Eto.Forms is a cross-platform GUI framework for building desktop and mobile applications in .NET.
The framework solves the problem of maintaining separate codebases for different platforms by providing a single UI API that maps to native toolkits on each target system. Applications written with Eto.Forms use native Windows Forms on Windows, WPF on modern Windows, MonoMac on macOS, and GTK# on Linux, ensuring that the resulting applications look and behave as native applications rather than appearing foreign to each platform. The API is designed to feel natural within the .NET ecosystem, with straightforward syntax for defining user interfaces.
Eto.Forms suits developers building desktop applications that need to run consistently across Windows, macOS, and Linux without maintaining platform-specific UI code. It is particularly valuable for teams with .NET expertise who want to avoid learning multiple UI frameworks. The framework supports advanced scenarios where platform-specific capabilities can be leveraged by wrapping common UI code in larger applications or by creating custom high-level controls with platform-specific implementations. A mobile port for iOS exists but remains incomplete and is not production-ready. The framework has been used in production applications ranging from accounting software to 3D CAD tools and chemical process simulators.
The project maintains active engagement with its codebase through regular updates and bug fixes across its platform implementations. Development activity shows consistent attention to supporting the full range of desktop platforms, with particular focus on ensuring feature parity across Windows, macOS, and Linux backends. The maintainers respond to community contributions and maintain documentation resources including quick-start guides and contribution guidelines for developers interested in extending or improving the framework.
