if your team lives in C# and your Xamarin app is mostly Xamarin.Forms screens sitting on top of .NET business logic, .NET MAUI is usually the cheaper next step. If the app is customer facing, the UI needs a rebuild anyway, or you want web and Linux from the same codebase, Flutter is usually the better long term bet. Either way, staying on Xamarin is no longer an option, because Microsoft ended all Xamarin support on May 1, 2024.
This guide is written for product owners and engineering leads who still maintain a Xamarin app, or who inherited one, and need to decide where it goes next. We compare the two frameworks on the things that actually change your budget: supported platforms, upgrade cadence, migration effort, hiring and UI control. We build with Flutter, so we have a stake in this comparison. We also tell you plainly where MAUI is the smarter choice
Why You Have To Move Off Xamarin In 2026
According to the official Xamarin support policy, support ended on May 1, 2024 for every Xamarin SDK, including Xamarin.Forms. Microsoft also states that Android API 34 and the Xcode 15 SDKs are the last versions Xamarin targets. No new APIs are planned.
Your app will keep running on phones that already have it installed. The problem is shipping updates. Google Play raises its target API requirement every year, and the current Google Play target API policy says that from August 31, 2026, new apps and app updates must target Android 16 (API level 36). An extension to November 1, 2026 is available on request. A Xamarin build frozen at API 34 cannot meet that bar, so every bug fix or feature you want to ship on Android now depends on leaving Xamarin.
That makes this decision a scheduling problem as much as a technical one. The question is not whether to move, but where to move and how fast.
.NET MAUI Vs Flutter At A Glance
Here is how the two frameworks compare on the criteria that come up most often in Xamarin replacement projects. The rows below are based on the official documentation for each framework as of September 2026.
Criteria | .NET MAUI | Flutter |
|---|---|---|
Owner | Microsoft | Google, with a large open source community |
Language | C# with XAML or C# markup | Dart |
Relationship to Xamarin | Direct successor to Xamarin.Forms | Separate framework, full UI rewrite |
Mobile targets | Android, iOS | Android, iOS |
Desktop targets | Windows, macOS (via Mac Catalyst) | Windows, macOS, Linux |
Web target | No browser target (Blazor Hybrid runs web UI inside a native app) | Yes, compiled to JavaScript or WebAssembly |
How UI is drawn | Maps controls to each platform’s native controls | Draws every pixel with its own rendering engine |
Release rhythm | New major version every November with .NET | Stable releases several times a year |
Support window per version | At least 6 months after the next major ships | Latest stable is the supported line |
Package ecosystem | NuGet | pub.dev |
Main IDE | Visual Studio, VS Code | VS Code, Android Studio |
The two rows that matter most for a former Xamarin team are the relationship to Xamarin and the release rhythm. MAUI lets you keep your language and much of your code. Flutter asks for a rewrite but gives you more platforms and full control of the UI.
The Upgrade Cadence Nobody Mentions In MAUI Comparisons
Most comparisons skip this, and it is the part that surprises teams after launch. The .NET MAUI support policy ties each MAUI version to a .NET release, and a major version is supported for a minimum of 6 months after its successor ships. In practice that looks like this:
Version | Released | End Of Support |
|---|---|---|
.NET MAUI 8 | November 14, 2023 | May 14, 2025 |
.NET MAUI 9 | November 12, 2024 | May 12, 2026 |
.NET MAUI 10 | November 11, 2025 | May 11, 2027 |
So even though .NET 10 itself is a long term support release, the MAUI workload on top of it only stays supported until May 2027. Every MAUI app needs a major version upgrade roughly once a year to stay on a supported build that works with the latest Xcode and Android SDKs. For a small team, that is a real line item in the maintenance budget, and upgrades between major versions can include breaking changes.
Flutter is not free of upgrade work either. It ships breaking changes too, and you will need to keep your SDK and packages current. The difference is that Flutter changes arrive in smaller, more frequent steps, and there is no fixed six month deadline tied to a platform release. Neither framework lets you “set and forget.” Plan for ongoing upgrades whichever one you choose.
Platform Reach: Where Each Framework Can Take Your App
The Flutter supported platforms lists Android, iOS, web, Windows, macOS and Linux as deployment targets from one codebase. MAUI covers Android, iOS, Windows and macOS, with no official Linux or browser target.
This matters more than it first appears. Many Xamarin apps started as mobile only, then the business asked for a web portal or an internal desktop tool. With MAUI, the web version usually becomes a separate project, often in Blazor or another web stack. With Flutter, the same widgets and business logic can be compiled for the browser, which is a strong fit for dashboards, internal tools and logged in portals. Flutter web is a weaker fit for content sites that depend on search traffic, so do not choose it for that job alone.
UI Control And Look Across Devices
MAUI renders through each platform’s own controls. A button on Android looks like an Android button, and a button on iOS looks like an iOS button. That is a real advantage for internal business apps where users expect the native look and your designers do not need a custom brand system.
Flutter draws its own UI, so a screen looks the same on every device unless you choose otherwise. For consumer apps with a strong brand, custom animations or designs that must match a Figma file closely, this usually means less platform specific fixing. The trade off is that Flutter apps do not automatically pick up every new native control style when Apple or Google changes theirs.
Migration Effort: Xamarin To MAUI Vs Xamarin To Flutter
The honest answer on cost depends on what kind of Xamarin app you have. Use the breakdown below to place your app before you ask anyone for a quote.
