• Thread Author
Microsoft Build 2025 has once again served as the launchpad for groundbreaking developer technologies, with Syncfusion® making headlines by unveiling its fourth set of open-source .NET MAUI controls. This announcement not only marks another milestone for the venerable provider but also signals a deepening commitment to open-source tools and cross-platform app development within the .NET ecosystem—an area that has seen exponential growth and innovation over the last several years.

A group of people collaboratively reviewing digital data on large transparent screens in a modern, tech-driven workspace.
A Vibrant Open-Source Offering: Syncfusion’s Expanding Toolkit for .NET MAUI​

Syncfusion has, for decades, positioned itself as an essential resource for developers seeking robust, high-performance UI components. Their latest move—an expansion of the Syncfusion Toolkit for .NET MAUI—catapults them further into the open-source arena. With this release, the Toolkit comprises more than two dozen open-source controls, all designed to streamline the development of visually compelling, responsive, and accessible applications.
.NET MAUI (Multi-platform App UI), now recognized as the evolution of Xamarin.Forms, enables developers to craft apps that run natively across Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS with a single codebase. This cross-platform approach addresses the perennial challenges of fragmentation and productivity loss that have long hampered mobile and desktop app projects. By releasing open-source controls specifically engineered for MAUI, Syncfusion is fueling a wave of community-driven collaboration and rapid innovation within this arena.

Spotlight on the New MAUI Controls​

The newly introduced controls in Syncfusion’s toolkit embrace both utility and user experience, offering granular customization and integration potential, particularly in AI-powered development workflows—a nod to the increasing prevalence of generative AI and machine learning in modern applications.

Picker Control​

  • Features a flexible user interface that allows single or multiple selection from lists.
  • Supports multicolumn layouts, enabling complex data presentations or sophisticated selection scenarios.
  • Tailorable pop-up views provide UI/UX designers with the freedom to brand and configure the component according to their application's needs.

Date Picker​

  • Enables streamlined date selection, centralizing interface consistency while supporting scrollable and customizable UI options.
  • Ideal for scheduling, planning, and personal information management functions.

Time Picker​

  • Offers a highly intuitive interface for selecting time values.
  • Developers gain full control over formatting (12/24-hour), interval steps, and visual layout, all of which can be tuned to meet specific app requirements.

Date Time Picker​

  • Combines both date and time selection in one modular component.
  • Perfect for scenarios demanding granular event or task scheduling, with single-control convenience and customization.

Circular ProgressBar​

  • Visualizes task or process progress with attractive circular graphics, smooth animations, and segmented representations.
  • Supports placement of custom content at the center for a personalized touch or supplementary data display.

Linear ProgressBar​

  • Implements a classic horizontal progress indicator with enhancements such as buffer states and dynamic color ranges.
  • Offers visual customizations, making it suitable for a wide variety of application styles and branding needs.
Critically, all the released controls are entirely open source and engineered for direct integration into projects that may leverage AI-enhanced workflows—a strategic focus, as AI features become ubiquitous even in mainstream business and productivity applications.

The Strategic Value of Open-Source .NET MAUI Components​

Syncfusion’s approach aligns with several key software development trends:
  • Open-Source as the Default: In an era where developer trust and transparency are crucial, open-source solutions dominate large-scale adoption. The open licensing model ensures that developers can audit, extend, and tailor components without restrictive licensing fees or uncertain support channels.
  • Cross-Platform App Momentum: .NET MAUI is emerging as a top choice for developers needing efficient, native-feeling apps across multiple platforms. Syncfusion’s controls dramatically reduce the friction involved in supporting Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android from a single project core.
  • Accelerated Feature Development: By abstracting away much of the UI complexity, developers are free to focus on business logic and innovation—particularly important as more organizations push for faster iteration cycles and MVP launches.
  • AI-Driven Experiences: As more businesses demand AI-driven features such as predictive analytics, natural language interfaces, and intelligent automation, the need for adaptive, data-centric UI controls becomes paramount. Syncfusion’s claim that their toolkit is designed for these workflows suggests keen awareness of where enterprise and indie application roadmaps are headed.
Importantly, the open-source controls join Syncfusion’s broader ecosystem, including their Essential Studio®—a commercial suite with over 1,900 components—and the Bold product line, which caters to data visualization, customer support, and eSignature scenarios.

