👋 Hey Product Hunt!
Today we are launching ToDesktop Builder. This is our biggest launch yet. Here are some of the highlights.
⚡ 200x faster builds with our Desktop app
ToDesktop Builder is now a desktop app. Yes, very meta. We didn't just do this for fun though. You can now build an app in just a few seconds. It's literally 200x faster than before.
🧑💻 Code Optional
You can add multiple windows, multiple trays, and completely customisable app/tray/click menus from our NoCode builder. We've also added lots more app and window configuration options. You can create a desktop app without writing a single line of code.
🚀 Typescript/Javascript API
You can use code to take your desktop app to the next level. Just `npm install` our client API on your web app's codebase and suddenly you have access to native functionality like system notifications, the app menu or badges for your app icon.
🔌 Native Plugins
Plugins are a great way to introduce native functionalities into your desktop app. The goal is that eventually, you will be able to create any desktop app using plugins.
Here's a tutorial that uses ToDesktop Builder plugins to create an awesome todo app. The app lets you create todos by selecting text on any app and then use a global hotkey to create a todo from that text.
📂 Offline file support
In response to popular demand, we've added offline file support to ToDesktop. With offline files support, you can drag and drop files into ToDesktop Builder and use the `todesktop-fs://` protocol to read from bundled files in your app.
💸 Free to build your app locally. You only pay for distribution.
With previous versions of ToDesktop you needed a credit card to build your app. Now you can just hit the "Run" button and ToDesktop Builder will build a fully functional version of your app for free. You don't pay us a penny until you want to create a build of your app that you can distribute to your customers.
📚 Documentation, tutorials and recipes
Check out our new docs site. Everything you need to get started is at https://www.todesktop.com/docs/
🔥 Oh and...
I won't go into detail but here are some of the other things that you get out-of-the-box: Super-fast update/download CDN, Code-signing, Auto-updates, Analytics, and we support Mac, Windows and Linux.
👨🎨 How are people using ToDesktop Builder?
— @rickpastoor built a menu bar app that shows the next meetings.
— @trafnar built a ChatGPT-powered AI chat tool that you can trigger with a global hotkey.
— @thekitze took menubar icons to the next level with his habit tracking app.
— @linuz90 built the best Twitter writing experience with Typefully.
— @peer_rich used macOs vibrancy effects to a juicy desktop app for Cal.com's desktop app
— @brian_lovin built a desktop app for Campsite that sends users native notifications whenever people comment in your conversations or react to your posts
I avoided building a desktop app for Conjure for months, then built one within a single day with ToDesktop Builder, and my users love it. I use it daily over the Web version of Conjure.
I avoided building a desktop app because I was worried about managing it as a solo developer, but ToDesktop has removed all that overhead, and having a desktop app is now a driving factor for many of my daily users.
ToDesktop's API is incredibly nice and thoughtful, which made integrating Conjure's habit and time tracking through the menu bar, native notifications, and multiple windows a breeze.
ToDesktop Builder is next level in its configurability of the desktop app, icons, menu bar, menu tray, and more. The deployment and distribution workflow is just one click. It's honestly upsetting how straightforward everything is.
I seriously can't recommend ToDesktop enough. The team is super helpful, and they make it very easy and quick for you to build an excellent desktop experience.
Myself and my users over at https://conjure.so are very thankful for ToDesktop and @davej 😊
@whelton Ah man, thanks so much for the rave review James. 😊
You traded desktop app procrastination for a lifetime of user admiration. That's what we're all about!
Anybody else reading this? If so, check out Conjure, it is the absolute best way to develop good habits and achieve your goals.
Epic Product
Love how it removes all the "Electron" headache and gives super powerful APIs/plugins for native features!
ToDesktop powers most of my favorite tools. Happy to be both a user as a dev, and user as end-customer.
Congrats @davej
@omarmcpizza Thanks Omar, super glad for your help along the way. We've turned the 'Electron' headache into a ToDesktop head-rush, love it! Less hassle more sparkle ✨!
I’ve been a todesktop customer for over 2 years. I use it to provide maintainance-free Linux, windows, and mac clients for @kinopioclub . Congrats on the release, looking forward to trying this out!
@morajabi Ah, a connoisseur of the classic Electron brew! With ToDesktop Builder we've distilled it down to a fine essence - like switching from a good old cup of joe to a potent espresso shot! All the power, none of the grind.
huge congrats on the launch! I've been using ToDesktop Builder for quite some time and it's really brilliant – makes desktop app creation a breeze, and incredibly fast – you can run and test your app almost immediately. love seeing how far TD's come!
I love it, I've seen more and more of my tools swap to ToDesktop and it makes me want to give it a try once I've got something ready! Keep up the awesome work and I look forward to working with your product soon 👀
Can I use this to build a site-specific wrapper for other web apps that I use? (i.e. I don't own those websites, but want to access them via my Mac dock).
@chrismessina Hey Chris, great question. We're not targeting this use case but you can do that for absolutely free if you want to. It's a bit of a hack so let me explain how:
1. Download ToDesktop Builder from our website.
2. Create an app using ToDesktop Builder. You probably want a "Simple Window" app.
3. Customise it if you would like to customise it.
4. Hit the run button
5. When the app is running then right-click on the dock icon. Choose "Options" → "Show in Finder"
6. You can now drag that application into your Applications directory and treat it like a normal app.
Note: If you send this app to a friend or another computer then it won't work because the app hasn't been signed or notarized. If you want to distribute the app then you'll have to press the "Release" button on ToDesktop Builder and you would need to pay for this service.
Replies
ToDesktop
Omnipilot - AI copilot for macOS
ToDesktop
UnInbox
ToDesktop
Kinopio
ToDesktop
There
ToDesktop
Fabric
ToDesktop
Documenso
ToDesktop
ToDesktop
Olvy
ToDesktop
ToDesktop
SlashPage
ToDesktop
ToDesktop
Laserfocus
ToDesktop
ToDesktop
ToDesktop
ToDesktop
ToDesktop
UIQuill
ToDesktop
Laserfocus
ToDesktop
Flagpack
ToDesktop