Are desktop applications still built, and would we need one?
Yes. Desktop applications are the right choice when software must work without a network, needs direct access to local files or connected hardware such as scanners, scales, label printers or instruments, processes large volumes of local data, or must run on a network without external access.
There are two main approaches. Electron or Tauri allows one codebase to serve both web and desktop, with Tauri producing much smaller applications. Fully native development, using C# with WPF or WinUI on Windows or SwiftUI on macOS, offers the closest platform integration and the best performance for intensive local work. A shared core library in Rust or C++ with native interfaces is another option.
The choice often depends on hardware integration and distribution. Applications deployed across an organisation by an IT department need packaging, code signing and update channels, and code signing in particular should be arranged early.
A common approach is a web application as the main product, with a lightweight desktop companion for workflows that require local access.
Where users request a desktop app because the web version is slow or loses work when the connection drops, improving the web application may be more cost-effective.
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