20 Desktop Project Ideas
Ready-to-build desktop application ideas with Grit. Each project includes suggested resources, field definitions, and a grit generate command to get started immediately.
How to Start Any Project
Every project follows the same three-step pattern:
Inventory Management System
Track products, stock levels, suppliers, and purchase orders. Manage warehouse locations, set reorder thresholds, and generate low-stock alerts. Export inventory reports to PDF and Excel.
grit generate resource Product --fields "name:string,sku:string,price:float,cost:float,stock:int,category:string,barcode:string,reorder_level:int"Point of Sale (POS) System
Ring up sales with barcode scanning, process multiple payment methods, print receipts, and track daily revenue. Perfect for retail shops, cafes, and restaurants.
grit generate resource Sale --fields "customer_id:uint,total:float,tax:float,payment_method:string,status:string,notes:text"Personal Finance Tracker
Record income and expenses, categorize transactions, set monthly budgets, and view spending trends with charts. All data stays local on your machine.
grit generate resource Transaction --fields "amount:float,description:string,category_id:uint,account_id:uint,type:string,date:date"Employee Payroll System
Manage employee records, calculate salaries with deductions and bonuses, track attendance, and generate payslips as PDF. Handles tax calculations and overtime.
grit generate resource Employee --fields "name:string,email:string,phone:string,department_id:uint,position:string,salary:float,hire_date:date"Clinic / Hospital Management
Schedule appointments, manage patient records, track prescriptions, and generate billing invoices. Supports multiple doctors and departments.
grit generate resource Patient --fields "name:string,email:string,phone:string,date_of_birth:date,blood_group:string,address:text,notes:text"Library Management System
Catalog books, manage members, track checkouts and returns, calculate overdue fines, and generate availability reports. Barcode scanning support for quick lookups.
grit generate resource Book --fields "title:string,author:string,isbn:string,category_id:uint,copies:int,available:int,publisher:string"Student Management System
Register students, track attendance, record grades, generate report cards, and manage class schedules. Export academic records to PDF for printing.
grit generate resource Student --fields "name:string,email:string,phone:string,enrollment_date:date,grade_level:string,parent_name:string,address:text"Hotel Booking System
Manage room inventory, handle reservations, process check-in and check-out, and generate invoices. Track room availability with a calendar view.
grit generate resource Booking --fields "guest_id:uint,room_id:uint,check_in:date,check_out:date,status:string,total:float,notes:text"Restaurant Order Manager
Take table orders, send tickets to the kitchen, track order status, calculate bills with tips and tax, and print receipts. Supports dine-in and takeaway.
grit generate resource Order --fields "table_id:uint,status:string,subtotal:float,tax:float,tip:float,total:float,payment_method:string"Real Estate Property Manager
List properties, manage tenants, track rent payments, schedule maintenance, and generate financial reports. Perfect for landlords managing multiple units.
grit generate resource Property --fields "name:string,address:text,type:string,bedrooms:int,rent:float,status:string,description:text"Project & Task Manager
Create projects, assign tasks with priorities and due dates, track progress, and generate productivity reports. Kanban-style board for visual task management.
grit generate resource Task --fields "title:string,description:text,project_id:uint,priority:string,status:string,due_date:date,completed:bool"Invoice & Billing System
Create professional invoices, track payments, manage clients, and generate financial summaries. Export invoices as PDFs for email or print.
grit generate resource Invoice --fields "client_id:uint,invoice_number:string,due_date:date,subtotal:float,tax:float,total:float,status:string,notes:text"Gym / Fitness Center Manager
Register members, manage subscriptions, schedule classes, track attendance, and handle payments. Generate membership expiry alerts and revenue reports.
grit generate resource Member --fields "name:string,email:string,phone:string,join_date:date,expiry_date:date,plan:string,status:string"Warehouse & Shipping Tracker
Manage inbound shipments, track outbound deliveries, scan packages, and monitor warehouse zones. Generate shipping labels and delivery reports.
grit generate resource Shipment --fields "tracking_number:string,carrier_id:uint,origin:string,destination:text,status:string,shipped_at:datetime,delivered_at:datetime"Customer Relationship Manager (CRM)
Track leads, manage contacts, log interactions, schedule follow-ups, and visualize your sales pipeline. Export contact lists and activity reports.
grit generate resource Deal --fields "title:string,company_id:uint,contact_id:uint,value:float,stage:string,probability:int,expected_close:date,notes:text"Recipe & Meal Planner
Store recipes with ingredients and instructions, plan weekly meals, generate shopping lists, and track nutritional information. Perfect for families and meal preppers.
grit generate resource Recipe --fields "title:string,description:text,prep_time:int,cook_time:int,servings:int,category:string,instructions:text"Fleet & Vehicle Manager
Track vehicles, schedule maintenance, log fuel expenses, manage driver assignments, and monitor insurance renewals. Generate vehicle cost reports.
grit generate resource Vehicle --fields "make:string,model:string,year:int,plate_number:string,vin:string,mileage:int,status:string,assigned_driver_id:uint"Appointment Scheduler
Book appointments with time slots, send reminders, manage client profiles, and view schedules in a calendar. Ideal for salons, consultants, and freelancers.
grit generate resource Appointment --fields "client_id:uint,service_id:uint,date:date,start_time:string,end_time:string,status:string,notes:text"School Fee Management
Track student fee payments, generate receipts, manage fee structures per class, and send payment reminders. Handles partial payments and scholarships.
grit generate resource Payment --fields "student_id:uint,fee_structure_id:uint,amount:float,method:string,date:date,status:string,reference:string"Event & Ticket Manager
Create events, sell tickets, manage attendee lists, scan QR codes at entry, and generate event revenue reports. Supports multiple ticket tiers and pricing.
grit generate resource Event --fields "title:string,description:text,venue_id:uint,date:date,start_time:string,end_time:string,capacity:int,status:string"Why Build These as Desktop Apps?
All 20 projects share traits that make them ideal for native desktop apps built with Grit and Wails:
- Offline-first — SQLite stores everything locally. No cloud database, no internet dependency, no server costs.
- Single binary — Distribute a single
.exeor.appfile. Users double-click to run. No installation wizard, no runtime dependencies. - Data privacy — Sensitive data (medical records, financial transactions, employee payroll) never leaves the user's machine.
- Fast generation — Each resource takes one CLI command. A 5-resource project like the POS system is fully scaffolded in under a minute.
Quick Example: Invoice System
Here is how you would scaffold project #12 (Invoice & Billing System) from scratch:
That is 4 resources, 20 new files, 40 code injections, and a complete CRUD app — all from six CLI commands. Add custom business logic (invoice numbering, payment tracking, PDF generation) on top of the generated scaffolding.