Eleven Source by Jair Palma

The world of cross-platform mobile development has witnessed a significant transformation with the introduction of .NET MAUI (Multi-platform App UI). While Xamarin has long been a reliable choice for building cross-platform applications, .NET MAUI emerges as a successor, promising enhanced capabilities and a more streamlined development experience. In this post, we’ll delve into the key differences between .NET MAUI and Xamarin, shedding light on the evolution of Microsoft’s cross-platform development frameworks.

1. Unified Platform:
   • Xamarin: Xamarin allows developers to create cross-platform applications using Xamarin.Forms or Xamarin.Native. Xamarin.Forms facilitates the development of a single UI that works across multiple platforms, while Xamarin.Native requires separate UI implementations for each platform.
   • .NET MAUI: .NET MAUI takes unification to the next level by providing a single codebase for building applications that run on Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows. It extends the Xamarin.Forms concept, providing a more inclusive framework for cross-platform development.
2. Architecture:
   • Xamarin: Xamarin relies on the Mono runtime and the Xamarin SDK to enable cross-platform development. Xamarin.Forms utilizes a shared UI abstraction to target multiple platforms.
   • .NET MAUI: .NET MAUI builds upon the latest advancements in .NET and uses .NET 6 as its foundation. It embraces the evolution of the .NET ecosystem, offering developers access to the latest features and improvements.
3. Single Project Structure:
   • Xamarin: Xamarin requires separate projects for each platform (iOS, Android, Windows, etc.), which can lead to code redundancy and increased maintenance efforts.
   • .NET MAUI: .NET MAUI introduces a single project structure, allowing developers to write code once and deploy it across various platforms. This approach simplifies the development process and reduces the overall codebase.
4. Device-Specific Customization:
   • Xamarin: Xamarin provides mechanisms for customizing the UI on each platform, but it requires platform-specific code for finer adjustments.
   • .NET MAUI: .NET MAUI enhances device-specific customization by introducing the .NET MAUI Handler architecture. This allows developers to access native controls and features easily, providing a more native and platform-specific feel.
5. Performance and Fluidity:
   • Xamarin: Xamarin applications perform well, but the level of optimization may vary depending on the chosen approach (Xamarin.Forms or Xamarin.Native).
   • .NET MAUI: .NET MAUI aims to improve performance by leveraging the latest .NET runtime and optimizing the rendering pipeline. The new graphics and animation APIs contribute to a smoother user experience across different devices.

.NET MAUI represents a significant leap forward in the world of cross-platform development, building on the foundation laid by Xamarin. With a unified project structure, improved architecture, and enhanced performance, .NET MAUI offers developers a more cohesive and efficient approach to creating applications for a variety of platforms. As Microsoft continues to invest in and evolve its cross-platform development frameworks, .NET MAUI stands out as a promising choice for the future of multi-platform app development.

Source:

• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/maui/what-is-maui?view=net-maui-8.0
• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/xamarin/get-started/what-is-xamarin
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