Avalonia
Open-source cross-platform .NET UI framework using XAML for desktop, mobile, and web apps.
HN commenters recommend Avalonia as a free, cross-platform .NET GUI toolkit,12 especially as a WPF alternative that runs on Linux34 and as a safer choice than Microsoft's WinUI.56 The one reported problem is external drag and drop not working on Wayland.7
Why people recommend it
Cross-platform .NET GUI · 3
Fills the gap for .NET desktop GUIs on Linux, where Microsoft's MAUI has no support.
“The only option I have is Avalonia and Photino.”
“if I were to write a GUI program I'd reach for Avalonia (3rd party, free).”
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“I really should take a look at Avalonia and port my stuff over to Linux.”
WPF alternative · 2
Suggested as a cross-platform replacement for WPF, possibly better than it, with good tooling in Visual Studio.
“check out Avalonia UI [1] which is a cross-platform alternative that is also probably better”
“I really should take a look at Avalonia and port my stuff over to Linux.”
Alternative to WinUI · 2
Listed among the toolkits to use instead of WinUI 3 and WinAppSDK.
“Otherwise, Qt, VCL, Firemonkey, Avalonia, Uno, ImGUI,....”
“better use Win32, Forms, WPF, Avalonia, Qt,...”
Capable showcase · 1
Its showcase is cited as evidence that it can build anything from weather apps to video and PDF editors.
“You can check out the Avalonia demo reel to see what you can already do with the .NET GUI stack”
Works with F# · 1
One commenter had good results using it with F#.
“I had good luck with Avalonia UI and F#.”
Caveats and dissent
Wayland drag-and-drop · 1
External drag and drop did not work on Wayland for one commenter.
“I tried Uno Platform and AvaloniaUI last year but I had similar problems there with external drag 'n' drop not working on Wayland”
Often compared with
Who recommends it in their own words
Threads where it came up
- Ask HN: Any true alternatives to electron JavaScript? 1 mention
- SwiftUI After 7 Years: A Story of Mediocrity 1 mention
- MAUI Is Coming to Linux 1 mention
- Windows native app development is a mess 1 mention
- Windows 11's Start menu was built using React – now switching to native WinUI 1 mention
- Claude is an Electron App because we've lost native 1 mention
Also written as Avalonia UI, AvaloniaUI. Data: avalonia.json. Quotes are verbatim; the verdict and theme labels are written by a model from these comments, and every clause links to its sources.
All comments 10
“I had good luck with Avalonia UI and F#.”
“I really should take a look at Avalonia and port my stuff over to Linux.”
“The only option I have is Avalonia and Photino.”
“Otherwise, Qt, VCL, Firemonkey, Avalonia, Uno, ImGUI,....”
“better use Win32, Forms, WPF, Avalonia, Qt,...”
“I tried Uno Platform and AvaloniaUI last year but I had similar problems there with external drag 'n' drop not working on Wayland”
“check out Avalonia UI [1] which is a cross-platform alternative that is also probably better”
“Take a look at Slint or Avalonia if you miss this experience.”
“if I were to write a GUI program I'd reach for Avalonia (3rd party, free).”
“You can check out the Avalonia demo reel to see what you can already do with the .NET GUI stack”