Migrating WPF applications. Avalonia UI or Avalonia XPF?
Our thoughts on WPF modernisation. Rewrite or reuse.
Mike James
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Our thoughts on WPF modernisation. Rewrite or reuse.
Understanding the differences between Avalonia UI and Avalonia XPF is essential to make informed decisions about the UI framework that best fits your needs.
Avalonia UI is an open-source, free-to-use UI framework for .NET developers that enables the creation of applications for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and WebAssembly from a single project.
Avalonia XPF, on the other hand, is designed for enterprises with mission-critical WPF applications to port their applications to new platforms with minimal code modification, significantly reducing risks, costs, and time.
WPF inspires Avalonia UI, but it is not an exact copy. Developers will need to modify their existing WPF code to adopt Avalonia UI. With a well-architected application that uses MVVM, it typically isn't tough, and you'll find plenty of improvements over WPF.
Avalonia XPF is a commercial product compatible with Microsoft's WPF. It allows developers to take their existing WPF applications, update the project csproj, and run their apps on macOS and Linux without modifying any code. A significant reason to pick Avalonia XPF is the speed of delivery, cost savings and compatibility of 3rd party control vendors, including Telerik, DevExpress, Actipro and more.
Avalonia UI is targeted at all .NET developers building client applications. It is free and accessible to everyone.
On the other hand, Avalonia XPF is aimed at enterprises, providing a route to new platforms with significant cost savings. It is a paid product and delivers an excellent ROI for businesses requiring a solution to WPF modernisation.
Avalonia UI supports Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and WebAssembly.
Avalonia XPF currently supports Windows, macOS, and Linux, with plans to add mobile and WebAssembly support in 2024.
Avalonia UI is free, open-source, and features an MIT license. It's part of the .NET Foundation and will forever be free for anyone and everyone. You don't need to pay a penny to start building with Avalonia UI.
Avalonia XPF is a commercial product requiring a paid license, licensed per app and platform. Each license includes 12 months of support and updates.
The Avalonia community is extremely welcoming and supportive of newcomers using Avalonia UI, and we do provide commercial support agreements for companies building with Avalonia UI.
Avalonia XPF comes with 12 months of support, and this can be extended.
Understanding the differences between Avalonia UI and Avalonia XPF is crucial for choosing the right UI framework for your business.
While Avalonia UI is open-source and accessible to all developers, Avalonia XPF is designed for enterprises looking to port their WPF applications to new platforms with minimal code modification.
If you have any questions or wish to discuss your specific requirements, schedule a call with one of our engineers.