React 19 · Vite · Rust-native

MurasakiNext.js DX for desktop apps.

$ pnpm create murasaki@latest my-app

Next.js DX for desktopNative windowsNative menus~1/5 Electron memoryReact 19Vite HMRRust-nativeNo Rust requiredMIT licensed

Native apps.×Web DX.

01 · Native proof

Not a browser tab. A real OS window.

Murasaki windows are native — a real title bar, a real menu bar, real OS chrome. Right-click anywhere and you get an actual native menu, not an HTML popup pretending to be one.

src/app/layout.tsx

import { useAppMenu, Action } from 'murasaki'

useAppMenu([
  { label: 'File', items: [{ role: 'close' }] },
  { role: 'editMenu' },
  {
    label: 'View',
    items: [
      { label: 'Reload', shortcut: 'command,R', action: <Action.Reload /> },
    ],
  },
])

This code becomes that menu. NSMenu on macOS, HMENU on Windows.

Murasaki App

Hello, Murasaki 🦋

The Next.js developer experience — file-based routing, server actions and native menus — in a lightweight Rust shell.

Edit src/app/page.tsx and save to reload.

DocsGitHubmurasaki_js

Try the interactive demo →

Try the menus — View → Reload works.

Native window

A real OS window (wry) — not a browser tab, not an iframe.

Native menu bar

A real application menu bar, built from the same config as your app.

Scoped context menus

useContextMenu(items) declares a real NSMenu / HMENU / GtkMenu — global, or scoped to one element.

02 · Why it exists

Build native desktop apps with file-based routing, server actions, and React 19 — in a Rust-native window, not Electron's Chromium. Without writing Rust.

03 · What ships today

Everything you need to ship a desktop app

No native code to write, no IPC to hand-wire — six things that just work out of the box.

File-based routing

src/app/**/page.tsx, layouts, and dynamic segments — the routing you already know from Next.js.

Server Actions

'use server' + defineAction / useAction — the same React 19 shape, running natively.

API Routes

Next.js-style src/api/**/route.ts HTTP endpoints, no extra server to run.

Native window & menus

A real native window, a native menu bar, and scoped native context menus — not HTML popups.

UI kit

@murasakijs/ui — an accessible React Aria component library built for Murasaki apps.

Signed distribution

Portable .app bundles with optional code signing and notarization.

04 · Try it

Right-click this.

psst — right-click. drawing works too

In a real Murasaki app this pops a native NSMenu / HMENU. On a website? Still just HTML — we had to be honest somewhere.

05 · vs Electron / Tauri

Why Murasaki

Choose Murasaki if you know React/Next.js and want a small-footprint desktop app without learning Rust or hand-wiring IPC.

Electron

Murasaki

~1/5

of Electron's idle memory footprint.

* commonly-cited ballpark for Electron/Tauri — not a measured benchmark.

01 · UI runtime

Murasaki

OS WebView (wry)

Electron

Bundled Chromium

Tauri

OS WebView

02 · Language

Murasaki

TypeScript / React

Electron

TypeScript / React

Tauri

TypeScript + Rust

03 · DX

Murasaki

Next.js-style (Vite HMR)

Electron

Manual wiring

Tauri

Manual wiring

04 · Memory (idle)

Murasaki

~1/5 of Electron*

Electron

Baseline

Tauri

Small

05 · Server actions

Murasaki

defineAction / useAction

Electron

Manual IPC

Tauri

Manual IPC / commands

06 · Runnable apps

Try the result, not just the pitch.

Run the packaged default scaffold or launch any of three independent products built from real application requirements — each in one CLI command.

Developer preview · CLI

The default scaffold, already packaged.

The exact app created by create-murasaki, with native menus, file-based routes, Server Actions, API routes, and the bundled Node runtime.

macOS developer preview

$ pnpm dlx murasaki@latest demo

Build details & checksums

The macOS CLI selects the correct CPU build, verifies its published SHA256 and ad-hoc code signature, then explicitly removes quarantine before launch.

Three apps. Three directions.

Browse all sources

Each macOS developer preview selects the correct CPU build, verifies its published SHA-256 and ad-hoc signature, removes quarantine, and launches. Source remains available for inspection; these previews are not presented as notarized consumer downloads.

Papelle

A local-first block workspace with Markdown, attachments, linked pages, database views, and optional self-hosted collaboration.

macOS developer preview

$ pnpm dlx murasaki@latest demo papelle

Source Build details & checksums

Oscilla

An API workbench for REST, GraphQL, WebSocket, scenarios, mock responses, and an integrated traffic timeline.

macOS developer preview

$ pnpm dlx murasaki@latest demo oscilla

Source Build details & checksums

Orglia

A self-hosted operations suite connecting CRM, projects, orders, inventory, approvals, shifts, incidents, and analytics.

macOS developer preview

$ pnpm dlx murasaki@latest demo orglia

Source Build details & checksums

07 · Artifacts

This is what you ship.

.app / .dmg

macOS

Ships today

.app / .dmg, cross-arch (arm64 & x64), with optional code signing and notarization.

.zip / .exe / .msi

Windows

Ships today

Portable .zip plus NSIS .exe and MSI .msi installers, cross-arch (arm64 & x64).

.AppImage / .deb

Linux

Partial support

AppImage and .deb packages (x64 & arm64), with self-update for AppImage and GPG code signing (murasaki installer --sign); rpm packaging isn't shipped yet.

One command → a real native installer. macOS, Windows, and Linux (AppImage / .deb).

Murasaki

Applications

08 · Say hi

Meet the Great Purple Emperor.

        @@              @@        
          @@          @@          
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  @@@@@@@@@@@@      @@@@@@@@@@@@  
@@@@@@@@::@@@@@@  @@@@@@::@@@@@@@@
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  @@@@@@@@@@@@@@  @@@@@@@@@@@@@@  
    @@@@@@@@@@      @@@@@@@@@@    
                                  
        %%%%%%      %%%%%%        
      %%%%%%%%%%  %%%%%%%%%%      
        %%%%%%%%  %%%%%%%%

drag to spin · 100% text

Sasakia charonda — the great purple emperor, Japan's national butterfly, and this framework's namesake. Rendered in plain text, the same way the create-murasaki banner draws it in your terminal.

09 · Changelog

Shipped, dated, honest.

v0.55.82026-08-13
Security hardening across the production server, updater, and MCP
The bundled production server no longer returns internal error details to API clients, and static files are served from an allowlist built at startup, eliminating the path-traversal bug class by construction.
v0.55.72026-07-24
React Aria UI foundation
Murasaki's default UI foundation now uses React Aria Components throughout. The public @murasakijs/ui component names and familiar value-based props stay available, while focus management, keyboard interaction, selection, and overlay behavior no longer depend on Radix UI or cmdk.
v0.55.62026-07-20
the stability declaration
Every one of the 26 features in the capability manifest is now status: stable — a compatibility commitment for the current release line backed by cited test evidence, not a label change. Platform labels stay honest where an OS-level gap is real.

View full changelog

10 · Three commands

Create$ pnpm create murasaki@latest my-app

Run$ pnpm dev

Bundle$ pnpm bundle

Buildyourfirstnativeapp.

React 19, file-based routing, and server actions — in a real native window. No Rust required.

$ pnpm create murasaki@latest my-app

Get started GitHub