Windows app development documentation

Build native Windows desktop apps with the Windows App SDK and WinUI 3 — the recommended platform for new development using C#, C++, and XAML on Windows 10 and 11.

What's new

What's new for Windows developers

Concept

Introduction to the Windows developer platform

Tutorial

Build your first WinUI 3 app

Your path to building Windows apps

Start with the fundamentals, design great experiences, build your app, and prepare it for distribution.

Essentials

Design

Develop

Package and deploy

Publish

Add AI to your Windows app

Which platform should I use?

Choose the framework that fits your scenario. WinUI 3 with the Windows App SDK is recommended for new native Windows apps. UWP is in maintenance mode — for new projects use Windows App SDK with WinUI 3, and to modernize existing UWP apps see the migration guide.

WinUI 3 (Windows App SDK)

Recommended for new native Windows desktop apps. Build with C# or C++ and XAML. Supports Windows 10 1809+ and Windows 11.

WPF (.NET)

Mature XAML framework for .NET desktop apps. Modernize existing WPF apps with Windows App SDK interop to access new Windows features.

Windows Forms (.NET)

Rapid UI development for line-of-business apps. Still supported with .NET 8+; modernize incrementally with Windows App SDK interop.

.NET MAUI

Cross-platform framework targeting Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android from one C# and XAML codebase.

.NET MAUI cross-platform overview

C++ and Win32

Direct OS access for high-performance apps, games, and system utilities. Use Win32, COM, or C++/WinRT projections.

Progressive Web Apps (PWA)

Web-first apps with Windows integration — taskbar, notifications, offline support. Build with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Build PWAs for Windows

SDK reference and downloads

Jump directly to the SDK landing pages for reference docs, release notes, and downloads.

Windows App SDK

WinUI 3

Windows AI Foundry

.NET desktop development

Get started requirements

What you need to start building with the Windows App SDK. Targets Windows 10 version 1809 (build 17763) or later.

Windows App SDK (latest stable)

Download the current stable release. Includes WinUI 3, app lifecycle APIs, windowing, and deployment tools. Check the downloads page for the latest version number.

WinUI 3 (included in Windows App SDK)

The native UI framework for Windows desktop apps. Ships as part of the Windows App SDK — no separate install needed.

Visual Studio 2022 with Windows App SDK workload

Install Visual Studio 2022 with the '.NET desktop development' workload and Windows App SDK extension. Alternatively, use VS Code with C# Dev Kit.

Supported languages and runtimes

C# with .NET 8 or later, C++ (Win32 and C++/WinRT), Rust (via windows-rs crate). XAML is used for UI markup in WinUI 3 and WPF.