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How do you ship Go HTML/SSR to end users?

The right packaging tool depends on your UI type (SSR vs SPA), target app size, and how much system-level functionality you need.

Technology Decision Flow

Mermaid Live Flowchart

graph TD Start([Start choosing a stack]) --> Q1{What is your UI?} Q1 -- "Already have Go SSR / HTML Template" --> Q2{What do you need?} Q1 -- "Greenfield (React/Vue/Svelte)" --> Q3{What language do you know best?} Q2 -- "Ultra-light (<20MB), minimal" --> Webview[webview_go] Q2 -- "High stability, consistent UI" --> Lorca[Lorca / Chrome App] Q2 -- "Rich native features" --> WailsSSR[Wails v2/v3 SSR mode] Q3 -- "Want Go backend" --> Wails[Wails v2/v3] Q3 -- "Want Rust backend" --> Tauri[Tauri] Q3 -- "Only JS/TypeScript" --> Electron[Electron] %% Styling Nodes style Start fill:#1e293b,stroke:#475569,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff style Q1 fill:#0f172a,stroke:#00add8,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff style Q2 fill:#0f172a,stroke:#38bdf8,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff style Q3 fill:#0f172a,stroke:#a855f7,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff style Webview fill:#00ADD8,stroke:#008ba3,stroke-width:3px,color:#1e293b,font-weight:bold style Lorca fill:#f59e0b,stroke:#d97706,stroke-width:2px,color:#1e293b,font-weight:bold style WailsSSR fill:#ef4444,stroke:#dc2626,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff,font-weight:bold style Wails fill:#ef4444,stroke:#dc2626,stroke-width:3px,color:#fff,font-weight:bold style Tauri fill:#22c55e,stroke:#16a34a,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff,font-weight:bold style Electron fill:#4b5563,stroke:#374151,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff,font-weight:bold

Quick picks

Use Go Webview (webview_go) when:

You already have a Go web project (Gin, Fiber, Echo) running SSR and want a fast package with a 10–15 MB installer.

Use Wails when:

You want a polished desktop app with a new React/Vue/Vite UI and smooth Go system-level logic.

Use Lorca when:

You want to avoid WebView quirks on older Windows and lean on the user’s installed Chrome for consistent rendering.

Solution Comparison Matrix

Metrics based on packaging a Go app with a web UI

Solution	Binary size (.exe/.app)	RAM usage	UI consistency across OS	System access (native APIs)	Best for
webview_go	~ 10 MB - 15 MB	Very low (~ 30-50MB)	Medium (OS-dependent)	Low (CGO yourself)	Internal tools, existing SSR servers that need a quick UI shell.
Wails (v2/v3)	~ 15 MB - 25 MB	Low (~ 50-80MB)	Good (well optimized)	Strong (Go–JS bridge built in)	Modern commercial apps with React/Vue/Vite.
Lorca	~ 8 MB - 12 MB	Medium (Chrome-based)	Excellent (Chrome engine)	Low	Internal apps that need rich, consistent UI.
Tauri (Rust)	~ 10 MB - 20 MB	Very low (~ 40-70MB)	Very good	Very strong	Electron alternative if your team knows Rust on the backend.
Electron (JS)	> 120 MB	Very high (> 150MB - 300MB)	Excellent (bundled Chromium)	Most comprehensive	Large products like VS Code, Slack, Discord.

webview_go (minimal SSR)

package main

import (
	"embed"
	"html/template"
	"net"
	"net/http"
	"github.com/webview/webview_go"
)

//go:embed templates/*
var templatesFS embed.FS

func main() {
	// 1. Pick a random free port
	listener, err := net.Listen("tcp", "127.0.0.1:0")
	if err != nil {
		panic(err)
	}
	port := listener.Addr().(*net.TCPAddr).Port

	// 2. Run SSR server (Gin, Fiber, or std HTTP)
	tmpl := template.Must(template.ParseFS(templatesFS, "templates/*.html"))
	http.HandleFunc("/", func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
		tmpl.ExecuteTemplate(w, "index.html", map[string]interface{}{
			"Title": "Welcome to Go SSR Desktop!",
		})
	})

	go http.Serve(listener, nil)

	// 3. Open WebView pointed at the local server
	w := webview.New(false)
	defer w.Destroy()
	w.SetTitle("Go SSR Desktop App")
	w.SetSize(1024, 768, webview.HintNone)
	w.Navigate(http.Sprintf("http://127.0.0.1:%d", port))
	w.Run()
}

Wails v2/v3 (recommended)

// Install Wails CLI:
// go install github.com/wailsapp/wails/v2/cmd/wails@latest
// Init: wails init -n my-app -t svelte

package main

import (
	"embed"
	"github.com/wailsapp/wails/v2"
	"github.com/wailsapp/wails/v2/pkg/options"
	"github.com/wailsapp/wails/v2/pkg/options/assetserver"
)

//go:embed all:frontend/dist
var assets embed.FS

func main() {
	app := NewApp() // App struct with your logic

	err := wails.Run(&options.App{
		Title:  "Wails Pro App",
		Width:  1024,
		Height: 768,
		AssetServer: &assetserver.Options{
			Assets: assets, // Wails serves assets; no hidden HTTP server needed
		},
		Bind: []interface{}{
			app, // Expose Go methods to JavaScript
		},
	})

	if err != nil {
		println("Error:", err.Error())
	}
}

Not sure which tool to pick?

Answer 3 quick questions to find the best fit for your project.

Question 1: What is the state of your web/UI project today?

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