WPF
Microsoft's XAML-based UI framework for building Windows desktop applications with .NET.
Recommended as a dependable Windows desktop UI option over WinUI 3 and MAUI,123 with praise for its grid layout and list virtualization.45 Caveats include being tied to Windows6, concerns about its support situation7, and one developer's regret about investing in it.8
Why people recommend it
Production-ready · 3
Commenters recommend it over WinUI 3 and MAUI as a usable choice for serious Windows work.
“the only truly usable products still seem to be WPF and WinForms”
“Keep using Win32, MFC (yes it is in a better state than WinUI 3.0 with C++), WinForms, WPF”
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“better use Win32, Forms, WPF, Avalonia, Qt,...”
Grid layout · 1
Its grid is called as powerful as CSS grid but much easier to understand.
Came here to say the same thing. I feel like I’ve done my homework on CSS grid and CSS flex but no matter how much I use it, it will likely never become intuitive. Autolayout was love at first sight, and continued being a joy to use as long as I had the privilege of using it. I know the CSS people were painted into a box by legacy, but the design of both grid and flex honestly seem like the products of uniquely deran
Virtualization · 1
Most containers support virtualized lists, with the framework managing UI elements for you.
“I used to use WPF on desktop, and it had pretty good virtualization support”
Personal apps · 1
A commenter still likes it and uses it for their own apps.
“Yeah, I like WPF and I still use it for my own apps.”
Caveats and dissent
Windows-only · 1
One user says their WPF apps are the only thing keeping them on Windows and is considering porting to Avalonia for Linux.
“Yeah, I like WPF and I still use it for my own apps.”
Support concerns · 1
A .NET developer points to the support situation around WPF as a worry.
“the only truly usable products still seem to be WPF and WinForms”
Wasted investment · 1
One developer felt they gained little lasting value from investing heavily in WPF and Silverlight.
“I invested heavily into WPF and Silverlight, I believed their propaganda. I don't feel even a half-pint of value from the experiences I gained”
Often compared with
Who recommends it in their own words
Threads where it came up
- SwiftUI After 7 Years: A Story of Mediocrity 2 mentions
- Fine, I'll build my own text editor 1 mention
- Taffy: A flexible, high-performance, cross-platform UI layout library 1 mention
- What is .NET, and why should you choose it? 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
Data: wpf.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 7
“I invested heavily into WPF and Silverlight, I believed their propaganda. I don't feel even a half-pint of value from the experiences I gained”
Came here to say the same thing. I feel like I’ve done my homework on CSS grid and CSS flex but no matter how much I use it, it will likely never become intuitive. Autolayout was love at first sight, and continued being a joy to use as long as I had the privilege of using it. I know the CSS people were painted into a box by legacy, but the design of both grid and flex honestly seem like the products of uniquely deran
“I used to use WPF on desktop, and it had pretty good virtualization support”
“Yeah, I like WPF and I still use it for my own apps.”
“the only truly usable products still seem to be WPF and WinForms”
“Keep using Win32, MFC (yes it is in a better state than WinUI 3.0 with C++), WinForms, WPF”
“better use Win32, Forms, WPF, Avalonia, Qt,...”