How to Convert a Next.js App to a Windows EXE (Complete Guide)

If you've built a Next.js web app and want to ship it as a standalone .exe for Windows — without requiring users to open a browser — this guide walks through every viable approach. Why Package Next.js as an EXE? Offline access — users can launch your app without internet Desktop integration — system tray, file system access, native menus Enterprise distribution — many companies prefer installable software over web apps No browser dependency — works even if Chrome updates break something Approach 1: Electron (Most Common) Electron wraps your Next.js app in a Chromium shell. It's the same tech behind VS Code, Slack, and Discord. Step by step: npx create-next-app@latest my-desktop-app cd my-desktop-app npm install electron electron-builder --save-dev Create main.js in your project root: const { app , BrowserWindow } = require ( ' electron ' ); const path = require ( ' path ' ); function createWindow () { const win = new BrowserWindow ({ width : 1200 , height : 800 , webPreferences : { nod