webview is a tiny cross-platform webview library for C/C++ that builds modern graphical user interfaces using HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript across Linux, macOS, and Windows.
The library solves the problem of creating consistent native GUIs across platforms without duplicating UI code. It provides a unified abstraction layer that leverages each platform's native web rendering engine: WebKit on Linux and macOS through GTK and Cocoa respectively, and Microsoft Edge WebView2 on Windows. The tool enables two-way JavaScript bindings, allowing C/C++ code to invoke JavaScript functions and vice versa, bridging the gap between native application logic and web-based user interfaces.
Developers should choose this library when building cross-platform desktop applications where a lightweight, single-header approach is preferable to heavier frameworks. It suits projects that can rely on system-provided web engines rather than bundling Chromium, keeping application size minimal. The project requires C++11 support at minimum, though Windows development demands C++14. On Linux and BSD, GTK and WebKitGTK libraries must be available; on macOS, the WebKit framework is needed; on Windows, WebView2 from NuGet is required. The library's documentation is primarily embedded in the source code itself.
The project maintains active continuous integration across platforms. Development activity shows consistent attention to cross-platform compatibility, with explicit support for multiple versions of GTK and WebKitGTK on Linux to accommodate different distribution lifecycles. The codebase demonstrates careful handling of platform-specific requirements, including detailed package management guidance for different Linux distributions and special considerations for BSD systems such as W^X memory protection. The project accepts contributions to improve documentation, indicating ongoing refinement of the developer experience.
