We can tell you that Avalonia is the best framework for modernising existing desktop applications. We’ve said it repeatedly, in various places, for over a decade. But we know it’s more persuasive when it comes from independent developers. Migration notes, before-and-after screenshots, an honest account of what the work actually cost, and the code wherever developers are free to share it, are far more valuable for the ecosystem than anything we can create ourselves.
That’s why we’ve teamed up with Devolutions, to launch the Avalonia Port Challenge: a $15,000 prize pool for developers who take an existing application off a legacy stack and rebuild it in Avalonia. We want to see real applications, ported or rewritten, ending up as modern, high-performance, cross-platform applications powered by Avalonia.
Devolutions has been porting its own commercial software to Avalonia, so it’s already seen firsthand what the framework can do. They’ve successfully ported 100% of their WinForms application to Avalonia, and have begun porting their other platforms to Avalonia. Devolutions has long been a supporter of Avalonia, having committed $3 million to sponsor our OSS development, it is now putting another $15,000 on the table to see what the wider .NET community can modernise next.
Why ports, not new apps?
Because we believe ports produce something more valuable than a demo. Every entry comes with a written account of how the migration actually went, plus, for open-source entries, a public repository we can all learn from. The write-up counts in the judging, and we want the honest version.
The migration write-ups will give developers real accounts of what moving an existing application to Avalonia actually involves. How much work did it take? What translated cleanly? What needed rethinking? What caught you by surprise? If you’re considering the same migration, you’ll learn from people who have already done it, with the source code and finished application to back up their conclusions.
Categories
- Best Cross-Platform Port goes to the entry that best demonstrates one codebase shipping cleanly on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
- Best Legacy Revival is for applications with deep roots in yesterday’s desktop stack. WinForms, VB6, Delphi, MFC, older WPF applications. The deeper the starting point, the more interesting the transformation.
- Best Everyday Tool is for the small utility with a ton of polish. Something people actually use daily.
- Best IT Pro Tool is for sysadmin, security, networking, and remote access tooling. The applications that keep infrastructure running, rebuilt for 2026.
Entries that push the same codebase to mobile or WebAssembly will receive additional recognition from the judges.
What the judges are looking for
Every entry will be evaluated on five dimensions: the difficulty and completeness of the migration, the quality of the resulting application, the strength of the cross-platform implementation, the engineering quality of the codebase, and the usefulness of the migration write-up. Closed-source entries are scored on whatever code you choose to show us, whether that's a public repository, excerpts inside the write-up, or private access shared with the judges. The more you show, the more we can credit. A tiny, immaculate port can absolutely beat a sprawling incomplete one. Show your work, and make the result something you’d be proud to ship.
The rules
The original application must exist before the contest opens. Ports and rewrites both count. You can port your own app, or someone else's, provided the licence allows it. If you want to keep your port closed source, the original must be yours, or its licence must permit you to ship a closed derivative. Porting someone else's copyleft application and closing the source will be disqualified.
Open-source entries need a public repository under an OSI-approved licence, downloadable builds for each target platform, before-and-after screenshots, and a short write-up explaining what the migration actually cost you.
Closed-source entries need the same builds, screenshots and write-up, and the builds must be genuinely runnable by the judges. A trial version, a time-limited licence key or a demo account all work. If we can't launch it, we can't judge it.
The write-up is mandatory in both tracks and counts toward the score. Both tracks compete for the same prizes. Solo entries or teams of up to three. One prize per team.
AI-assisted code is fine. We’re interested in the result, not policing your tools.
The prizes
The prize pool is $15,000 USD, funded entirely by Devolutions:
- Grand Prize: $5,000
- Category Winners (4): $2,000 each
- Honourable Mentions (4): $500 each
Plus Avalonia swag packs for every winner and honourable mention, which will include our very special socks!
How to enter
If your port is open source, push it to a public GitHub repository under an OSI-approved licence, with builds for each platform you targeted, before-and-after screenshots, and your migration write-up in the README.
If your port is closed source, host your builds wherever suits you and publish the write-up and screenshots somewhere we can read them. A blog post, a release page or a PDF are all fine. Put the download links, plus any licence key or demo credentials the judges need, on the entry form.
Either way, tell us about it using this form. That's all that's required!
Thank you to Devolutions
I want to be clear about where this idea came from, because we didn't approach Devolutions looking for sponsorship. David (their CEO) came to us with the idea and offered to fund the whole thing!
Open source works when it's filled with generosity, and it's rarer than it should be. Our thanks to David and everyone at Devolutions.