Wapper - HTML To EXE

- Windows APP makER -

More Than 'Just Another Wrapper'

Bring your HTML apps and games out of the browser and onto the desktop.

Wapper turns a local web project (your .html file + assets) into a Windows desktop app with a clean, native-looking window, fast! - No browser UI, No tabs, No address bar, and No toolchain headache.

Wapper is as simple as 1, 2, 3.

How to use:

1 - Select your HTML file.

2 - Click build.

3 - You’re done!

Yes, It's really that simple.

NO python and NO coding required!

To celebrate 2000 DOWNLOADS, lets keep the SALE going!

Get Wapper 90% OFF, Today!

Free Version Available!

The free version is the full basic Wapper app, but NO Advanced Settings.

A non-intrusive freebie! No watermarks, No forced overlays or splash screens, No usage limits.

Perfect for: students, hobbyists, indie devs, game jams, or anyone that needs a basic, free HTML to EXE solution.

Look below for the demo download button.

If you like Wapper and the demo helps you out, consider buying the full app.

Thanks either way!

Wapper in action!

Update Released:

• Updated to v1.4.0 - rv1.1.4 - EXPERIMENTAL - This is a pretty BIG update!

• A NEW CORE FUNCTIONALITY has been added for all users (Free and Paid), Localize HTML! A new checkbox is on the main ui labeled "Localize HTML", when enabled, Wapper does a best effort attempt to localize any online assets from your html (if it has any) and its related files, to allow them to work offline. Including css, js, images, videos, and more. This is not guaranteed to work for every HTML.

• New webview settings - A couple new webview settings have also been added, Allow text selection and Min window size.

• New supported icon formats - You can now use ICO, PNG, or JPG images for the icon. Non-square images are auto-cropped from the center to a 1:1 ratio.

• UI changes and cleanup - The new localize settings are in the advanced settings under the "Localize" tab. I also added some missing labels and cleaned up some other ui.

• Select export location - I added back the browse button so you can now select the Export folder (previously "output folder") to save to.

Any issues, please let me know.

Key features:

• Fast builds: often as quick as 10 seconds on a typical dev machine (project/spec dependent).

• No Python install required: you do not need Python on your PC - Wapper includes/handles the build environment.

• Localize your HTML: A best effort attempt to localize the online assets from your html and its related files, to allow them to work offline. This is not guaranteed to work for every HTML. Note: Localizing assets will make the output project file size larger based on the assets that were localized.

• Any entry file name: pick whichever HTML file should launch first (not limited to the name index.html).

• Multiple icon format support: Use .ico, .png, or .jpg image file to give your exe an icon. Non-square images get auto-cropped to 1:1 from the center, so no pre making an .ico beforehand is required.

• No CORS errors: bypass the 'file://' headaches with the built-in local sever for seamless asset loading. Never worry about 'Cross-Origin Resource Sharing' blocking your assets, again.
  

• OneDir mode (Recommended): best compatibility + faster startup (ships as a folder)

• OneFile mode: single-EXE convenience (may start slower / may trigger more antivirus false positives)

• WebView2 support + verification tool: includes a WebView2 install check tool, with an option to bundle that same verifier into the app you ship.

• Add a custom splash screen to show before your app/game starts. Add your logo or company name using a static image (jpg, png). Or add an animated into using a gif or a full motion video using a mp4 file. (v1.3.0+)

• Optional Obfuscate/Archive: packs web content into a custom archive to deter casual extraction (deterrent, not encryption/DRM).

Basic settings:

• Select HTML file.
• Set EXE name.
• Set window title
• Select icon.
• Build modes: OneFile/OneDir.
• Copy HTML folder (assets).
• Window size (height/width).
• Resizable window toggle.

Advanced settings:

Packer:

• Force clean build.
• Optimize bytecode.
• Hidden imports.
• Exclude modules.
• Extra files (EXE Directory).
• Extra files (HTML Directory).
  
• Product name.
• File description.
• Company name.
• Copyright info.
• Version number.

Webview:

• Start fullscreen.
• Frameless Window (kiosk look).
• Always on top.
• Start centered.
• Min window size.
• Enable dev tools (debug).
• Disable context menu (right click).
• Allow text selection.
• Confirm on close.
• Disable external navigation (open in browser).
• Backend selection (auto, webview2, MSHTML (legacy))
• Private mode (no persistence between runs)
• Storage location (cookies/localStorage)
• Include webview2 verification tool in output.

Localize HTML (v1.4.0+):

• Localized asset path.
• Max file size.
• Folder structure mode.
• Downloaded file naming.
• Deep rewrite mode.
• Excluded domains.
• Include only domains.
• Excluded file types.
• Skip URL patterns.

Splash (v1.3.0+):

• Enable splash screen.
• Splash media (jpg, png, gif, mp4).
• Duration (ms).
• Transition (fade/cut).

Obfuscate:

• Enable archive.
• Extract location (appdata/portable next to exe).
• Delete extracted cache on close.
• Exclude extra files (HTML dir) from archive.

Real-world overhead (size):

Wapper adds ~<20MB of wrapper overhead to your project.

Example: a 45.8MB web game became 65.4MB after building (+19.6MB).

How Wapper compares (speed, friction, and overhead):

Vs Electron / NW.js: Electron-style apps usually ship a full browser runtime, which often means much larger output sizes (often 100MB+) and a heavier setup/workflow. Wapper focuses on a lightweight wrapper and a fast, click-to-build experience.

Vs PWA: PWAs stay browser-based and depend on web deployment + service worker caching/versioning. Wapper produces a real Windows desktop executable with no browser UI and a local-first distribution path.

