This post is a quick overview of an Abto Software blog article about Blazor for cross-platform development.

Modern enterprises frequently manage geographically dispersed teams and face a wide spectrum of user demands—from rich desktop tools to instantly accessible browser-based solutions. As innovation races ahead, today’s customers expect seamless experiences at any time, from anywhere.

In sectors bound by strict regulations, desktop applications remain popular for their superior data governance and resilience against spotty connectivity. Conversely, web applications simplify updates, streamline scaling, and deliver instantaneous access across the globe.

The .NET platform offers a unified ecosystem that supports everything from lightweight internal utilities to mission-critical enterprise systems. Within this ecosystem, Blazor empowers developers to use C# across both client and server, maximizing code reuse and accelerating development timelines.

With multiple hosting options—web, mobile, and desktop—Blazor adapts to your organization’s precise needs. It combines the versatility to pivot quickly with the robustness required for future-scale growth. As we look ahead to 2025, priorities like efficiency, agility, scalability, and security only grow more urgent. Let’s explore how Blazor meets these demands.

Blazor Hosting Models

Blazor supports three primary hosting models. Choosing the right one depends on your app’s performance, offline requirements, and resource constraints.

1. Blazor Server

In this model, all state handling and logic execute on the server. The browser merely renders UI updates received via a persistent SignalR connection.

Pros:

  • Minimal client footprint: Fast initial load, since only UI diff updates travel over the network.
  • Consolidated security: Business logic and data remain on the server, limiting attack surface.

Cons:

  • Network dependency: Every UI event incurs a server round-trip, so latency hinges on connection quality.
  • Server scaling: High concurrency means more server resources; large deployments typically require horizontal or vertical scaling.

2. Blazor WebAssembly (WASM)

Here, the .NET runtime and app code download to—and run in—the client’s browser. This allows a richer, client-centric experience without continuous server chatter.

Pros:

  • Offline capability: After initial download, the app works even when connectivity flutters.
  • Reduced server load: Only static assets and API calls hit the server, conserving infrastructure.

Cons:

  • Heavy first download: Bundled runtime and app files can be large, affecting users on slower networks.
  • Browser compatibility: While most modern browsers support WASM, older or specialized platforms may lag.

3. Blazor Hybrid

Blazor Hybrid embeds Blazor components inside a native shell—mobile, desktop, or web—via frameworks like .NET MAUI, Electron, or Photino. This lets you share UI pieces and business logic across all form factors.

Pros:

  • Unified codebase: One code repository for desktop, mobile, and web limits duplication.
  • Native integration: Access device features (camera, sensors) through the container’s APIs.

Cons:

  • Linux support gaps: As of early 2025, .NET MAUI doesn’t officially target Linux, pushing teams toward Electron or Photino.
  • Platform-specific builds: Each target (Windows, macOS, mobile) still requires its own packaging and deployment.

Hybrid in Practice: Desktop + Web from One Codebase

One Blazor standout is its support for the Modular Monolith pattern: break your system into well-defined modules, then run them together. When the time comes, you can retire modules into independent microservices without rewriting shared logic.

Although .NET MAUI currently omits Linux desktop, you can use Electron or Photino to fill that void:

  • Electron bundles Chromium + Node.js, perfect for robust apps like Visual Studio Code or Slack—but includes a full browser runtime.
  • Photino leans on built‑in WebKit/Chromium controls, slashing package size by over 100× compared to Electron—though its ecosystem is still growing.

This approach ensures you maximize code reuse across business logic, data access layers, and UI components—while still meeting offline needs and providing global web access.

Blazor for Desktop Applications

Electron.NET + Blazor Server

  • Renderer Process: Hosts Chromium to render the Blazor Server UI.
  • Main Process (ASP.NET Core): Runs your backend logic and Blazor Server via SignalR.
  • Internal Bus (.NET Channels): Facilitates asynchronous communication among modules.
  • Storage & External Systems: Manage persistent data and integrate with third‑party services.

Image description

Picture 1. Desktop application: Electron.NET and Blazor Server – by Abto Software

Users engage with a rich, desktop-native UI, while business logic remains centralized in ASP.NET Core—combining offline performance with streamlined maintainability.

Blazor for Cloud-Based Web Services

Deploy the very same codebase to the cloud for universal access:

  • Accessibility: No client installs required—users log in from any internet-enabled device.
  • Scalability: Spin up additional servers or containers to handle peak loads seamlessly.
  • Security & Updates: Centralized deployment means patches roll out instantly to every user.

Runtime Flow:

Browser ↔ SignalR ↔ ASP.NET Core ↔ .NET Channels ↔ Storage/External APIs

This dual strategy delivers desktop-grade reliability when offline and a globally reachable web presence for remote teams.

Maximizing Code Reuse: Best Practices

To fully leverage Blazor’s code-sharing potential, follow these guidelines:

Modular Design:

  • Split your solution into discrete modules (e.g., user management, billing, reporting).
  • Let each module own its data and logic for clear boundaries.

Public APIs:

  • Expose functionality through well-defined interfaces to minimize inter-module coupling.

Asynchronous Workflows:

  • Use .NET Channels or message buses for inter-module communication.
  • Offload heavy tasks (exports, file processing, emails) to background threads for responsiveness.

Microservices Roadmap:

  • Identify modules needing independent scaling.
  • Extract services one by one, replacing internal channels with message brokers as you go.

Real-World Benefits of a Hybrid Approach

  • Centralized Logic: One implementation of business rules, shared across all clients.
  • Customer Choice: Offer a full-featured desktop app for sensitive or offline contexts, plus a web alternative for on-the-go access.
  • Future-Proofing: A modular monolith eases the transition to microservices whenever you’re ready.

How Abto Software Can Help

Blazor’s rich .NET ecosystem is an ideal foundation for today’s diverse software requirements. Whether you need offline-capable desktop tools or a cloud-native web platform, our team has the expertise to deliver.

Our Services:

Our Expertise:

  • Blazor Web App Development
  • Blazor Integration & Migration
  • Progressive Web Applications (PWAs)

Written by Yurii Pelekh, Software Architect at Abto Software