![]() | |
![]() Screenshot of OpenSilver | |
Other names | CSHTML5 |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Userware |
Initial release | March 9, 2020 |
Stable release | 3.2 / March 18, 2025 [1] |
Repository | |
Written in | C# |
Operating system | Cross-platform |
Platform | .NET, WebAssembly |
Available in | English |
Type | Software framework |
License | MIT License |
Website | opensilver![]() |
OpenSilver (formerly CSHTML5 or C#/XAML for HTML5) is an open-source framework designed to facilitate the development of rich internet applications (RIAs) using C# and XAML. It was developed as a successor to Microsoft Silverlight, enabling developers to migrate existing Silverlight applications to the web without rewriting their codebase. This framework is built on current web standards, including HTML5, CSS3, and WebAssembly, ensuring broad compatibility across modern web browsers regardless of the operating system without requiring plugins.
OpenSilver is a community-driven project that is freely available for anyone to use, modify, or improve. It operates under the MIT license. It is compatible with Microsoft's .NET platform, allowing developers to use C#, VB.NET, [2] F#, [3] and XAML for application development, thereby maintaining a familiar development experience for those from a Silverlight or WPF background. Over the past two years, OpenSilver's release 2.2 [4] has positioned itself as an advanced web framework designed for line-of-business applications.
Until the end of 2024, releases 3.0 and the version 3.1 [5] bring several key features such as XAML designer for Visual Studio Code, improvements of WPF support, and support for .NET 9.
As of March 2025, OpenSilver version 3.2 [6] introduces support for porting Silverlight and WPF applications to web, mobile, and non-Windows desktop platforms.
In 2014, Userware, founded in 2007 and led by Giovanni Albani, [7] launched CSHTML5, [8] a precursor to becoming OpenSilver. This initiative began efforts to provide a contemporary alternative to Microsoft Silverlight in 2020, [9] focusing on open-source development. As technology progressed and the need for modern web application frameworks grew, CSHTML5 evolved, culminating in the creation of OpenSilver 1.0 in October 2021. [10] OpenSilver aimed to seamlessly integrate Silverlight's legacy capabilities with the demands of modern web development.
The inception of OpenSilver was motivated by the discontinuation of Silverlight and the need for a robust solution that allows legacy Silverlight applications to continue functioning in a modern web environment. [11] By providing a path forward for these applications, OpenSilver helps preserve the investment made in Silverlight-based projects while taking advantage of the advancements in web technology.
Version | Release Date | Notes |
---|---|---|
class="templateVersion co swatch-unsupported" style="color: var(--color-base, #202122); " title="Old version, not maintained" data-sort-value="Technology Preview" | Technology Preview | March 9, 2020 | / |
class="templateVersion co swatch-unsupported" style="color: var(--color-base, #202122); " title="Old version, not maintained" data-sort-value="Beta" | Beta | September 13, 2021 | / |
class="templateVersion co swatch-unsupported" style="color: var(--color-base, #202122); " title="Old version, not maintained" data-sort-value="1.0" | 1.0 | October 12, 2021 | / |
class="templateVersion co swatch-unsupported" style="color: var(--color-base, #202122); " title="Old version, not maintained" data-sort-value="1.1" | 1.1 | October 4, 2022 | Support for third-party libraries, including Telerik UI for Silverlight. |
class="templateVersion co swatch-unsupported" style="color: var(--color-base, #202122); " title="Old version, not maintained" data-sort-value="2.0" | 2.0 | October 16, 2023 | Support for the VB.NET programming language. |
class="templateVersion co swatch-unsupported" style="color: var(--color-base, #202122); " title="Old version, not maintained" data-sort-value="2.1" | 2.1 | February 6, 2024 | Support for the F# programming language and integration of the Microsoft Silverlight Toolkit. |
class="templateVersion co swatch-unsupported" style="color: var(--color-base, #202122); " title="Old version, not maintained" data-sort-value="2.2" | 2.2 | April 23, 2024 | Support for Visual Studio LightSwitch. |
class="templateVersion co swatch-maintained" style="color: var(--color-base, #202122); " title="Old version, still maintained" data-sort-value="3.0" | 3.0 | July 10, 2024 | AI-powered XAML designer and supports Windows, Linux, and Mac. OpenSilver CLI. |
class="templateVersion co swatch-maintained" style="color: var(--color-base, #202122); " title="Old version, still maintained" data-sort-value="3.1" | 3.1 | December 10, 2024 | XAML designer for Visual Studio Code, improvements of WPF support, new UI theme, and .NET 9 support. |
class="templateVersion c swatch-latest" style="color: var(--color-base, #202122); " title="Latest version" data-sort-value="3.2" | 3.2 | March 18, 2025 | Integrates .NET MAUI Hybrid, enabling WPF-compatible apps on multiple platforms from a single codebase. |
Legend: Old version, not maintained Old version, still maintained Latest version |
OpenSilver integrates three main components:
OpenSilver's foundation is its ability to take .NET assemblies and XAML files (the building blocks of Silverlight applications) as input and use Blazor to compile them in WebAssembly.
OpenSilver offers development tools and a software development kit (SDK [13] ) to aid application development. These tools include Visual Studio project templates and the OpenSilver Simulator, simplifying the workflow for developers accustomed to Silverlight or .NET environments.
Product name | Code name | Version number | .NET Framework | .NET (formerly .NET Core) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Visual Studio 2019 | Dev16 | 16.0 | Only to run the OpenSilver simulator application | 6.0 |
Visual Studio 2022 | Dev17 | 17.0 | Only to run the OpenSilver simulator application | 6.0, 7.0, Recommended: 8.0, 9.0 |
Product name | Operating System | .NET (formerly .NET Core) |
---|---|---|
Visual Studio Code | Windows, Linux, MacOS | 7.0, Recommended: 8.0, 9.0 |
NOTE: OpenSilver CLI is supported since OpenSilver 3.0. It allows the creation and manipulation of OpenSilver projects with Command-line interface, which makes it convenient for users to use their preferred code editors for software development.
OpenSilver is licensed under the MIT License, which allows users to freely use, modify, distribute, and sell the software as long as they include the original copyright and permission notices.