As the .NET ecosystem continues to grow and evolve, so does the need for robust tooling that helps developers build cross-platform applications faster and more efficiently. If you’ve been exploring the Uno Platform ecosystem, you may have come across two offerings: the free, open-source Uno Platform and the paid Uno Platform Studio. While they’re closely related, they serve different purposes—and understanding the distinction can help you decide what’s right for your development needs.
Let’s break it down.
🛠️ Uno Platform (Free & Open Source)
Uno Platform is an open-source project that lets you build single-codebase applications using C# and XAML across all major platforms:
- Desktop (Windows, Linux, MacOS)
- Mobile (iOS, Android)
- Web (WebAssembly)
✨ Key Features
- State management options with MVUX and MVVM
- XAML Hot Reload
- C# Markup support
Uno Platform is completely free to use and is released under the Apache 2.0 license.
đź’Ľ Uno Platform Studio (Commercial Productivity Suite)
Uno Platform Studio is a paid, proprietary set of tools built on top of the Uno Platform. It’s designed to make application development faster, more visual, and more accessible—especially for design-oriented developers or teams with mixed skill sets.
✨ Key Features
- Hot Design: Drag-and-drop UI designer that syncs with XAML and your app’s live preview.
- Live Property Editing: Modify properties via the property grid with real-time feedback.
- Template and Style Application: Easily apply control templates and styles visually.
- Element Tree & Canvas Sync: Navigate, inspect, and modify your UI elements in real time.
- Project Scaffolding & App Templates: Kickstart your app with built-in templates and patterns.
Uno Platform Studio is a commercial offering with licensing and support options tailored for professional teams.
🧩 How They Work Together
You don’t have to choose one or the other—they’re designed to be complementary:
| Feature | Uno Platform (OSS) | Uno Platform Studio (Paid) |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-platform runtime | âś… | âś… |
| XAML/C# app development | âś… | âś… |
| Drag-and-drop designer | ❌ | ✅ |
| Property Grid | ❌ | ✅ |
| Visual template editing | ❌ | ✅ |
| Cost | Free | Subscription-based |
🎯 Which One Should You Use?
- Start with Uno Platform if you’re a developer who wants to build cross-platform apps with full control over your stack.
- Add Uno Platform Studio if you want to speed up development with visual tools, streamline styling and layout, or improve collaboration across your team.
Whether you’re prototyping or shipping production-ready apps, Uno Platform Studio builds on the power of Uno Platform to help you move faster, design better, and build smarter.