Electron Installer Squirrel Windows is a free, open source npm package that generates Windows installers for desktop apps built with Electron, using the Squirrel installation framework. It is aimed at developers who package JavaScript desktop applications for Windows, including teams that build crypto-related front ends. It sits in the Other Crypto Tools category, but it is a build utility rather than a wallet, miner or trading program.
Before you adopt it, note the project status: the code has not been updated since February 2016, so the project is effectively unmaintained. It remains useful as a reference for how Squirrel-based packaging works and as a starting point for small projects. Teams with long-term release pipelines should weigh that timeline carefully before depending on it.
What Electron and Squirrel Do
Electron is a framework for building desktop applications with JavaScript, HTML and CSS. Developers write the interface with web technologies, and Electron packages it so it runs as a standalone program on Windows, macOS or Linux. Many desktop applications, including some crypto front ends, are built this way, which is why the approach is popular with small teams.
Squirrel is a separate piece of technology: a framework for installing Windows desktop applications. It handles how files are placed on a machine and how updates are delivered. Electron does not produce a Windows setup file by default, so a packaging step is needed.
This tool fills that gap. It takes an Electron app and uses Squirrel to produce an installer, so the end user receives a familiar Windows setup package rather than a folder of files. Understanding the two layers helps with troubleshooting: problems inside the app usually belong to Electron, while install or update behavior relates to the Squirrel step.
Who Needs an Installer Generator
The tool is aimed at developers who already have an Electron application and want a Windows installer for it. A typical case is a small team that ships a desktop client to customers and wants one setup file instead of asking users to copy folders by hand. Another is an internal tool that staff need installed on company machines.
Crypto-related teams might use it for a desktop dashboard that displays balances, prices or node status, or for a front end that sends requests to a separate service. The installer step does not change what the app does; it only changes how the app reaches the user's computer.
It is less suited to someone who only wants to use an existing crypto program. If you are looking for a wallet, this package will not help, because it is a build utility. Its audience is people who write and package code and are comfortable working in a terminal and a Node.js project.
How Installer Generation Fits a Release Workflow
A reliable release usually has several stages: build the app, package it, test the installer, then publish it. An installer generator covers the packaging stage. Because it runs from the command line or a Node.js script, it can be placed directly after the build step so every release is produced the same way.
Testing matters more than the tool itself. Install the generated file on a clean Windows machine or a virtual machine, launch the app, and confirm that shortcuts, uninstalling and any update behavior work as expected. Testing only on a development machine can hide missing dependencies that end users will not have.
Code signing is a separate decision. An unsigned installer may trigger Windows warnings when users run it, so many teams sign their releases with a certificate they manage. Treat the packaging tool as one link in the chain, not as the whole release process.
Key features
Squirrel-based Windows installers
Installs through npm
Command-line and script use
Open source under Apache 2.0
How to install Electron Installer Squirrel Windows on Windows
- 1
Install Node.js and npm
The tool is a command-line package installed through npm, so you need Node.js, which includes npm. Download Node.js only from the official Node.js website, then confirm that both node and npm run from a terminal window.
- 2
Add the package to your project
Open a terminal in your Electron project folder and run npm i electron-installer-squirrel-windows --save-dev. The --save-dev flag records the package as a development dependency, which is the usual choice for build tools.
- 3
Or install it globally
To run the command from any folder, run npm i electron-installer-squirrel-windows -g. Global installs are convenient for quick tests, but a project-level install keeps builds easier to reproduce on other machines.
-
Get the package from the official source
Install the package only from the official GitHub repository or the npm registry, and check the latest version on the official website before use. If the command is recognized by your terminal after installation, the setup worked.
System requirements
- Windows, the platform this tool targets
- Node.js with npm, because the tool is installed through npm as a command-line package
How to use Electron Installer Squirrel Windows
Use the tool after your Electron app builds successfully, so the files it packages are ready. Start by confirming that the app works from its unpacked build, because installer problems are hard to diagnose when the app itself is broken. Keep your steps written down so that each release follows the same order.
