maui-performance

.NET MAUI Performance Optimization

Profiling

dotnet-trace: Cross-platform profiler for all MAUI targets. Collect traces with: dotnet-trace collect --process-id <PID> --providers Microsoft-DotNETCore-SampleProfiler
PerfView (Windows only): Use for deep allocation and CPU analysis on WinUI targets.
Profile before optimizing — measure, don't guess.

Compiled Bindings

Always set x:DataType on pages/views to enable compiled bindings.
Compiled bindings are 8–20× faster than reflection-based bindings.
Required for NativeAOT and full trimming — reflection bindings break under trimming.
Apply x:DataType at the highest reasonable scope (page or root element).

For DataTemplate inside CollectionView /ListView , set x:DataType on the template root:

Minimize unnecessary bindings: Static content that never changes doesn't need {Binding} . Use literal values or x:Static instead.

Layout Optimization

Avoid nested single-child layouts — a StackLayout with one child is pointless overhead.
Prefer Grid over nested StackLayout /VerticalStackLayout — Grid resolves layout in a single pass.
Use IsVisible="False" to hide elements rather than adding/removing from the tree at runtime.
Remove unnecessary wrapper containers — every layout adds a measure/arrange pass.
Avoid AbsoluteLayout when Grid with row/column definitions achieves the same result.
Set explicit WidthRequest /HeightRequest where sizes are known to reduce measure passes.

CollectionView and ListView

Use ItemSizingStrategy="MeasureFirstItem" on CollectionView when items have uniform height — avoids measuring every item individually.

Image Optimization

Size images to display resolution — don't load a 4000×3000 image for a 200×200 display.
Use Aspect="AspectFill" or AspectFit and set explicit dimensions.
Cache downloaded images: CachingEnabled="True" (default) on UriImageSource , set CacheValidity .
Use platform-appropriate formats (WebP for Android, HEIF/PNG for iOS).
For icons and simple graphics, prefer SVG or vector-based font icons.

Resource Dictionaries

App-level (App.xaml ): Shared styles, colors, converters used across multiple pages.
Page-level: Styles/resources specific to a single page — keeps App.xaml lean.
Avoid duplicating resources across dictionaries.
Use MergedDictionaries to organize large resource sets without bloating a single file.

Startup Optimization

Minimize work in App constructor and MainPage constructor.
Defer non-essential service registration — use lazy initialization where possible.
Reduce the number of XAML pages parsed at startup (use Shell routing for deferred loading).
Remove unused Handlers /Effects registrations from MauiProgram.cs .
On Android, ensure AndroidManifest.xml doesn't force unnecessary permissions checks at launch.

Trimming

Enable IL trimming to reduce app size and remove unused code:

Test thoroughly — trimming can remove code accessed only via reflection.
Use [DynamicDependency] or [UnconditionalSuppressMessage] to preserve reflection targets.
Compiled bindings are essential — reflection-based bindings will be trimmed away.

NativeAOT

NativeAOT compiles to native code ahead-of-time for faster startup and smaller footprint.
Requirements: compiled bindings, no unconstrained reflection, trimming-compatible code.

Audit third-party NuGet packages for trimming/AOT compatibility.
Use [JsonSerializable] source generators instead of reflection-based JSON serialization.
Run dotnet publish with AOT to verify no warnings before shipping.

Quick Checklist

Source Transparency