Introduction

So, you’re building a Xamarin app, and now you’re faced with a big decision:

Do you go with Xamarin.Forms or Xamarin.Native (Xamarin.Android & Xamarin.iOS)?

Short answer: It depends on your project’s needs.

Long answer? Let’s break it all down—from performance to appearance, to code complexity and project structure.

What Came Before Xamarin? A Brief History

Before Xamarin, developing mobile (iPhone-Android) apps meant writing separate applications for iOS and Android.

1. Native Development:

   • iOS → Swift / Objective-C
   • Android → Java / Kotlin
   • Pros → Full control over UI & performance
   • Cons → Expensive (two separate codebases)

2. Hybrid Development:

• Cordova, Ionic, PhoneGap → Run web-based apps inside a web view

• Pros → Cross-platform with a single codebase
• Cons → Slow performance and limited native feel

Then in 2011, Xamarin was born, allowing developers to write C# code for both iOS and Android, using Mono (a cross-platform .NET implementation).

Further Reading: Xamarin Wikipedia

Xamarin.Forms vs Xamarin.Native: The Basics

Key Differences

Performance: Which One is Faster?

Xamarin.Native wins on performance. Why?

• Xamarin.Forms abstracts UI elements, adding overhead.
• Xamarin.Native uses platform-specific UI controls, resulting in faster rendering.

If your app needs high performance (e.g., games, animations), go native.

UI & Appearance: Which Looks Better?

For business apps → Xamarin.Forms is fine.
For highly polished consumer apps → Xamarin.Native is better.

Project Structure: How They Differ

Xamarin.Forms Project Structure

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/MyApp
  ├── MyApp (Shared Code)
  ├── MyApp.iOS (Platform-specific Code)
  ├── MyApp.Android (Platform-specific Code)

Most of the UI and logic lives in the shared project, making maintenance easier.

Xamarin.Native Project Structure

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/MyApp
  ├── MyApp.Core (Shared Business Logic)
  ├── MyApp.iOS (iOS UI + Native Code)
  ├── MyApp.Android (Android UI + Native Code)

With Xamarin.Native, UI is built separately for each platform, resulting in more customization, but more work.

Pros and Cons of Each Approach

When to Choose Xamarin.Forms vs Xamarin.Native

The Future: Is Xamarin Dead?

Microsoft is replacing Xamarin with .NET MAUI (Multi-platform App UI). MAUI is the evolution of Xamarin.Forms, with better performance and native integration.

Further Reading: MAUI vs Xamarin

So, if you’re starting a new project, you should consider MAUI instead.

Key Takeaways

• Xamarin.Forms → Best for business apps, quick development, and code-sharing.
• Xamarin.Native → Best for performance, custom UI, and highly interactive apps.
• Performance: Xamarin.Native is faster.
• Customization: Xamarin.Native gives more control.
• Future: Microsoft is shifting to .NET MAUI.

References

1. Xamarin Wikipedia
2. Xamarin.Forms vs Xamarin.Native
3. Xamarin vs MAUI
4. Xamarin Performance Optimization
5. Xamarin.Forms UI Limitations