# pywebview — Lightweight Python GUI with Web Technologies

> A cross-platform Python library that creates native GUI windows with embedded web views, letting you build desktop applications using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for the frontend with Python for the backend.

## Install

Save in your project root:

# pywebview — Lightweight Python GUI with Web Technologies

## Quick Use
```bash
pip install pywebview
```
```python
import webview

def api_hello():
    return "Hello from Python!"

window = webview.create_window("My App", "https://example.com")
webview.start()
```

## Introduction
pywebview provides a simple way to create desktop GUI applications in Python using web technologies for the interface. Instead of bundling a full browser engine, it uses the system's native webview component (WebKit on macOS, WebView2 on Windows, WebKitGTK on Linux), keeping your application lightweight.

## What pywebview Does
- Creates native desktop windows with an embedded web renderer
- Exposes Python functions to JavaScript for bidirectional communication
- Supports loading local HTML files, remote URLs, or inline HTML content
- Provides a built-in HTTP server for serving local web assets
- Handles file dialogs, window management, and system tray integration

## Architecture Overview
pywebview uses the platform's native webview: Cocoa WebKit on macOS, Microsoft Edge WebView2 on Windows, and WebKitGTK or QtWebEngine on Linux. The Python process creates the window and optionally starts a local HTTP server. A JavaScript bridge lets frontend code call Python functions and receive results. All rendering happens in the native webview process, so the Python process handles only application logic and API calls.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Install with pip; no additional build tools required for basic usage
- On Windows, WebView2 runtime is included with Windows 10/11 or installable separately
- On Linux, install the webkitgtk package from your distribution's repository
- Configure window properties like size, resizability, and transparency at creation time
- Use the built-in server or bring your own Flask, FastAPI, or Django backend

## Key Features
- Uses native webview rather than bundling Chromium, resulting in minimal overhead
- Python-to-JavaScript API bridge with automatic JSON serialization
- Multiple window support with independent content and event handling
- File open and save dialogs through native OS interfaces
- Frameless and transparent window modes for custom UI designs

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **Electron** is more powerful but bundles Chromium, adding 150 MB+; pywebview uses the system webview
- **Eel** is a similar Python library but uses Chrome in app mode rather than native webview
- **Tauri** uses Rust for the backend; pywebview keeps everything in Python
- **NiceGUI** and **Streamlit** serve UIs in a browser tab; pywebview opens a native window
- **Tkinter** and **PyQt** require learning their widget APIs; pywebview lets you use standard HTML/CSS/JS

## FAQ
**Q: What is the minimum application size?**
A: Since pywebview uses the system webview, your distribution is just the Python code and assets. A packaged app with PyInstaller can be as small as 15-30 MB.

**Q: Can I use frontend frameworks like React or Vue?**
A: Yes. Build your frontend with any framework and either serve the built files through pywebview's local server or load them from a dist folder.

**Q: Does pywebview work with virtual environments?**
A: Yes. Install pywebview in any virtualenv or conda environment as you would any other Python package.

**Q: How do I package the app for distribution?**
A: Use PyInstaller, cx_Freeze, or Nuitka to bundle the Python code, pywebview, and your web assets into a standalone executable.

## Sources
- https://github.com/nicedream/pywebview
- https://pywebview.flowrl.com

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Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/asset-9fbf37a7
Author: AI Open Source