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Frameworks overview

Overwolf currently offers two different frameworks, Overwolf Native & Overwolf Electron/ow-electron. Both frameworks currently offer:

  • A web-development approach to desktop apps.
  • Access to the Overwolf Ads stack, with full GDPR compliance.
  • Anonymous app analytics (can be disabled in ow-electron).
  • Built-in In-game overlay capabilities.
  • Live game events for Windows OS (ow-electron currently supports all games, but these must be enabled on a per-app basis. For more details, contact us).
  • A complete deployment & distribution framework, complete with a customizable installer.

The table below highlights the differences between the frameworks:

Feature Comparison

ow-platform logo

ow-electron logo

Performance

CPU Impact (Idle)

0.2%
0.1%

CPU Impact (Avg Window Interaction)

3%
0.5%

RAM Consumption (Peak)

420 MB
380 MB

Total Running Processes

9
7

Growth and Support

Analytics

Yes
Yes

Marketing Support

Yes
Yes

Funding Support

Yes
Yes

Product Design and Development

Yes
Yes

Developer Support

Yes
Yes

Appstore Presence + Discoverability

Yes
Yes

Own Branding

Yes
Yes

Tech

Overlay SDK (1500+ Games)

Yes
Yes

Realtime Game Events API

Yes
Yes

Ad Fraud Protection

Yes
Yes

Dev Console

Yes
Yes

Installer

Yes
Optional

Coupled with Overwolf Client

Yes
No

Terms and Conditions

Ads Revshare

70/30
70/30

Subscriptions Revshare

85/15
85/15

Overwolf Native Platform Overview​

The Overwolf Native platform is a wrapper around the Chromium Embedded Framework (CEF) project. This is a simple framework that enables developers to create the application's user interface. Overwolf apps are treated similarly to "extensions" and help create light-weight native applications that have a user interface developed primarily using Web technologies such as JavaScript or TypeScript.

Every app declares a manifest.json file, which defines both the general app properties as well as the windows that run its actual code. One of these windows must also serve as the app's "root" process, and closing it will close the app itself.

note

App windows can be transparent and run in the background.

The Overwolf Native platform specifically supports:

  • Game events for many games. See live game data for a current list of supported games.
  • Built-in video recording capabilities.
  • Platform level wrappers around several Windows APIs (File access, Toast notifications, Tray icon, and many more) for significantly easier implementation.
  • No need for an app-specific code certificate.
  • Hotkey conflict resolution between apps.
  • Native c# plugin support.
note
  • Your app will always require the Overwolf Native platform to run.
  • The Overwolf Native platform only supports Windows operating systems.
  • The relevant code ecosystem only includes other Overwolf apps.
  • Most new platform-level features/bug-fixes are rolled out over time as platform versions. Hotfixes can sometimes take a few days to be approved for roll out to all users.

Overwolf Electron (ow-electron) Overview​

Overwolf Electron is a direct fork of the Electron.js project. Electron.js is a framework for building desktop applications using JavaScript, HTML, and CSS and has Chromium and Node.js embedded into its codebase. You can develop an app using Overwolf Electron in the same way you would develop any Electron.js app, are standalone, and behave the same way as other Electron.js apps. However, when you use Overwolf Electron APIs, you gain far greater control over all of your app's functions while adding the benefits and functionality of the Overwolf ecosystem.

Overwolf Electron provides the following advantages:

  • Game events for many games. See live game data for a current list of supported games.
  • Full support for native node.js modules.
  • Support for Windows OS, Mac OS, and several Linux flavors.
  • The ability to run in parallel to base Electron in the same codebase (while simply disabling ow-electron related features for “vanilla” builds), giving you even greater control of your project.
  • A large code ecosystem and knowledge base, including all other Electron apps out in the market (Discord, VsCode, GitHub Desktop, just to name a few).
  • The app is installed as is, and runs on its own.
  • Most general features/bugfixes are released as package versions when ready, with updating/rollout schedules left entirely up to the app’s discretion.
note
  • Overwolf Electron features are still undergoing active development, and are subject to change.
  • App specific code certificates are not provided, and are highly recommended for proper app distribution.