the MIT license.
Head to head
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