# GoogleChromeLabs/carlo

Web rendering surface for Node applications

Repository: https://github.com/GoogleChromeLabs/carlo
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/carlo
Language: JavaScript
License: Apache-2.0
License Family: permissive
Archived: true
Last push: 2022-04-29T20:42:07+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 10/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 0, release rhythm 35, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 2866, "days_push": 1587, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: no_releases, archived
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 9250, forks 310 (observed 2026-08-28T04:10:29.078526+00:00)

## What it is
Carlo is a Node.js framework that provides a headful web rendering surface for Node applications by launching a locally installed Google Chrome instance and communicating with it via Puppeteer. It includes an RPC bridge for calling Node functions from the browser, enabling hybrid apps with web UI and Node capabilities.

## Use cases
- build desktop apps with web UI in Node
- render Node app state in a browser window
- add system capabilities to a web app via Node
- bundle a Node web app into a single executable
- create hybrid Node + Chrome applications

## When to choose
- you need a lightweight desktop shell using the system's installed Chrome
- you want web rendering with Node backend capabilities
- you're on a legacy Node project already using Carlo

## When to avoid
- starting a new project - it is officially unmaintained
- you need bundled Chromium or long-term support (use Electron or Tauri)
- you need modern Node versions guaranteed compatibility

## Facets
- artifact type: framework
- maturity: abandoned
- function: desktop-framework, web-framework, rpc, http-server
- domain: desktop-applications, web-development, cross-platform, developer-tools
- platform: cross-platform
- tags: chrome-rendering, hybrid-apps, puppeteer, nodejs-desktop, unmaintained, nodejs, desktop

## Member repositories
- GoogleChromeLabs/carlo (main) score 10

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:10:29.078526+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T17:23:13.477907+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/GoogleChromeLabs/carlo (fetched 2026-08-28T04:10:29.078526+00:00, sha 1db7c1dc11e4)
  - registry_npm: https://registry.npmjs.org/carlo (fetched 2026-08-29T08:23:15.600391+00:00, sha 738e7fb6eb78)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.