Run Feathers in your browser
Tab Desktop runs a FeathersJS application inside the tab: services, hooks, REST and real-time transports, on a SQLite database. Generate the app, add a service, and call it from the Browser app or a public URL. Everything runs inside your browser tab on WebAssembly. There is no server executing your code, no container to wait for, and nothing to install.
How it works
Node.js-compatible runtime with the Feathers CLI, Koa or Express transports, and SQLite via Knex, served on a virtual localhost port.
npx -y @feathersjs/cli generate app
cd app
npm run devWhat you can do
- Services, hooks, schemas and authentication as generated by the Feathers CLI
- REST and WebSocket (real-time) transports on the virtual localhost
- SQLite through Knex; a Postgres-compatible database (PGlite) is also in the tab
- Tests with the generated test runner
- A public URL for the API
What it does not do
- MongoDB and hosted databases are not available; SQLite is the default
- The first install downloads the dependency tree, so a fresh project takes a minute to start
- Native add-ons cannot build in the tab
Start with a preset
One click gives it an isolated desktop: scaffolded, committed to git, open in Tab Code beside Harbor with the dev server running.
Questions
Do real-time channels work?
Yes. The WebSocket transport runs over the virtual network layer in the tab, the same path Vite's HMR uses.
Can I connect a front-end to it?
Run it in the same tab — a Vite app on another port — or point any client at the API's public URL.