What is Popcorn?

Popcorn runs Elixir and Erlang applications in a web browser.

It uses the BEAM virtual machine from Erlang/OTP, compiled to WebAssembly. Your compiled BEAM code runs in a Web Worker on the user's device.

What Popcorn provides

Popcorn provides a runtime and a bridge.

The runtime supports standard OTP concepts such as processes, GenServers, supervisors, monitors, and message passing. The bridge connects those processes to JavaScript in the page.

Use Popcorn when an application needs local work in the browser. Examples include offline tools, simulations, interactive documentation, and code playgrounds.

Popcorn does not provide a user interface model. Use plain JavaScript, React, Phoenix, or another interface with it.

How Popcorn differs from server Elixir

A Popcorn application runs inside the browser sandbox. It does not have direct access to operating-system processes, native sockets, or arbitrary dynamic native implemented functions (NIFs).

Popcorn provides browser-specific alternatives for common tasks. For example, Popcorn.Fetch sends HTTP requests through the browser.

See Compatibility and browser limits before you migrate an existing application.

How to start

Use Installation to add Popcorn to a project. Then complete Build your first Popcorn application.