MAUI

.NET Multi-platform App UI ( .NET MAUI) is Microsoft's flagship open-source framework designed for building native, cross-platform applications for Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, and Tizen from a single, unified codebase. Released as the official successor to Xamarin.Forms, it represents a major architectural evolution that prioritizes developer productivity, native performance, and a streamlined project structure.

.NET MAUI is the official successor to Xamarin.Forms, rebuilt from the ground up for better performance and extensibility. Its primary goal is to maximize code reusability (up to 95% in many cases) while maintaining native performance and feel on every device.

Architecture: How It Works

The architecture of .NET MAUI is designed to abstract platform-specific complexities while delivering native interfaces.

• Application Layer: You write shared UI code (XAML) and business logic (C#).
• Handler Architecture: MAUI uses a "Handler" pattern to map cross-platform controls to native controls. For example, a MAUI Button is mapped to a UIButton on iOS and a WinUI 3 Button on Windows.
• Runtime Environment:
  • Android/iOS/macOS: These use the Mono runtime.
  • Windows: Uses the .NET CoreCLR and deep integration with WinUI 3.
• Native API Access: While you mostly interact with MAUI's abstract layer, you can still write platform-specific code using #if directives or platform-specific folders for deep integration.

1. Core Architectural Pillars

The "magic" of .NET MAUI lies in its ability to abstract platform-specific complexities while still delivering truly native experiences. Unlike hybrid frameworks that render UI inside a web view, .NET MAUI maps its cross-platform controls directly to native UI components provided by each operating system.

Unified Project System One of the most significant changes from the Xamarin era is the transition to a single project structure. Instead of managing separate projects for each target (e.g., MyApp.Android, MyApp.iOS), developers work within a single project where platform-specific resources like fonts, images, and app manifests are shared and handled automatically by the build system.

Handler Architecture In .NET MAUI, "Renderers" (from Xamarin) have been replaced by a more decoupled Handler architecture. This new design is more performant and makes it easier for developers to customize or "hook into" native controls without having to create complex custom renderers.

Platform-Specific Compilation:

• Android C# code is compiled into Intermediate Language (IL), which is then Just-In-Time (JIT) compiled into a native assembly when the app starts.
• iOS Apps are fully Ahead-Of-Time (AOT) compiled directly into native ARM assembly code for maximum performance on Apple hardware.
• macOS Uses Mac Catalyst, an Apple technology that bridges iOS (UIKit) apps to the Mac desktop.
• Windows Leverages WinUI 3, the latest native UI library for the Windows desktop.

2. Key Features and Tools

As of 2025, .NET MAUI has matured into a production-ready ecosystem with deep integration into modern development workflows.

• Hot Reload Developers can modify both XAML UI and C# logic while the app is running and see the changes reflected instantly without a full rebuild.
• Blazor Hybrid Support This allows web developers to host Blazor components directly within a native MAUI app. It enables massive code reuse between web and mobile applications, allowing a single set of UI components to serve both.
• Native API Access MAUI provides simplified cross-platform APIs to access device hardware such as GPS, accelerometer, battery status, network connectivity, and secure storage.
• Rich Control Library It ships with over 40 built-in layouts (like Grid, StackLayout, and FlexLayout) and views (like Button, CollectionView, and CarouselView).
• Modern Patterns While it defaults to the Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM) pattern popular in enterprise software, it also supports the more reactive Model-View-Update (MVU) pattern.

3. Why Use .NET MAUI?

Choosing .NET MAUI is particularly advantageous for teams already invested in the Microsoft ecosystem.

• Code Reusability Teams can often share up to 95% of their codebase across platforms, significantly reducing long-term maintenance costs and time-to-market.
• Native Performance Because it doesn't use a "bridge" or a web view to communicate with the OS (unlike some competitors), the resulting apps are as fast and responsive as those built with native tools like Swift or Kotlin.
• Enterprise Stability Backed by Microsoft, .NET MAUI receives regular updates aligned with the .NET release cycle (e.g., .NET 8, .NET 9, and upcoming .NET 10), ensuring long-term support for business-critical applications.
• IDE Flexibility Development is fully supported in Visual Studio 2022 and Visual Studio Code (via the .NET MAUI extension), providing powerful debugging and diagnostic tools.

4. Real-World Use Cases

While .NET MAUI is a general-purpose framework, it excels in specific industrial scenarios:

• Enterprise Internal Tools: Building unified field-service apps that work on employee iPhones, Android tablets, and Windows laptops.
• Healthcare & Finance: Creating secure, data-intensive dashboards that leverage .NET’s robust security features.
• E-Commerce: Delivering a consistent shopping experience across mobile devices and Windows/macOS desktops using shared business logic.

