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Mobile Development · head to head

.NET MAUI vs Flutter

.NET MAUI logo

.NET MAUI

Mobile Development

Microsoft-maintained, free framework for native iOS, Android, Windows and macOS apps from one C# codebase

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Flutter logo

Flutter

Mobile Development

Google’s open-source framework for building apps from one codebase

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: .NET MAUI its release and support lifecycle is tied to the underlying .NET version, so a team on an odd-numbered .NET release faces a support cutoff roughly every eighteen months and must budget upgrade work accordingly.; Flutter dart is used almost nowhere else, so the language itself is a hiring and learning cost
  • They diverge on capability: .NET MAUI covers Single C# and XAML codebase, Flutter covers Single codebase, many targets.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which .NET MAUI and Flutter actually diverge.

Attributes where .NET MAUI and Flutter differ
Attribute.NET MAUIFlutter
PlatformsWindows, macOS, iOS, AndroidiOS, Android, Web, Windows, macOS, Linux

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Open source, no licence fee), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Mobile Development).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in .NET MAUI

  • Single C# and XAML codebase
  • Native UI rendering
  • Xamarin migration path
  • Hot Reload
  • Blazor Hybrid support
  • MVU and data binding

Only in Flutter

  • Single codebase, many targets
  • Own rendering engine
  • Hot reload
  • Widget library
  • Ahead-of-time compilation
  • DevTools

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

.NET MAUI

  • A .NET shop extending an existing C# codebase or business logic layer into iOS and Androidnot Flutter
  • A team migrating a retired Xamarin.Forms app, since Microsoft provides an official upgrade pathnot Flutter
  • An organisation that wants one codebase spanning mobile and Windows desktop without a second languagenot Flutter
  • A company standardised on Visual Studio and Azure DevOps wanting mobile builds in the same pipelinenot Flutter

Flutter

  • Shipping one app to iOS and Android with a small teamnot .NET MAUI
  • Interfaces with heavy custom design that need to look identical on both platformsnot .NET MAUI
  • Adding web or desktop builds to an existing mobile codebasenot .NET MAUI
  • Prototyping quickly where hot reload shortens the design loopnot .NET MAUI

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

.NET MAUI

  • Its release and support lifecycle is tied to the underlying .NET version, so a team on an odd-numbered .NET release faces a support cutoff roughly every eighteen months and must budget upgrade work accordingly.
  • Platform-specific control styling and native look-and-feel have historically needed more manual work and workaround packages than Flutter delivers out of the box.
  • macOS and desktop support are less mature than the iOS and Android targets, so teams wanting a strong Mac app experience often still reach for native AppKit or a dedicated tool.
  • The talent pool of mobile developers fluent in MAUI specifically is smaller than for Flutter or React Native, even though C# itself is common.
  • Third-party control libraries such as Syncfusion and Telerik fill real gaps in the built-in component set, meaning a serious app often carries an additional commercial licence cost despite the framework itself being free.

Flutter

  • Dart is used almost nowhere else, so the language itself is a hiring and learning cost
  • Because Flutter draws its own widgets, apps can feel subtly unlike the platform unless deliberately styled per-platform
  • Binary sizes are larger than equivalent native apps because the engine ships with the app
  • Access to a brand-new platform API waits on a plugin, or on writing platform channel code yourself

Pricing, plan by plan

.NET MAUI

Free
  • .NET MAUIFree
    • MIT licensed, unlimited apps
    • Bundled with the free .NET SDK
    • Visual Studio Community edition available at no cost for individuals and small teams

Flutter

Free
  • FlutterFree
    • Full framework
    • All platform targets
    • Dart toolchain

Which should you pick?

Choose .NET MAUI if

  • You need single c# and xaml codebase.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
  • You also want native ui rendering.
.NET MAUI review

Choose Flutter if

  • You need single codebase, many targets.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web, Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want own rendering engine.
Flutter review

Questions people ask

Is .NET MAUI or Flutter better?
Neither clearly leads. .NET MAUI starts at Free and Flutter at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, .NET MAUI or Flutter?
.NET MAUI starts at Free and Flutter at Free.
Does .NET MAUI or Flutter run on more platforms?
.NET MAUI runs on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android. Flutter runs on iOS, Android, Web, Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use .NET MAUI for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is .NET MAUI best used for?
.NET MAUI is most often used for a .net shop extending an existing c# codebase or business logic layer into ios and android, a team migrating a retired xamarin.forms app, since microsoft provides an official upgrade path, an organisation that wants one codebase spanning mobile and windows desktop without a second language, a company standardised on visual studio and azure devops wanting mobile builds in the same pipeline. Of those, a .net shop extending an existing c# codebase or business logic layer into ios and android and a team migrating a retired xamarin.forms app, since microsoft provides an official upgrade path are not what Flutter is typically brought in for.
What can .NET MAUI do that Flutter cannot?
.NET MAUI covers Single C# and XAML codebase, Native UI rendering, Xamarin migration path, Hot Reload. Flutter covers Single codebase, many targets, Own rendering engine, Hot reload, Widget library.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

.NET MAUI: Is .NET MAUI really free for commercial apps?

Yes. It ships under the MIT licence as part of the free .NET SDK, with no separate mobile licence fee from Microsoft.

Flutter: Is Flutter free?

Yes. Flutter is open source with no licence fee. The framework is under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence and its code samples under the 3-Clause BSD licence.

.NET MAUI: Is this the same as Xamarin?

It is the successor. Xamarin.Forms was retired in 2024 and Microsoft provides migration tooling from it to MAUI.

Flutter: What language does Flutter use?

Dart, a language Google designed for fast startup and ahead-of-time compilation to native code.

.NET MAUI: How long is each .NET version supported?

Even-numbered releases get Long Term Support (around three years); odd-numbered releases get roughly eighteen months, and MAUI follows that same .NET release cadence.

Flutter: Can Flutter build for more than mobile?

Yes. The same codebase targets iOS, Android, web, Windows, macOS, Linux and embedded devices, though mobile remains the most mature target.

Flutter: How is Flutter different from React Native?

Flutter draws its own widgets with its own engine, so the result is pixel-identical across platforms. React Native renders to the real native components of each platform. Flutter uses Dart; React Native uses JavaScript and React.

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