The Windows development landscape offers more choices than ever. But with options ranging from established stalwarts to modern cross-platform contenders, how do you choose the right stack for your project and team?

In this session, we will navigate the "paradox of choice" facing .NET developers today. We’ll break down the contenders into clear categories:

- The Modern Native: WinUI 3 (Windows App SDK) for the latest Fluent design and native performance.
- The Enterprise Standards: WPF for complex, data-heavy desktop apps, and Windows Forms for rapid utility development.
- The Cross-Platform Giants: .NET MAUI for reaching mobile and desktop from one codebase, and the Uno Platform for taking WinUI to every screen (including Linux and Web).
- The Web Hybrid: Blazor Hybrid for leveraging web skills and assets within a native shell.

We will evaluate these frameworks against critical criteria:

- Platform Reach: Desktop-only vs. Mobile/Web expansion.
- Ecosystem: Control availability, maturity, and third-party support.
- Performance: Startup time, memory footprint, and rendering.
- Developer Experience: XAML vs. HTML/CSS vs. C# Markup.

To ground the theory, we will examine a single sample application implemented across all these frameworks, highlighting code sharing strategies and architectural differences. You will leave with a decision matrix to confidently select the best tool for your next Windows application.