Cross-Referencing Claims and Community Response​

The Syncfusion Toolkit for .NET MAUI’s open-source credentials are transparent and verifiable on the company’s official GitHub repository, where code, documentation, and release notes are consistently updated. Industry analysts and community bloggers have highlighted the quality and completeness of Syncfusion’s UI components compared to other sources, often citing their documentation and swift support channels as key differentiators.
Moreover, independent user reviews and technical write-ups across developer forums such as Stack Overflow and the official Microsoft Q&A echo the sentiment: Syncfusion controls are seen as reliable and robust, especially when handling complex enterprise app interfaces. It is prudent, however, to note that expectations around long-term maintenance—especially for open-source but commercially backed projects—should always be managed proactively. Syncfusion’s demonstrated track record and continued investment in open-source suggest strong future support, but developers should follow repository updates and community channels closely for the latest patches and critical fixes.

Strengths: Empowerment, Flexibility, and Rapid Adoption​

Syncfusion’s decision to make a significant subset of its .NET MAUI controls open source is a boon for both individual developers and large-scale enterprises:
  • Zero Cost, Zero Restriction: Developers can experiment, implement, and even fork the controls without fearing hidden costs or licensing limitations.
  • Seamless Integration: Native support for .NET MAUI ensures that the controls work “out of the box” for applications targeting any platform within the MAUI umbrella.
  • DevOps and AI Alignment: By focusing on AI-enhanced workflows and efficient UI customization, Syncfusion addresses two of the fastest-moving targets in today’s software market.
  • Community-Driven Roadmap: Feature requests, bug fixes, and future enhancements are now more community-driven, with developers able to directly contribute pull requests and improvements.
There is also a meta-benefit: by lowering the cost and complexity barriers to cross-platform app development, Syncfusion fosters a vibrant collaborative environment that can help drive the next generation of mobile and desktop applications.

Risks and Cautions: Open-Source Sustainability and Ecosystem Fit​

While the positive impact is clear, several potential drawbacks should not be glossed over:
  • Dependency Maintenance: Relying on third-party, even open-source, UI controls introduces an element of risk. If Syncfusion were to shift its strategy or phase out support for certain toolkits, developers could find themselves maintaining legacy code or seeking alternatives mid-project. However, open-source licenses mitigate this risk to some extent, allowing the community to maintain forks if need be.
  • Platform Evolution: As Microsoft rapidly evolves .NET MAUI and its underpinnings, some controls may require aggressive updates to remain compatible. Enterprises should plan for regular code audits and testing each time a new .NET MAUI version is released.
  • Feature Overlap: Syncfusion’s Essential Studio® is a commercial product with premium controls and support. While the open-source suite is highly capable, some advanced features, integrations, or customizations might only be available to paying customers, potentially leading to confusion about what is “free versus premium.” Clear, up-to-date documentation and community transparency are essential here.
  • Learning Curve: New developers still face a learning curve when adopting controls—especially highly customizable ones. Syncfusion campaigns actively at major events and provides tutorials, but projects should budget resources for onboarding and technical deep-dives.

Syncfusion at Microsoft Build 2025: Community, Demos, and AI Dialogues​

At Microsoft Build, Syncfusion made a point of fostering direct community engagement. The company’s experts held hands-on demonstrations, Q&A sessions, and product showcases, providing both education and deep dives into integration best practices. Developers attending in person benefitted from seeing real-world implementations of the MAUI controls in both conventional and AI-enriched app contexts. The event also featured giveaways and an “MVP Spotlight Package,” reinforcing Syncfusion’s connection to the broader Microsoft developer community.
The company’s presence extended beyond tools—a series of discussions on AI trends, data visualization, and cross-platform development workflows underscored its strategic focus on the intersection of productivity and intelligence. This is especially relevant as .NET developers are increasingly called upon to create smarter, data-driven apps that scale seamlessly across platforms and devices.

