Why Choose .NET MAUI for Your Next App Development Project? 

Author

Michael Ridland

Date

20 / 11 / 2024

When choosing a mobile app development framework, there are several frameworks to choose from. .NET MAUI (Multi-platform App UI) development stands out as a strong contender. Designed to unify development efforts across Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows, the framework allows developers to build applications using a single codebase. By leveraging XAML and C# in Visual Studio, developers can craft user interfaces and business logic shared across platforms, ensuring consistency and efficiency in development and maintenance.

What sets .NET MAUI apart is its ability to facilitate the creation of high-performance, native applications with a single shared codebase. This means you can design your app’s UI once and deploy it across multiple platforms, reducing redundancy and accelerating development. Whether you’re building consumer-facing apps, enterprise solutions, or anything in between, .NET MAUI offers a streamlined approach to cross-platform development that can significantly enhance productivity and reduce costs.

What is .NET MAUI?

.NET MAUI is an advanced framework for creating cross-platform mobile and desktop applications. It represents a significant evolution from its predecessor, Xamarin.Forms, driven by the need to provide a more unified, streamlined approach to app development across different devices and operating systems. .NET MAUI builds on the foundation of Xamarin.Forms but introduces several vital improvements and optimisations, including a more integrated development experience, better support for modern UI structures, and improved tooling within Visual Studio.

With .NET MAUI, developers can create applications that run seamlessly on Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows using a single codebase. This unified approach simplifies the development process, allowing developers to efficiently share UI layouts and business logic across platforms. Additionally, while .NET MAUI supports building multi-platform apps as a single project, it also allows for the inclusion of platform-specific code and resources when necessary. Ultimately, .NET MAUI empowers developers to consolidate their app logic and UI design into a single, manageable codebase, streamlining development efforts and reducing the complexity of maintaining multiple codebases. 

Key Features of .NET MAUI

.NET MAUI brings a range of features that enhance cross-platform development, offering simplicity, performance improvements, and adaptability:

  • Single Project Structure – one of the standout features of .NET MAUI is its unified project structure, consolidating multiple platforms into a single project. This approach eliminates the need to manage separate projects for each platform, simplifying project management and reducing complexity. 
  • Enhanced Controls – .NET MAUI includes a comprehensive set of controls and layouts, extending the capabilities of those previously available in Xamarin.Forms. New additions like GraphicsView and Shapes facilitate advanced graphics rendering, while additional controls support functionalities like data visualisation and animation. 
  • Rich Layouts – .NET MAUI offers robust layout options, removing the need for third-party libraries to achieve complex UI designs. This built-in support enables developers to create sophisticated layouts with ease, enhancing productivity.
  • Native Performance – .NET MAUI provides native-like performance by offering deep access to platform-specific APIs. This enables developers to integrate native functionality such as Bluetooth, camera, and other device features directly into their apps from the .NET MAUI codebase, ensuring a seamless user experience.
  • Unified Ecosystem – as part of the .NET ecosystem, .NET MAUI seamlessly integrates with other libraries and services, such as Azure and Entity Framework. This integration provides a cohesive development environment and broadens the capabilities of applications built with .NET MAUI.
  • Hot Reload 2.0 – this powerful feature allows developers to make real-time changes to an app’s appearance and behaviour without requiring a complete rebuild. Hot Reload 2.0 streamlines the testing and interaction process, significantly improving the development workflow by enabling immediate feedback on changes.

By incorporating these features, .NET MAUI offers a robust framework for building cross-platform applications quickly and efficiently.

Evaluating .NET MAUI Against Other Cross-Platform Frameworks

.NET MAUI presents several advantages over its predecessor, Xamarin.Forms, with its unified project structure, native-level performance, and enhanced controls. However, it also stands out in comparison to other leading cross-platform frameworks:

  • React Native – unlike React Native, which relies on JavaScript and a virtual DOM to create a native-like experience, .NET MAUI uses C# and XAML. This approach provides a more direct and integrated development experience, closely aligning with native platform capabilities. Additionally, while React Native benefits from a large community of third-party libraries, .NET MAUI is part of the broader .NET ecosystem, offering robust integration with various .NET libraries and tools, enhancing its versatility and support.
  • Flutter – Flutter employs Dart, a less commonly used programming language, which can pose a learning curve for developers unfamiliar with it. In contrast, .NET MAUI leverages C#, a well-established language with extensive use in enterprise environments. This makes .NET MAUI more accessible to developers familiar with C# and facilitates smoother integration with existing .NET infrastructure.
  • Ionic – Ionic uses web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to build apps, which can simplify development for web developers. However, this approach may fall short of delivering the native performance that .NET MAUI offers. .NET MAUI’s framework is designed to provide native-like performance across multiple platforms, ensuring a more seamless and responsive user experience.

Ultimately, the choice of framework depends on the development team’s expertise and project requirements. Nevertheless, .NET MAUI emerges as a strong contender.

Will You Choose .NET MAUI for Your Next App? 

.NET MAUI provides significant advantages for cross-platform development. By using a single codebase, it dramatically reduces development costs and time. The framework’s Hot Reload feature accelerates prototyping and iteration by instantly allowing you to see UI changes, enhancing overall development speed. Moreover, .NET MAUI’s use of platform-specific controls ensures that apps deliver a truly native experience, while its centralised codebase fosters consistency and eases maintenance. 

Choosing .NET MAUI for your next app development project means prioritising developer productivity, performance, and a native user experience. Its rich set of controls and layouts minimises complexity and costs, allowing your development team to focus on delivering exceptional user experiences. In addition, the vast .NET developer community further supports developers with extensive resources, tutorials, and assistance. By leveraging .NET MAUI’s robust features and ecosystem, you can streamline your development process, reduce costs, and create high-quality, cross-platform applications that stand the test of time.