Desktop capability: Wapper runs as a Windows desktop app hosting a webview with a local Python-backed wrapper/server, enabling native-style workflows when used - for example file import/export, reading/writing local files your app manages, local background tasks/endpoints, and richer offline/local behavior than a typical browser-based install.

Use cases:

• Ship a web game as a real desktop game: turn a jam build or personal project into something that launches from the taskbar like a proper app - with a custom icon and no browser UI.

• Package small tools and utilities: wrap internal dashboards, generators, trackers, or one-off helper apps into a clean Windows app you can hand to someone without explaining “open this in your browser.”

• Make your portfolio projects feel legit: present demos as desktop apps instead of “a tab next to email,” so they look and feel like real software.

• Offline-first apps and local workflows: distribute apps that run locally and can support things like file import/export, reading/writing local files your app manages, and richer offline behavior than a typical browser install.

• Kiosk / fullscreen experiences: build simple kiosk-style apps for events, displays, classroom tools, museums, or touch-friendly demos using frameless/fullscreen options.

• Quick client deliverables: give clients a single desktop app (or a simple folder build) instead of hosting, deployment, and browser/version headaches.

About the software:

Wapper exists because I got tired of the same choice every time I wanted to "convert" my web project into an exe: spend hours fighting packaging headaches, or pay a high fee to turn a web project into an .exe. I didn’t want a whole new stack or a weekend lost to error logs - I just wanted a fast, easy path from an HTML app or game to a real desktop app.

So I built Wapper to bridge the gap from the web world to the desktop. It’s for any web developer who wants their work to feel like real software - something that lives on the taskbar, launches like a proper app, and shows up with a custom icon - instead of being “just a browser tab” sitting next to your email.

Wapper is also for people who have never even considered desktop deployment because the usual routes feel like too much: learning Python or Rust, setting up complicated tooling, troubleshooting missing libraries, and digging through cryptic logs. The goal is simple: let any web dev become a desktop dev with no barrier to entry - no expert knowledge required, just an HTML project and the desire to ship it.

Wapper is made for web devs who don’t need a massive framework just to ship a small app or game - they just want a basic wrapper that works, fast, with sensible options when they want them.

Requirements:

Windows 10 / 11

WebView2 (for output app to work)

All Windows 11 systems have webview2 installed, however some (very few) Windows 10 systems may not have it installed - Wapper includes a tool to verify/install it.

Notes:

• Please download the free version and test it before buying the full version. Some users have reported build failed issues because of a long path issue with Windows. If that happens, try using a shorter App Name or move Wapper to the root of a drive. Having Wapper in your Downloads folder or Desktop actually puts Wapper pretty deep into the file system and can limit the length of the App Name that can be used before hitting the 260 character path limit in Windows.

• Like many EXE builders/wrappers, antivirus false positives can happen, especially in single-file modes. Wapper defaults to safer options (OneDir, archive off) to minimize risk.

• If you have trouble extracting the zip, try moving the zip to the root of a drive and extract it there. Windows has a long file path constraint that may prevent the zip from extracting some nested folders/files. You may also need to open the zip properties and toggle "Unblock" near the bottom of the properties window to allow for some dll files to be safely extracted without getting blocked by Windows.

• Transferring the output app to another machine may cause it to be blocked on that machine. If that happens, you should transfer the files using a zip or other archive, then right clicking on the zip/archive and open its properties and look for "This file came from another computer and might be blocked to protect this computer" and tick the "Unblock" checkbox, otherwise some dll files can be blocked after extracting the zip/archive.

• If your app saves files from the output app’s WebView2 window, your HTML project’s Save/Download/Export button must open a Save As dialog so the user can choose a location. WebView2 does not support blind-saving with its default save behavior.

• OUTPUT COPY LOOP WARNING - Do not set the output location to be inside the same folder as the HTML if you are copying the HTML folder or the Wapper will go into a loop of copying the files to the output but always finding more files as it copies the files to the output, since it will be copying the output as well.

Changelog:

Updated to v1.2.2 - rv1.0.1:

• Fixed a path for the archiver that I forgot to change to work after I froze Wapper's launcher. But the archiver works again.

Updated to v1.3.0 - rv1.1.0 - Beta:

• Added a new Splash tab in Advanced Settings for adding a splash screen that will show before your app/game. Supports images and video (see description above). The previous version will still be available to download as well.
  

Updated to v1.3.2 - rv1.1.2:

• Full and Free version - I fixed a couple of bugs. One potentially a big bug. I found that on some machines, if the user selects the wrong output location, Wapper could break and get stuck due to a long file path. I removed the Browse button to select an output location to prevent this bug from happening. You'll need to use the default output location, for now.

Updated to v1.3.4 - rv1.1.3:

• I fixed a bug with the private mode setting. The way the port was randomly chosen, the saved data was not being found. I fixed it so when private mode is ON, the port is still random, but if private mode is OFF, the port is deterministic. The name of your HTML file, prior to building the exe, will determine the port it will be on. So the same name will always use the same port

Updated to v1.4.0 - rv1.1.4 - EXPERIMENTAL :

• This is a pretty BIG update! A new core functionality has been added for all users (Free and Paid), Localize HTML! A new checkbox is on the main ui labeled "Localize HTML", when enabled, Wapper does a best effort attempt to localize the online assets from your html and its related files, to allow them to work offline. This is not guaranteed to work for every HTML.

• New webview settings - A couple new webview settings have also been added, Allow text selection and Min window size.

• New supported icon formats - You can now use ICO, PNG, or JPG images for the icon. Non-square images are auto-cropped from the center to a 1:1 ratio.

• UI changes and cleanup - The new localize settings are in the advanced settings under the "Localize" tab. I also added some missing labels and cleaned up some other ui.

• Select export location - I added back the browse button so you can now select the Export folder (previously "output folder") to save to.