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Blazor Hybrid lets you build native .NET apps whose interfaces use Razor components: the components run in the app’s .NET process and render into an embedded Web View. With .NET MAUI, that approach can target mobile and desktop platforms; WPF and Windows Forms are documented alternatives for Windows desktop apps. Hybrid rendering is not Blazor WebAssembly, and shared components may still need platform-specific adjustments.
How Blazor Hybrid runs Razor components
In a Blazor Hybrid app, Razor components execute natively inside the application’s .NET process. They render HTML into an embedded Web View through a local interop channel. The UI is therefore not running as Blazor WebAssembly in a browser, even though the Web View displays HTML and CSS. See Microsoft’s Blazor Hybrid overview.
The embedded Web View is part of the host application. Its rendering and CSS behavior can differ across operating systems, so a component that works in one target may need visual checks or platform-specific styles in another.
Choose a host for your target platforms
| Host | When it fits | Targets described by Microsoft |
|---|---|---|
| .NET MAUI with BlazorWebView | A cross-platform native app using Razor UI and MAUI capabilities. | Mobile and desktop targets; the combined MAUI and web template documents Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows native apps. See the combined app tutorial. |
| WPF or Windows Forms | Adding Blazor UI to a Windows desktop app, including an existing application. | Windows desktop. These are documented Blazor Hybrid hosts, not cross-platform MAUI replacements. See the Blazor Hybrid overview. |
For MAUI, the BlazorWebView control hosts Razor components in the native app. Choose WPF or Windows Forms when the application is specifically a Windows desktop product or when you need to integrate into one of those existing app types.
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Share components between native and web apps
Microsoft’s combined MAUI Blazor Hybrid and Blazor Web App template creates separate native and web projects and puts shared Razor components in a Razor class library. The documented solution targets Android, iOS, Mac, Windows, and the web. The web app can use a supported interactive render mode, while the native MAUI app remains interactive. Details are in Microsoft’s combined-app tutorial.
A shared Razor library is a way to reuse UI code, not a promise that every screen will look or behave identically everywhere. Platform-specific controls, input, layout, and Web View rendering may call for host-specific adaptation.
Use native capabilities and plan for connectivity
A MAUI Hybrid app packages its UI with a native application container. The packaged UI can be available without an internet connection, but that does not mean every feature or service in the app works offline. For example, a screen that calls a remote API still depends on connectivity for that call. Microsoft describes the packaged-UI distinction in What are hybrid apps?.
Hybrid apps can combine Razor UI with native controls and platform capabilities. Microsoft gives camera, calendar, push notifications, and pinch/spread interactions as examples; access depends on the relevant platform APIs and the app’s implementation. MAUI also supports packaging apps for app stores. See Microsoft’s MAUI Hybrid overview.
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Check platform, SDK, and Web View requirements before building
Choose the .NET MAUI release you intend to use, then consult that release’s supported-platform table and matching SDK and toolchain requirements. Minimum operating-system versions vary by release and target; MAUI Blazor apps can also have higher minimums than the general MAUI baseline. For example, the .NET 10 guidance provides additional minimum requirements for MAUI Blazor apps. Use the current versioned table rather than carrying requirements over from another .NET release: .NET MAUI supported platforms.
Blazor Hybrid relies on the platform’s Web View control. Microsoft identifies WebView2 on Windows, Chrome on Android, and Safari on iOS and macOS in its Web View support guidance. For native Windows runs, the MAUI tutorial specifically requires WebView2; the setup also depends on the MAUI development workload and platform toolchain. See the MAUI app tutorial and setup.
Quick Recap
- Confirm each target platform is supported by the MAUI release you selected.
- Match operating-system minimums, SDKs, IDE tooling, and workloads to that release and platform.
- Verify the required Web View is present, especially WebView2 for native Windows runs.
- Plan to test the UI on each platform’s Web View; shared Razor code does not remove cross-platform visual differences.
Decide whether Blazor Hybrid fits your app
- Choose MAUI when you want one native-app approach spanning mobile and desktop and need Razor components alongside native capabilities.
- Choose WPF or Windows Forms hosting when the target is Windows desktop, particularly when bringing Blazor UI into an existing app.
- Use a shared Razor class library when native and web projects should reuse components, while allowing each host to handle platform-specific behavior and presentation.
- Validate the platform setup early when operating-system versions, Web View availability, or build-tool requirements could constrain your target list.
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