MAUI vs React Native
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A C# and XAML framework for building one app that runs on Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows.
Open source · MIT
A framework for building native Android and iOS apps using React and JavaScript.
The short answer
Choose MAUI if you need…
- C# developers who want to target phones and desktops from one codebase
- Teams already using Visual Studio and the .NET ecosystem
- Developers migrating existing Xamarin.Forms apps
- Students learning cross-platform app development in C#
Choose React Native if you need…
- Web developers who already know React and want to build mobile apps
- Teams that need one codebase for both Android and iOS
- Developers who want quick feedback through Fast Refresh while editing JavaScript
- Projects that need access to platform APIs through Native Modules
Side-by-side
| MAUI | React Native | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Framework | Framework |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 23.3k | 127k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | C# | C++ |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
MAUI
Dotnet MAUI is a cross-platform framework from Microsoft for building mobile and desktop apps with C# and XAML. You write one shared codebase and it can run on Android, iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and Windows. It is the successor to Xamarin.Forms, extended to desktop.
React Native
React Native lets developers build apps for Android, iOS and other platforms using React, a popular JavaScript UI library. The code is written in JavaScript but the interface is drawn with the platform's own native UI elements. Developers use it to share most of their code across platforms instead of writing separate apps in each platform's own language.
Best for
MAUI
- C# developers who want to target phones and desktops from one codebase
- Teams already using Visual Studio and the .NET ecosystem
- Developers migrating existing Xamarin.Forms apps
- Students learning cross-platform app development in C#
React Native
- Web developers who already know React and want to build mobile apps
- Teams that need one codebase for both Android and iOS
- Developers who want quick feedback through Fast Refresh while editing JavaScript
- Projects that need access to platform APIs through Native Modules
Strengths
MAUI
- One shared codebase targets five platforms listed in the README
- Backed by Microsoft and the .NET team, with official documentation and samples
- Works with Visual Studio tooling and emulators
React Native
- Native UI rendering, so apps use the same platform APIs as other native apps
- Fast Refresh applies JavaScript changes without rebuilding the native app
- Large ecosystem and documentation, with an MIT license
Not ideal for
MAUI
- Developers who need only web apps, since this targets native device apps (the README does not cover web output)
- People who prefer JavaScript or Dart, because the framework uses C# and XAML
- Projects needing a platform outside the listed Android, iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and Windows targets
React Native
- People who only want to build websites, since this targets native mobile apps
- Developers who need to write everything in one native language and avoid JavaScript
- Teams that cannot take on the setup work of native Android and iOS toolchains
Trade-offs
MAUI
- The README is truncated and gives little detail on platform-specific limits or performance
- Depends on the .NET workload and Visual Studio setup, which can be heavy for beginners
- Some features and controls come from third-party toolkits rather than the core framework
React Native
- Requires working knowledge of React and JavaScript, plus native tooling for Android and iOS
- The README recommends using a framework such as Expo for most apps, which adds another layer to learn
- Some native-level problems still need platform-specific knowledge
Getting started
MAUI
Install the MAUI workload (if the maui template is missing)
dotnet workload install mauiCreate a new app from the template
dotnet new maui -n NewAppReact Native
Create a new Expo project (recommended by the README)
npx create-expo-app@latestFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between MAUI and React Native?
MAUI: A C# and XAML framework for building one app that runs on Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows. React Native: A framework for building native Android and iOS apps using React and JavaScript. MAUI suits c# developers who want to target phones and desktops from one codebase, while React Native suits web developers who already know react and want to build mobile apps.
Are MAUI and React Native free?
MAUI: Free and open source. React Native: Free and open source.
Is MAUI or React Native more popular?
React Native has more GitHub stars (127k) than MAUI (23.3k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to MAUI and React Native?
Other options people compare them with include Avalonia, NativeScript, Capacitor, Expo.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.