Top Avalonia Alternatives for Cross-Platform UI Development

Avalonia is a powerful WPF-inspired cross-platform XAML-based UI framework, celebrated for its flexible styling system and broad operating system support across Windows, Linux, MacOS, Android, and iOS. However, developers often seek Avalonia alternatives due to specific project requirements, community preference, or a desire for different feature sets or language integrations. This article explores leading alternatives that offer robust solutions for building graphical user interfaces across multiple platforms.

Best Avalonia Alternatives

Whether you're looking for different programming language support, deeper integration with specific ecosystems, or a framework with a longer history, these Avalonia alternatives provide excellent options for your next cross-platform application.

Qt

Qt is a highly versatile cross-platform application framework, widely recognized for its ability to develop software that runs on various platforms including Mac, Windows, Linux, and BSD. As a Freemium and Open Source solution, Qt provides a Clean API, strong Cross-platform capabilities for Desktop and Embedded Device development, and enables Native application creation, making it a compelling Avalonia alternative for those prioritizing C++ or QML.

Qt Creator

Qt Creator is an integrated development environment (IDE) specifically designed for C++, JavaScript, and QML. Part of the Qt SDK, it offers a comprehensive set of features like Autocompletion, a robust Build system, Debugger, Code formatting, and Refactoring. While a Commercial and Open Source tool, its deep integration with the Qt framework makes it an excellent choice for developers seeking a full-fledged IDE experience when exploring Qt-based Avalonia alternatives on Mac, Windows, Linux, and BSD.

Electron

Electron empowers developers to build native desktop applications using familiar web technologies like JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. As a Free and Open Source framework, it boasts a powerful Build system, strong Cross-platform support for Mac, Windows, Linux, and even Web, and excellent HTML5 Support and Support for Javascript. For those comfortable with web development and looking for an Avalonia alternative that leverages their existing skills, Electron offers a rapid path to Native application creation.

GTK+

GTK+ is a widely used multi-platform toolkit for creating graphical user interfaces. Offering a complete set of widgets, GTK+ is suitable for a wide range of projects. As a Free and Open Source solution, it provides robust Cross-platform capabilities for Mac, Windows, Linux, and Chrome OS, making it a solid Avalonia alternative for developers who prefer a C-based toolkit and a mature, extensive ecosystem.

wxWidgets

wxWidgets is a C++ library that enables developers to create applications for Windows, OS X, Linux, and UNIX on both 32-bit and 64-bit architectures, as well as several mobile platforms. This Free and Open Source framework also offers Python and Ruby bindings. Its native look and feel on each platform make it an excellent Avalonia alternative for developers seeking a robust C++-based solution with broad platform support.

PyQt

PyQt seamlessly combines the power of the Qt C++ cross-platform application framework with the flexibility of the Python language. As a Free and Open Source solution, PyQt provides a comprehensive Library and Modules for Python scripting, enabling the creation of powerful cross-platform applications on Mac, Windows, and Linux. For Python developers seeking an Avalonia alternative that leverages the robustness of Qt, PyQt is an ideal choice.

PySide

The PySide project provides LGPL-licensed Python bindings for the Qt cross-platform application and UI framework. This Free and Open Source solution allows both free open source and commercial development with Python, similar to PyQt. Available for Mac, Windows, and Linux, PySide is a strong Avalonia alternative for Python developers who need robust cross-platform UI capabilities with the flexibility of the LGPL license.

FLTK

The Fast, Light Toolkit (FLTK) is a cross-platform graphical user interface (GUI) library known for its speed and lightness. Developed by Bill Spitzak and others, FLTK is a Free and Open Source option available for Mac, Windows, and Linux. Its focus on being Lightweight makes it an excellent Avalonia alternative for projects where minimal footprint and high performance are critical considerations.

TK

Tk is a free and open-source, cross-platform widget toolkit providing a library of basic GUI elements for building graphical user interfaces in various languages, most notably Python (Tkinter). Available on Mac, Windows, Linux, and BSD, Tk offers a straightforward approach to UI development. As a foundational toolkit, it serves as a basic yet effective Avalonia alternative for simple applications or as a learning tool for GUI programming.

wxPython

wxPython is a GUI toolkit for the Python programming language, enabling Python programmers to create applications with robust and highly functional graphical user interfaces. As a Free and Open Source solution, wxPython provides Python developers with a way to build native-looking cross-platform applications on Mac, Windows, and Linux. For those entrenched in the Python ecosystem, wxPython stands as a strong Avalonia alternative offering familiar development patterns.

Choosing the right Avalonia alternative depends on your specific project requirements, preferred programming languages, and desired ecosystem integration. We encourage you to explore these options further to find the best fit for your development needs.