Electron embeds Node.js, of course, but from a platform standpoint feels sufficiently different from a Node.js server application (the more traditional use of Node.js) or console application (a growing usage of Node.js) that it can be useful to make a distinction. Especially, because the bulk of an Electron app in my experience is running in the Chromium web renderer process(es) ("client side") than in a more traditional Node.js process.

One technique I used to build an electron app was developing in the browser, and then using a webpack plugin to copy the generated bundles from my web app into a shell app & trigger the electron build. In this way I wrote one version of the code which ran in both browser & electron app. I have used the same technique for other platforms like Cordova