Transform Websites into Desktop Applications with Pake — Lightweight and Independent of Browsers

In today’s digital landscape, many users rely heavily on web tools that lack dedicated desktop applications. These tools often find themselves fighting for attention in a crowded browser with multiple tabs, leading to accidental closures, confusion, and loss of progress, especially during crashes. Fortunately, Pake offers a solution by enabling users to convert any website into a streamlined desktop application that functions independently, complete with its own window, taskbar slot, and process management.

Limitations of Browser App Shortcuts

For those who have experimented with traditional methods to convert websites into desktop applications, it’s clear that they often fall short. Both Edge and Chrome provide the option to install a website as an app, but this essentially runs within the browser’s environment. While the toolbar is hidden, these “apps”still depend on the browser process—if the browser is closed, so is the app.

Even though progressive web apps (PWAs) installed via Chrome or Edge may appear standalone, they still rely on the browser’s session and memory. In contrast, solutions like WebCatalog and Nativefier attempt to improve this separation by utilizing Electron. However, this method includes bundling a complete version of the Chromium browser within each application, leading to larger file sizes and slower launch times.

Pake, on the other hand, adopts a more efficient strategy. By utilizing Tauri, it leverages the existing web engine on the system—in Windows, this is WebView2, bundled with Microsoft Edge. This results in applications that are significantly smaller, about 20 times less than Electron-built apps, and they launch much more swiftly. For those seeking to create desktop applications from websites without the typical drawbacks, Pake offers a compelling alternative.

Creating Desktop Apps from the Terminal

The terminal method allows for turning any URL into a desktop application, offering customization options for app name, window size, and icons. Before proceeding, ensure you have the following prerequisites: Node.js version 22 or higher, pnpm, and Rust version 1.85 or higher. WebView2 should already be pre-installed on Windows 10 and 11.

To install Node.js, visit nodejs.org and download the LTS version. Once installed, open the Start menu, search for Terminal, right-click, and select Run as administrator. Then, issue the following command to install pnpm:

npm install -g pnpm

Next, navigate to rustup.rs to download the Rust installer. Follow the prompts, and upon completion, restart the Terminal as administrator to recognize the new installation. Afterwards, install the Pake CLI by executing:

pnpm install -g pake-cli

Once this is set up, you can convert any website to a desktop application using a single command. Be sure to replace the URL and app name according to your preferences:

pake https://maketecheasier.com --name MTE

Turn Maketecheasier Website To A Desktop App

Pake automatically retrieves the site’s favicon to use as the app icon. Additionally, you can specify optional flags within the command to customize your application further:

Adjust the window size using --width 1280 --height 800.
Enable a cleaner look with --hide-title-bar.
Reference a custom icon using the --icon flag.

Upon completion of the build, the app file will be saved in the PowerShell designated folder—typically your user directory on Windows. The output will be either a .exe or .msi file, which you can execute to install the application.

Run Maketecheasier Exe Installer File Explorer

Once installed, you can right-click the app’s icon in the taskbar and choose Pin to taskbar for convenient access.

Pake applications come pre-equipped with several keyboard shortcuts for streamlined navigation:

Shortcut	Action
`Ctrl` + `R`	Refresh the current page
`Ctrl` + `W`	Hide the app window (it remains running)
`Ctrl` + `left` / `Ctrl` + `right`	Navigate back / forward
`Ctrl` + `L`	Copy the current URL
`Ctrl` + `-` / `Ctrl` + `=`	Zoom out / Zoom in

Initial builds may take a few minutes as Rust compiles the necessary files, but subsequent builds will be much quicker.

Using GitHub for Easy App Creation

For those who prefer simplicity over manual installations, you can utilize GitHub to convert a website into a desktop app without requiring any local installations, although a free GitHub account is necessary.

After logging in, visit github.com/tw93/Pake and click the Fork button located in the upper right corner. Subsequently, select Create fork to create a personal copy of the Pake project linked to your GitHub account.

Within your forked repository, click the Actions tab and find the Build App With Pake CLI option in the left sidebar. Then, simply click Run workflow on the right.

A small form will appear requiring the URL, app name, window dimensions, and an optional icon. Fill out this form and click the green Run workflow button.

Fill Form And Click Run Workflow To Turn Website To Desktop App

The first run may take between 10 to 15 minutes as GitHub sets up the necessary caches. After the initial run, subsequent builds are usually completed in about 5 minutes. Once the process indicates success with a green checkmark, navigate to the Artifacts section and download your installer.

Download Mte Installer Under Artifacts Github

You can then install it just like any ordinary application.

Maketecheasier Website Turned To Mte Desktop App

This GitHub method provides the simplest means to convert websites to desktop applications without dealing with the terminal interface.

Accessing Pre-Built Apps

Pake also maintains a collection of ready-to-use desktop applications available on its GitHub Releases page. If your desired tool already exists in the pre-built list, the installation process becomes even easier. Current available options include ChatGPT, DeepSeek, YouTube Music, Grok, Twitter/X, Excalidraw, and WeRead.

Windows users should look for the .msi file, while Mac users can choose the .dmg format, and Linux users will want the .deb package. Download your required file, run the installer, and you will have your application up and running in under two minutes. If the application you need isn’t listed, you can follow Method 2 to achieve the same outcome without terminal use.

Understanding Pake’s Limitations

While Pake presents a compelling solution, it’s important to recognize its limitations. Each Pake application supports only a single session, which means if you need to access two separate accounts for the same service, you must create separate applications.

Furthermore, browser extensions, such as password managers and ad blockers, do not transfer over; thus, you will miss out on added protection and functionalities that those tools provide. On Mac and Linux systems, rendering occurs through WebKit instead of Chromium, occasionally resulting in minor visual discrepancies.

Additionally, as Pake functions by wrapping around a live URL, there is no offline mode available; without internet connectivity, the application is unable to load.

If your goal is simply to have a quick shortcut with minimal effort, then the app install feature built into Edge may be more efficient. However, Pake shines when you want to give your web tools the authentic desktop application experience—removing the clutter of browser tabs. For those concerned with keeping their Windows environment streamlined, exploring other open-source alternatives like AppControl might also be beneficial.

Choosing the Right Method for You

Ultimately, the ideal approach to converting a website into a desktop application using Pake depends on your comfort level with setup complexities. If you prefer complete customization, the terminal method is your best option. For those seeking convenience, leveraging GitHub Actions is recommended, while users can simply download pre-built applications when available.

While Pake may not replace a fully native application, it is undoubtedly the most efficient way to transition web tools that lack standalone apps from your browser to the taskbar. For users facing issues with tab overload, combining Pake with Windows’ virtual desktops can further enhance productivity.

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