Overview of framework options

Win32 desktop apps (also sometimes called classic desktop apps) are the original app type for native Windows applications that require direct access to Windows and hardware. This access makes Win32 the app type of choice for applications that need the highest level of performance and direct access to system hardware.

By using the Win32 API with C++, you can achieve the highest levels of performance and efficiency. You take more control of the target platform with unmanaged code than is possible on a managed runtime environment like WinRT and .NET. However, exercising such a level of control over your application's execution requires greater care and attention to get right, and trades development productivity for runtime performance.

Here are a few highlights of what the Win32 API and C++ offer to enable you to build high-performance applications.

• Hardware-level optimizations, including tight control over resource allocation, object lifetimes, data layout, alignment, byte packing, and more.
• Access to performance-oriented instruction sets like SSE and AVX through intrinsic functions.
• Efficient, type-safe generic programming by using templates.
• Efficient and safe containers and algorithms.
• DirectX, in particular Direct3D and DirectCompute.
• Use C++/WinRT to create modern desktop Win32 apps with first-class access to Windows Runtime (WinRT) APIs.

Additionally, you can now integrate a sandbox environment into your Win32 applications, providing an extra layer of security. This enhancement requires little to no change to your code, thanks to the new Win32 App Isolation security feature.

You also have access to modern Windows platform features and APIs provided by the Windows App SDK. For more information, see Use the Windows App SDK in an existing project and Modernize your desktop apps.

Windows Forms is the original platform for managed Windows applications with a lightweight UI model and access to .NET or the .NET Framework. It excels at enabling developers to quickly get started building applications, even for developers new to the platform. This platform is a forms-based, rapid application development platform with a large built-in collection of visual and non-visual drag-and-drop controls. Windows Forms doesn't use XAML, so deciding later to rewrite your application to WinUI entails a complete re-write of your UI.

Additionally, you can now integrate a sandbox environment into your packaged Windows Forms applications, providing an extra layer of security. This enhancement requires little to no change to your code, thanks to the new Win32 App Isolation security feature.

If you have a Windows Forms .NET app, you also have access to modern Windows platform features and APIs provided by the Windows App SDK. For more information, see Use the Windows App SDK in a Windows Forms (WinForms) app and Modernize your desktop apps.

The Universal Windows Platform (UWP) provides a common type system, APIs, and application model for all devices in the Universal Windows Platform. You can use UWP to create desktop applications for Windows PCs. UWP is also the only supported platform to write a single native universal app that runs across Xbox, HoloLens, and Surface Hub. UWP apps can be native or managed.

You don't have access to the APIs provided by the Windows App SDK or .NET 6 and later. To use the Windows App SDK, you need to migrate your UWP app to WinUI and the Windows App SDK. For more information, see Migrate to the Windows App SDK.

.NET Multi-platform App UI (MAUI) is an open-source, cross-platform framework for building Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows applications. With .NET MAUI, you can leverage the native UI and services of each platform from a single .NET code base. Because .NET MAUI favors platform native experiences, it uses WinUI and the Windows App SDK so apps get the latest user experience on Windows. This approach gives your apps access to everything you get with WinUI plus the ability to reach other platforms.

.NET MAUI for Windows is a great choice if you:

• Want to share as much .NET code as possible across mobile and desktop applications.
• Want to ship your application beyond Windows to other desktop and mobile targets with native platform experiences.
• Want to use C# and/or XAML for building cross-platform apps.
• Are using Blazor for web development and wish to include all or part of that in a mobile or desktop application.

For more information about .NET MAUI, see the following links:

• .NET MAUI documentation
• .NET MAUI on GitHub
• .NET MAUI Product Roadmap
• Build Windows apps with .NET MAUI
• Resources for learning .NET MAUI
• Video Series - .NET MAUI for Beginners
• Build 2022: Build native apps for any device with .NET and Visual Studio

In an ASP.NET Core Blazor Hybrid app, Razor components run natively on the desktop or mobile device. Components render to a custom embedded Web View control through a local interop channel. The components don't run in the browser, and WebAssembly isn't used. Components have full access to the native capabilities of the device through the .NET platform. All component styles rendered in a Web View are platform dependent. If you're planning to deploy across multiple platforms, you might need to account for rendering differences across the platforms by using custom stylesheets.

You can build Blazor Hybrid apps by using .NET MAUI, WPF, or Windows Forms. Visual Studio provides a template for creating a Blazor Hybrid app by using .NET MAUI. You can also create a Blazor Hybrid app by using WPF or Windows Forms by adding a BlazorWebView control to your existing WPF or Windows Forms app. For more information, see the following links.

Blazor Hybrid is a great choice if:

• Your team is already familiar with ASP.NET Core, Razor components, and CSS.
• You want to use C# and/or Razor components for building cross-platform apps.
• You want to share as much .NET code (and Razor components) as possible across applications.
• Want to ship your application beyond Windows to other desktop and mobile targets with native platform experiences.
• You have existing .NET MAUI, WPF, or Windows Forms apps and want to add Blazor components to them.

For more information about Blazor Hybrid, see the following links:

• ASP.NET Core Blazor Hybrid documentation
• Build a .NET MAUI Blazor Hybrid app
• Build a Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) Blazor app
• Build a Windows Forms Blazor app
• Troubleshoot ASP.NET Core Blazor Hybrid
• BlazorWebView Class

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) use open web technologies to provide cross-platform interoperability. PWAs give your users an app-like experience that's customized for their devices. PWAs are websites that are progressively enhanced to function like installed, native apps on supporting platforms (including Windows), while functioning like regular websites on other browsers.

When you install a PWA on Windows, it works just like other apps. For example:

• You can add a PWA to the Start menu.
• You can pin a PWA to the Taskbar.
• PWAs can handle files.
• PWAs can run when the user signs in.
• You can submit PWAs to the Microsoft Store where millions of Windows users can discover and easily install them alongside other Windows apps.

For more information about building PWAs, see the following links:

• Overview of PWAs
• Publish a PWA to the Microsoft Store
• Re-engage users with badges, notifications, and push messages
• Build PWA-driven widgets
• Progressive Web App demos
• PWABuilder - Helping developers build and publish PWAs