# Chromium Embedded Framework

5 Hacker News commenters recommended Chromium Embedded Framework and 6 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 3 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** People pick it as the most mature embedded Chromium option, with the most docs, for old Windows or macOS support. Critics say it uses much RAM and mishandles Wayland scaling.

## What people warn about

- Heavy RAM use, like Electron (3 comments): "In terms of RAM it uses just as much as electron or CEF." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50106582)) "resource creep driven overwhelmingly by heavy web apps and Electron/CEF" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48169465)) "you don't need to budle a bloated CEF" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46182362))
- Shares Electron's common complaints (2 comments): "Besides the usual complaints about electron and CEF applications" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46827916)) "The enemies are React and Electron/CEF." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49842770))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Servo browser engine](https://hackerapproved.com/p/servo.md): 81 recommend
- [WebKit](https://hackerapproved.com/p/webkit.md): 33 recommend
- [Blitz](https://hackerapproved.com/p/blitz.md): 14 recommend
- [WebView2](https://hackerapproved.com/p/webview2.md): 7 recommend
- [Sciter](https://hackerapproved.com/p/sciter.md): 6 recommend

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Chromium Embedded Framework", https://hackerapproved.com/p/cef/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).