While Evergreen is the recommendation for 99% of use cases, there are times to consider the alternative: Evergreen WebView2 Fixed Version Automatic (Microsoft) Manual (Developer) Disk Space Low (Shared) High (Bundled) Stability Small risk of breaking changes Absolute version control Offline Use Requires initial sync Works fully offline
In the "Fixed Version" model, if a major security flaw is found in Chromium, you have to patch your app, recompile it, and push an update to every user. With Evergreen, Microsoft handles the update. As soon as Edge is patched, your app is protected. 2. Smaller Installer Sizes
No technology is perfect. The Evergreen model has three specific drawbacks you must consider. evergreen webview2
Developing desktop applications has evolved. Instead of choosing between the raw performance of native code and the rapid development cycles of the web, modern developers use hybrid architectures. Microsoft Edge WebView2 sits at the center of this shift, allowing native apps on Windows to host web content safely and efficiently.
For mission-critical industrial or regulated environments, the Fixed Version model may be preferable. For most desktop SaaS clients, enterprise LOB apps, and hybrid applications, Evergreen is superior. While Evergreen is the recommendation for 99% of
All applications on a machine using the Evergreen model share a single installation, reducing disk footprint.
If a security vulnerability is found in Chromium (which powers WebView2), Microsoft patches the Evergreen runtime automatically. You don't have to recompile, re-sign, or re-ship your app. Developing desktop applications has evolved
Even though the runtime updates automatically, you aren’t completely hands-off.
If your app relies on a very specific JavaScript behavior or a newly introduced API, User A might experience a bug that User B does not.