Moving From Xamarin To .NET MAUI
- What carries over: C# business logic, most XAML, your MVVM structure, and your team’s existing skills.
- What needs work: namespaces change, custom renderers move to the MAUI handler model, and every third party library needs a MAUI compatible version or a replacement.
- Hidden risk: Visual Studio for Mac was retired in August 2024, so Mac based teams need a new tooling setup, usually VS Code with the .NET MAUI extension.
- Best case: a Xamarin.Forms app with standard controls and well maintained dependencies.
Moving From Xamarin To Flutter
- What carries over: your product knowledge, designs, API contracts and backend. Your UI and client code are rewritten in Dart.
- What needs work: business logic written in C# must be ported to Dart or moved behind backend APIs.
- Hidden upside: a rewrite lets you clear years of technical debt and fix architecture decisions made in 2016 era Xamarin.
- Best case: a Xamarin.Android and Xamarin.iOS app with two separate UIs, where you were going to rebuild the screens anyway.
If the migration is going to touch most of your screens regardless, the gap between “port to MAUI” and “rebuild in Flutter” shrinks quickly. You can also check our Flutter app development cost guide on this.
Hiring And Team Skills
If you already employ C# developers who know Xamarin, MAUI keeps them productive from day one, and that alone can decide the question for enterprise teams. Dart is easy for C# developers to pick up because both languages are typed, object oriented and share similar syntax, but your team will still need time to learn Flutter’s widget model and state management.
If you are hiring new people or working with an outside partner, look at the talent pool in your market for each framework before you commit. Ask any vendor how many apps they have shipped in the framework, not just how many developers list it on a profile.
Decision Scorecard: Which One Fits Your App
Score your project against each statement below. Count the rows where you answer yes. The column with more yes answers is your likely fit. This scorecard is a starting point for the conversation, not a replacement for a technical audit.
Statement About Your Project | Points Toward |
|---|---|
Your developers are C# specialists and you plan to keep that team | .NET MAUI |
Most of your app is Xamarin.Forms with standard controls | .NET MAUI |
You share heavy C# libraries between the app and a .NET backend | .NET MAUI |
The app is an internal Windows first business tool | .NET MAUI |
Users expect the exact native look of each platform | .NET MAUI |
The app is customer facing and brand consistency matters | Flutter |
You need a web or Linux version from the same codebase | Flutter |
Your Xamarin UI is dated and needs a redesign anyway | Flutter |
You have separate Xamarin.Android and Xamarin.iOS UIs | Flutter |
You want to avoid a forced major upgrade every year | Flutter |
When .NET MAUI Is The Better Choice
We build Flutter apps, and we still recommend MAUI in some cases. If you run a large Xamarin.Forms codebase, your organization is standardized on Microsoft tooling, and the app is mainly used inside the business on Windows and mobile, MAUI is the lower risk path. You keep your team, reuse most of your code and avoid a full rewrite. Just budget for the yearly upgrade cycle described above.
When Flutter Is The Better Choice
Flutter makes more sense when the app is a product your customers judge by how it looks and feels, when you want to reach web or Linux users without a second project, or when your Xamarin UI needs rebuilding anyway. It is also a strong fit when your team is changing, because you are not tied to a C# hiring pool. For examples of companies that have made this choice, read our blog 60 apps built with Flutter.
A Practical Migration Plan From Xamarin
- Audit the current app. List every screen, custom renderer, native binding and third party package, and note which ones have maintained replacements.
- Check your store deadlines. Confirm the Google Play target API date and the current Xcode requirement for App Store submissions, then work backward.
- Separate business logic from UI. Move logic that can live on the server behind APIs. This helps with either framework.
- Build one representative feature first. Rebuild a single complex flow, such as login plus a data heavy screen, to measure real effort before you commit to a full timeline.
- Migrate in releases, not in one big switch. Ship in stages, keep crash reporting and analytics running, and compare metrics with the old app.
- Plan maintenance from day one. Put framework upgrades, OS releases and package updates on a quarterly calendar.
Planning Your Move Off Xamarin?
If you are weighing a rebuild, we can review your Xamarin codebase, map which parts carry over, and give you a scoped Flutter plan with a clear timeline. Start with a conversation with our Flutter app development experts, and bring your screen list and store deadlines.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is .NET MAUI Better Than Flutter?
Neither is better in every case. MAUI is usually the better fit for C# teams moving a Xamarin.Forms app with minimal rewriting. Flutter is usually the better fit for customer facing apps, broader platform reach and teams willing to rebuild the UI.
Q: Can I Still Publish Updates To A Xamarin App?
Not reliably on Android. Xamarin targets API 34 at most, and Google Play requires new apps and updates to target API 36 from August 31, 2026, with an extension available to November 1, 2026. Apple also requires newer Xcode versions than Xamarin supports.
Q: Is Xamarin To Flutter Migration A Full Rewrite?
Yes for the client app. The UI and app side code move from C# to Dart. Your backend, APIs, designs and product logic stay, and business rules can be moved to the server to reduce the amount of code you port.
Q: Does .NET MAUI Support Linux Or Web?
MAUI officially targets Android, iOS, macOS and Windows. It has no Linux target and no browser target. Blazor Hybrid lets you reuse web UI components inside a MAUI app, but that is not the same as publishing a website.
Q: How Often Do I Need To Upgrade A MAUI App?
Roughly once a year. Each MAUI major version ships with .NET in November and is supported for at least 6 months after the next one arrives. .NET MAUI 10 is supported until May 11, 2027.
