Electron with .Net MVC application can be do like desktop application

Yes, with .NET 9 and Electron.NET, you can build cross-platform desktop applications using ASP.NET Core MVC—effectively turning your web app into a native-like desktop experience.

Electron.NET is a wrapper around the Electron framework that allows .NET developers to embed ASP.NET Core applications (including MVC, Razor Pages, and Blazor) inside a native shell. This enables you to build desktop apps using familiar web technologies while leveraging .NET’s power and tooling.

 

 How It Works

• Electron.NET hosts your ASP.NET Core MVC app inside an Electron shell.
• The app runs locally and opens in a desktop window, behaving like a native application.
• You can invoke native Electron APIs (e.g., dialogs, menus, notifications) directly from C# using the ElectronNET.API NuGet package.

 

Setup Overview

To build a desktop app with ASP.NET MVC and Electron.NET in .NET 9:

1. Install Prerequisites:

   • .NET 9 SDK
   • Node.js (v16.17.1 or higher)
   • ElectronNET CLI (dotnet tool install ElectronNET.CLI -g)

2. Create ASP.NET Core MVC App:

   dotnet new mvc -n MyDesktopApp
   cd MyDesktopApp
   

3. Add Electron.NET NuGet Package:

   dotnet add package ElectronNET.API
   

4. Configure Program.cs:

   builder.WebHost.UseElectron(args);
   builder.Services.AddElectron();
   

5. Launch Electron Window:

   await Electron.WindowManager.CreateWindowAsync();
   

6. Run Electron.NET:

   electronize start
   

This launches your MVC app inside an Electron window, giving it desktop-like behavior across Windows, macOS, and Linux.

 

 Benefits of Using Electron.NET with .NET 9

• Cross-platform deployment with a single codebase
• Access to native desktop features via Electron APIs
• Reuse of web development skills and ASP.NET MVC architecture
• Improved performance and tooling in .NET 9, including optimized JIT and enhanced GC