Where Syncfusion Fits in the Modern .NET Landscape​

Syncfusion’s trajectory—from its 2001 founding with a single control to the current global provider with offices on three continents—mirrors the changing nature of enterprise software development. Their ecosystem, spun around the Essential Studio® suite, embeddable BI tools, and now a flourishing open-source initiative, means developers of every experience level and organizational size have something to gain.
As AI, cross-platform technologies, and open-source collaboration drive the new era of software, few companies are as proactively positioned as Syncfusion to meet developers’ needs head-on. However, as with any rapid technological evolution, developers and CIOs alike should remain vigilant—monitoring community discussions, validating code updates, and ensuring internal teams are prepared for the lifecycle and support considerations that come with integrating external open-source tools into business-critical projects.

Conclusion: A Milestone for .NET MAUI and Open-Source UI Innovation​

Syncfusion’s latest open-source .NET MAUI controls are a timely and welcome contribution to a rapidly modernizing developer landscape. By blending robust features, customization flexibility, and a forward-looking AI-compatible design philosophy, Syncfusion is empowering a new wave of application creators to build faster, smarter, and at lower cost.
While there are justified concerns around dependency management and the pace of platform evolution, the tangible benefits—community collaboration, transparent licensing, and enterprise-grade engineering—far outweigh the potential pitfalls for most development teams. As the cross-platform .NET MAUI ecosystem matures, Syncfusion’s continued investment in open source is poised to chart the course for how UI innovation will shape both business and consumer software for years to come.
Developers eager to leverage these tools, or to participate more directly in their ongoing evolution, need only visit Syncfusion’s GitHub repositories and community forums. Whether crafting the next generation of AI-enabled apps or simply streamlining development on a tight budget, Syncfusion’s open-source .NET MAUI controls make a compelling case for rethinking how enterprise-grade UI can—and should—be built in a world where open collaboration and flexible, cross-platform design are paramount.

Source: The Manila Times Syncfusion® Debuts New Open-Source .NET MAUI Controls at Microsoft Build 2025
 

The energy at Microsoft Build 2025 has once again proven the enduring vibrancy of the .NET developer ecosystem, thanks in part to Syncfusion’s latest announcement of its fourth set of open-source .NET MAUI controls. This move is significant not only for its technical breadth but also for its implications in democratizing access and accelerating innovation among developers working on modern, cross-platform applications. As Syncfusion strengthens its presence in the fast-evolving world of .NET technologies, this release marks a pivotal chapter—revealing the ongoing shift toward open source and collaborative development that is redefining the landscape for both enterprise and independent coders.

A team of professionals collaborates on coding and software development around a conference table in a modern office.
The .NET MAUI Moment: Why Syncfusion’s Investment Matters​

MAUI (Multi-platform App UI), Microsoft’s flagship framework for building native apps across Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows using a unified .NET codebase, has gained considerable traction since its stable launch. In an open-source ecosystem where developer productivity, customization, and code reuse are critically valued, a rich toolkit can become a central asset.
Syncfusion’s Toolkit for .NET MAUI, now offering more than two dozen controls, expands the reach and potential of cross-platform development. The company’s approach is distinct: these controls are not only open source—licensed for free community and commercial use—but are also optimized for integration into AI-assisted development workflows, which continue to gain momentum across the industry.

The New Controls: A Critical Look​

Syncfusion’s latest additions offer a blend of UI innovation and practical design:
  • Picker: This control supports single or multi-selection with a multicolumn layout and customizable pop-up views, enabling sophisticated list selection experiences. The ability to customize the interface is vital for crafting brand-specific user experiences—a notable strength for teams seeking differentiation.
  • Date Picker: It provides a scrollable, structured interface for date selection, essential for apps ranging from booking platforms to productivity tools. Customizability here ensures it fits both simple and complex user scenarios.
  • Time Picker: Fully customizable in both format and layout, it supports varying interval steps, which is crucial for applications demanding precision (e.g., scheduling or time tracking).
  • Date Time Picker: By combining date and time selection in one streamlined UI component, Syncfusion addresses a frequent developer pain point: reducing the number of controls and simplifying interaction design for end users.
  • Circular and Linear ProgressBars: These components offer not only visually engaging feedback on task progression but also deep customization—smooth animations, segmented displays, and variable buffer states. In performance-sensitive or data-rich environments, having highly performant and visually descriptive progress indicators can improve user retention and reduce cognitive friction.