- Build your Electron app and confirm that the output folder runs on your own machine.
- Open a terminal in the project directory where the package is installed.
- Run the command or call the package from a Node.js build script, passing the settings your app needs. Check the README in the official GitHub repository for the exact fields.
- Find the generated Windows installer in the output location shown in the terminal output.
- Install it on a clean Windows machine or virtual machine, launch the app, and test uninstalling it.
- Repeat the same steps for each release so that packaging stays consistent.
Pros & cons
- Free and open source under the Apache 2.0 license
- Simple installation through npm
- Works from the command line or a Node.js build script
- Focused on one job: Windows installers for Electron apps
- No code updates since 2016, so the project is unmaintained
- Not a crypto program; useful only for developers packaging desktop apps
- Requires Node.js and npm on the build machine
- Newer Electron releases may need extra testing because the project has not changed in years
Is Electron Installer Squirrel Windows safe?
Electron Installer Squirrel Windows is open source under the Apache 2.0 license, but its code has not been updated since February 2016, so treat it as unmaintained. Install it only from the official GitHub repository or the npm registry, and check the latest version on the official website before use. Because the installers it produces are run by end users with full trust, compare the downloaded package against the source code on GitHub, and verify a SHA-256 checksum or signature wherever the publisher provides one. The tool does not handle keys or funds, but never paste private data or signing material into third-party websites or online converters.
- Official source only. Download from github.com/brave/electron-installer-squirrel-windows. Ignore ads and lookalike domains.
- Check the SHA-256. Compare the installer hash with the value the developer publishes before running it.
- Never share your seed phrase. No developer, support agent or website — including CryptApps — will ever ask for it.
Alternatives
Unlike PSBT Commander, a Rust tool for building Bitcoin partially signed transactions, this package has nothing to do with transaction handling. It packages finished desktop applications. Powershell Algorand Module is a scripting module for a different blockchain, so it overlaps only in the sense that both are developer-side utilities. Subzero focuses on keeping reserves offline, which is a security design rather than a build tool. If you need a Windows installer for your own Electron app, this package addresses that need directly. If you need a crypto utility, choose one of the other entries. Whichever you pick, check the commit history first, because an unmaintained project carries different risks than an active one.
Specifications
- Price
- Free
- Type
- Open source
- License
- Apache 2.0
- Latest version
- v1.3.0
- Last update
- 4 Feb 2016
- Windows support
- Yes (Windows build or installer)
- Source code
- github.com/brave/electron-installer-squirrel-windows
Frequently asked questions
It is open source and free, but its code has not changed since February 2016, so it is unmaintained. Download it only from the official GitHub repository or npm, verify what you install, and review the source if your build depends on it. The safety section lists the full checklist.
No. It is a developer utility that creates Windows installers for Electron applications. It does not store keys, send transactions or mine coins, so it is relevant only if you are packaging a desktop app yourself.
Install Node.js with npm, then run npm i electron-installer-squirrel-windows --save-dev in your project folder. To use the command from any directory, run the same install with the -g flag instead. Confirm that the command runs before you start a build.
Yes, the tool is built to generate Windows installers, and it is listed for Windows. You run it on a machine with Node.js, and the output is a Windows installer for your Electron app. Test that installer on a clean Windows system before any release.
Yes. The package is free and released under the Apache License 2.0, which lets you use, modify and redistribute the code under its terms. There is no purchase or subscription step for the tool itself, though your own build machine and any signing certificate may carry costs.
Electron is a framework for building desktop applications with web technologies and JavaScript. Squirrel is an installation framework for Windows that places files and handles updates. This tool connects the two so an Electron app can be packaged as a Windows installer.
Verdict
Electron Installer Squirrel Windows suits developers who package Electron applications for Windows and want a free, open source, npm-based installer generator. It is not a crypto program for end users, and the lack of code updates since 2016 is the decisive factor. Use it to learn how Squirrel packaging works or for a short-lived project you can test thoroughly. For a long-running release pipeline, evaluate maintained alternatives and check the latest version on the official website before you commit.