Summary of Development Path

To get started, developers typically follow these steps:

1. Install Visual Studio 2022 (Windows) or Visual Studio Code (Cross-platform) with the .NET MAUI workload.
2. Create a new .NET MAUI App project from the built-in templates.
3. Design the UI using XAML and write application logic in C#.
4. Debug and test on various platform targets (emulators or physical devices) directly from the IDE.

WPF vs .NET MAUI - Comparison and Best Practices

What is WPF?

Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) is a UI framework introduced by Microsoft for building rich desktop applications on Windows. It uses XAML for designing user interfaces and supports advanced features such as data binding, styles, templates, and graphics rendering. WPF applications are limited to the Windows operating system and are primarily used for desktop scenarios.

What is .NET MAUI?

.NET Multi-platform App UI (MAUI) is the evolution of Xamarin.Forms and is designed to build native applications across multiple platforms (Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows) using a single codebase. Like WPF, it uses XAML for UI design, but it introduces cross-platform concepts such as unified project structures, platform handlers, and Shell navigation. MAUI allows developers to reuse their .NET and C# skills to target mobile and desktop environments.

Key Differences

While WPF and MAUI share similarities in their use of XAML and MVVM architecture, they differ in scope and purpose. WPF is focused on Windows desktop applications, whereas MAUI is cross-platform. MAUI introduces lifecycle management for mobile devices, runtime permissions, and platform-specific APIs. Navigation in MAUI is simplified with Shell, compared to WPF’s frame-based navigation. Deployment also differs: WPF apps are packaged for Windows, while MAUI apps can be published to app stores across multiple platforms.

Comparison Table

Category	WPF	.NET MAUI
Project Type	Windows desktop apps only	Cross-platform (Android, iOS, Windows, macOS)
UI Definition	XAML (Windows-specific)	XAML (cross-platform)
Main Container	Window	Page (ContentPage, NavigationPage, Shell)
Layouts	StackPanel, Grid, DockPanel, WrapPanel	StackLayout, Grid, FlexLayout, AbsoluteLayout
Controls	TextBox, Button, ListBox, DataGrid	Entry, Button, CollectionView, ListView
Navigation	Frame navigation, MVVM frameworks	Shell navigation, NavigationPage, deep linking
Resources	ResourceDictionary, StaticResource, DynamicResource	ResourceDictionary, StaticResource, DynamicResource (cross-platform)
Styling	Styles, ControlTemplates, Triggers	Styles, ControlTemplates, VisualStateManager, Behaviors
Data Binding	One-way, Two-way, INotifyPropertyChanged	Same concepts; optimized for cross-platform
Lifecycle	App startup/shutdown (desktop only)	OnStart, OnSleep, OnResume; mobile and desktop lifecycle
Platform Access	Windows APIs only	Cross-platform APIs (camera, GPS, sensors, notifications)
Deployment	Windows installer (MSI, ClickOnce)	App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, macOS distribution

Best Practices for .NET MAUI

• Use the MVVM pattern to separate UI from business logic.
• Optimize performance with async/await for I/O operations.
• Leverage Dependency Injection for modular and testable code.
• Prefer Shell for simplified and scalable navigation.
• Use the MAUI Community Toolkit for converters, behaviors, and helpers.
• Handle platform-specific code carefully using conditional compilation or partial classes.
• Test thoroughly across all target platforms (Android, iOS, Windows, macOS).
• Optimize UI performance by using CollectionView instead of ListView and minimizing layout nesting.
• Manage resources efficiently (compress images, use vector graphics, cache data).
• Monitor performance with profiling tools and avoid heavy work in constructors.

When to choose which?

Choose WPF if you are building a Windows-only enterprise application that requires high-performance graphics, specialized Windows-only APIs, or a highly stable, mature ecosystem.

Choose .NET MAUI if you need to reach a broader audience across mobile and desktop or if you want to future-proof your application for potential cross-platform expansion.

While migrating from WPF to MAUI is not a "copy-paste" process due to differences in UI controls and namespaces, developers can typically reuse their business logic, models, and ViewModels if they have followed the MVVM (Model-View-ViewModel) pattern.

Conclusion

WPF remains a powerful framework for Windows desktop applications, but .NET MAUI extends the reach of .NET developers to mobile and cross-platform scenarios. Developers with WPF experience will find many familiar concepts in MAUI, such as XAML and MVVM, but must adapt to new paradigms like Shell navigation, lifecycle management, and platform APIs. By following best practices, developers can build performant, maintainable, and scalable applications across multiple platforms using .NET MAUI.