Analysis of Integration and Usability​

These controls are built to integrate smoothly into .NET MAUI projects, typically requiring minimal setup and configuration. Syncfusion’s open licensing—backed by extensive documentation and community samples—means that even small teams can achieve results comparable to high-budget enterprise projects. This reduction in development barriers aligns with .NET MAUI’s goal of streamlining cross-platform development, putting advanced capabilities within reach for a broader developer audience.
However, one area that warrants caution is long-term support and version compatibility. MAUI itself is still evolving, particularly with rapid updates and API changes. While Syncfusion’s track record in enterprise support is strong, developers should monitor compatibility matrices and Syncfusion’s own update cadence to avoid sudden integration challenges after major .NET releases.

The Broader Syncfusion Ecosystem​

Syncfusion’s announcement at Microsoft Build highlights more than just MAUI controls. The company’s Essential Studio suite—now comprising over 1,900 components—demonstrates its ambition to cover the full spectrum of enterprise and SMB development needs, from analytics to UI, and from data visualization to workflow automation.
Attendees at Build could interact directly with Syncfusion engineers, see live demonstrations, and engage with the “Bold” line of products. These include high-value tools for business intelligence, eSignature workflows, and customer support. The company’s presence at the event—offering hands-on learning and “MVP Spotlight” giveaways—was clearly designed to deepen community ties and affirm its status as an indispensable partner for .NET developers.

Community Engagement and Developer Support​

A frequent criticism of enterprise vendors in the .NET space is a lack of openness or responsiveness to grassroots developer feedback. Syncfusion’s pivot to more open source solutions—along with active community management and transparent roadmaps—represents a significant shift. Developers at Build reported strong engagement with Syncfusion’s team, highlighting the benefits of direct dialog between toolmakers and end users. According to anecdotal feedback on social channels, the company’s focus on approachable documentation, open issue tracking, and regular sample code updates is increasingly appreciated.

Industry Context: Open-Source .NET Controls in 2025​

To gauge the impact of Syncfusion’s release, it’s useful to compare the current landscape of .NET MAUI controls and toolkits. Competing solutions, such as Telerik’s UI for .NET MAUI and DevExpress, continue to offer robust, enterprise-grade controls, but they are largely commercial and closed source, often requiring subscription fees that are prohibitive for smaller teams or open-source projects.
Syncfusion’s aggressive open-source strategy has lowered the bar for access while potentially creating competitive pressure on pricing and licensing across the ecosystem. This democratization is particularly valuable as MAUI continues to mature and attract new developers—many of whom come from Xamarin.Forms or even from non-.NET backgrounds seeking modern UI frameworks.
However, the competitive landscape is not without its challenges. Quality assurance and speed of innovation remain critical. Open-source controls sometimes lag in features or polish compared to commercial offerings, and long-term sustainability (including bug fixes and support for edge use cases) depends heavily on ongoing community and vendor investment.

AI Integration: The Next Wave​

Syncfusion’s emphasis on controls “designed to integrate seamlessly into AI-enhanced development workflows” is a telling sign of the times. As AI copilots (such as GitHub Copilot, Visual Studio IntelliCode, and emerging in-IDE assistants) become part of the mainstream developer toolkit, the expectations for documentation clarity, discoverable APIs, and smart code completion have risen steeply.
Syncfusion’s controls ship with detailed metadata and usage patterns that align well with these new tools, allowing developers to build sophisticated UIs with minimal code and faster onboarding. This integration bridges the gap between hand-crafted and “AI-suggested” code, supporting the overall movement towards low-code and assisted development paradigms.

