The Avalonia UI team has announced a groundbreaking update for .NET developers — .NET MAUI applications are now coming to Linux and the browser, powered by an Avalonia-based backend. This exciting development opens the door for MAUI apps to run seamlessly across desktop Linux, embedded systems, and even WebAssembly.
Expanding MAUI’s Reach
Until now, .NET MAUI primarily supported Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. With Avalonia’s new rendering backend, developers can extend their MAUI apps to Linux desktops (Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian) and embedded devices like Raspberry Pi. Even more impressively, early builds already demonstrate MAUI applications running inside browsers via WebAssembly — without plugins or external dependencies.
Why Avalonia?
Avalonia’s cross-platform rendering engine provides a consistent UI experience across all systems. It’s known for its performance and lightweight design, which make it ideal for embedded and browser environments. On macOS, early performance tests show more than 2× improvement compared to the native Mac Catalyst backend.
Highlights from the Avalonia Team
- MAUI apps now run on Linux and WebAssembly using Avalonia as the rendering layer.
- Open-source backend under the MIT license (in development).
- Improved consistency and performance across platforms.
- Early demo shows MAUI apps running directly in browsers.
- Support for desktop, embedded, and browser-based deployments.
What This Means for Developers
This integration means developers can finally target a broader range of platforms without rewriting their apps. Instead of relying on multiple native toolkits, MAUI developers can use Avalonia to deliver a unified experience everywhere.
For teams maintaining large cross-platform applications, this reduces platform-specific bugs, simplifies maintenance, and significantly improves deployment flexibility.
Looking Ahead
The Avalonia backend for .NET MAUI is still in its early stages, but the future looks promising. As the feature matures, MAUI could truly achieve its original goal: “write once, run everywhere.”
The full article and official demo are available on Avalonia’s blog. Read the full announcement here .
General Analysis
This move marks a major step toward unifying the .NET ecosystem. The combination of MAUI’s developer productivity and Avalonia’s rendering flexibility could redefine how cross-platform .NET apps are built and deployed. If successful, it will bring .NET applications to devices and environments that were previously unreachable — from industrial embedded systems to browser-based user interfaces.
Source: Avalonia UI Blog — “.NET MAUI is Coming to Linux and the Browser, Powered by Avalonia” (Published Nov 11 2025)
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