Native desktop app

A native desktop app is a program you install on a Windows or Mac computer, as opposed to a site you open in a browser tab. It runs in its own window, can start with the computer, show notifications and sometimes work with files on your machine. Loom, Todoist, MacWhisper and Miro are examples of tools that offer one.

For tools you use many times a day, a desktop app can be faster to reach and harder to lose among browser tabs. For some jobs it is essential, such as screen recording, transcribing audio on your own machine or blocking distracting sites. For occasional use, a browser version is usually enough, and a desktop app is one more thing for IT to install and update. Pay attention to which operating systems are covered, as some apps support only Mac.

• Check which operating systems are supported, and whether the Windows and Mac versions have the same features.
• Ask whether the app works offline and how changes sync when you reconnect.
• Confirm that the desktop app is a full product and not just a thin window around the website.
• If your company controls installed software, ask how updates are delivered and whether an admin installer exists.