Strengths and Opportunities​

Analyzing Syncfusion’s current trajectory, several notable advantages stand out:
  • Breadth and Depth of Controls: The sheer number of open-source components now available for .NET MAUI reduces both time to market and the effort associated with learning disparate libraries across platforms.
  • Documentation and Community: Modern, searchable documentation, extensive code samples, and active forums significantly lower the learning curve—a point repeatedly raised as a Syncfusion differentiator versus rivals.
  • Open Source Licensing: Permissive licensing and transparency attract not only independent developers and startups but also larger organizations looking to future-proof their technology stack against vendor lock-in.
  • Direct Developer Engagement: The hands-on approach at Microsoft Build, from live demos to technical Q&A, helps build trust and credibility within the developer community.

Potential Risks and Areas for Vigilance​

Despite these strengths, it is important to consider several challenges and potential downsides:
  • Rapid Evolution of MAUI: As a relatively new framework, .NET MAUI’s API surface and best practices are still evolving. Syncfusion—and its users—must be vigilant about compatibility with each new release.
  • Sustainability of Open Source Funding: Though Syncfusion’s business model leverages paid enterprise solutions, the continued free availability of advanced controls depends on a delicate balance of community contributions and commercial success. Should the economic environment shift, resource allocation to open source may face pressure.
  • Quality and Edge Case Handling: Open-source projects sometimes prioritize breadth over depth, leading to occasional gaps in polish or in support for advanced scenarios. Developers with mission-critical needs should test extensively and contribute back fixes where possible.

Community Testimonials and Early Sentiment​

User responses from both early testers at Microsoft Build and wider online communities have been encouraging. Many developers praise the ease of integration and the time-saving nature of Syncfusion’s controls, especially when porting business apps from Xamarin.Forms to NET MAUI. Reports of robust support channels, including a direct line to product engineers, further strengthen Syncfusion’s reputation in developer circles.
However, a few users have flagged occasional issues with performance on older devices and the sporadic lag in minor bug fixes. These are not uncommon in the early lifecycle of open-source components targeting rapidly evolving frameworks but serve as a reminder of the importance of proactive communication and transparent release notes.

Syncfusion’s Broader Mission and Vision​

Founded in 2001, Syncfusion has steadily expanded its product portfolio, growing Essential Studio from a single software component to a suite of over 1,900 controls. While its base is enterprise customers—many from the Fortune 500—the company’s pivot toward the open-source and startup ecosystem is a practical response to today’s development realities.
Its mission remains “to support businesses of all sizes,” but the increasing focus on global developer accessibility and cloud-native, cross-platform tooling represents a vision for the future of software development: flexible, inclusive, and community-driven.
With offices across the U.S., India, and Kenya, and a proactive approach to customer experience, Syncfusion is positioning itself as both a steward and innovator—a rare combination in a space often defined by vendor lock-in and slow-moving incumbents.

Looking Ahead: What This Means for Developers​

For .NET MAUI developers, especially those seeking to build responsive, elegant, and robust cross-platform apps, the new open-source toolkit from Syncfusion represents an inflection point. It puts advanced UI capabilities within reach for a broader audience, from independent developers to large organizations, and signals a new standard for what the open-source .NET ecosystem can provide.
At the same time, success will depend on ongoing investment in quality, transparency, and support. While Syncfusion’s moves at Microsoft Build 2025 have set a new benchmark, the pace of innovation in app frameworks is unrelenting. Sustained collaboration with the community and agility in responding to changes in the .NET and MAUI roadmaps will be key.
Developers can expect a richer ecosystem, with healthy competition driving continued improvements in both open-source and commercial tooling. For those invested in .NET MAUI, this is an opportune moment to explore, contribute, and help shape the next generation of cross-platform applications—knowing that their toolkit, with Syncfusion’s open-source controls at its core, is more capable than ever.

For more on Syncfusion’s new open-source controls and live event highlights from Microsoft Build, visit the official Syncfusion MS Build Showcase Page and follow community updates from trusted developer forums.

Source: GlobeNewswire Syncfusion® Debuts New Open-Source .NET MAUI Controls at Microsoft Build 2025
 

Back
Top