Choosing the right WinForms UI controls can make a huge difference in your application's look, feel, and functionality. Ineffective controls, whether lacking customization, advanced capabilities, or user-friendly design, can result in a clunky, unattractive application. Quality UI controls streamline development and help you create a seamless and engaging user experience critical to attracting and retaining users.

In this head-to-head comparison, we explore the capabilities of ComponentOne from MESCIUS, DevExpress, Telerik, Infragistics, and SyncFusion. From data grids and charting tools to navigation components and customizable themes, let's take a look at how each suite stacks up against the competition.

ComponentOne

ComponentOne provides developers with a powerful arsenal of over 120 WinForms UI controls for enriched user interactions in the creation of desktop applications. With support for .NET 8, ComponentOne offers many different plans for WinForms UI controls, allowing developers to select the best solution for their needs. The base WinForms edition is priced at $995 per year per developer.

This package includes flexible licensing, seamless NuGet deployment, full source code access, and a repository of over 500 VB and C# samples for gaining hands-on experience with the many WinForms controls.

Powerful Datagrids and Data Filters

ComponentOne's WinForms suite features industry-leading data grids that excel in performance and versatility. FlexGrid, renowned for its speed in loading large datasets, offers pivot tables (FlexPivot) and transposed views, allowing developers to manage complex data structures with ease.

Various data filter types are available, such as bool, range, date range, checklist, and calendar, which can be easily applied to data-aware controls like grids, lists, treeviews, and charts. The FilterEditor allows for the visual creation of category-based filter expressions.

A rich array of input and editor controls improves data entry and editing experiences:

• InputPanel – Automates form generation with easy layout management.
• DateEdit – Provides a user-friendly date selection interface.
• Rich Text Editor – Enables comprehensive text editing capabilities.
• ComboBox –  Facilitates easy selection from predefined options.

Insightful Visualizations

Experience the power of comprehensive charting capabilities with ComponentOne's FlexChart, featuring over 80 chart types for dynamic data visualization. Whether you need Cartesian plots for detailed analytics or specialized charts like pie, radar, and financial charts, FlexChart's DirectX rendering ensures stunning visuals that bring your applications to life.

• FlexReport – Offers a robust .NET reporting engine tailored for modern business applications. It simplifies report generation with data visualization and supports code-free report building.

• Scheduling – Includes intuitive calendars and Gantt schedules for offering project planning and tracking.

• Document – Create and modify Excel files, view reports and PDF documents with full navigation and touch support, and utilize rich PDF APIs for viewing, printing, and more.

Excellent UI Tools

Customize application aesthetics with over 40 professionally designed and easy-to-implement themes, including modern Office 365-inspired styles, or create completely unique themes using the intuitive C1ThemeDesigner.

Rich navigation and layout tools offer developers a palette of creative possibilities to create intuitive user interfaces with both functionality and aesthetic appeal in mind. For example, the ribbon control offers over 40+ customizable toolbars inspired by Office 365. Other controls include:

• Accordion
• DashboardLayout
• DockingTab
• Menus and Toolbars
• Sizer
• SuperTooltip
• TileControl
• TreeView

DevExpress

DevExpress offers a WinForms component subscription, which provides over 190 Windows Forms controls and UI libraries. Priced at $999.99 per year per developer, this suite now supports .NET 8 and includes a wide range of components like data grids, spreadsheets, and ribbons, making it a comprehensive package for creating sophisticated applications.

DevExpress provides DirectX hardware acceleration, improving performance and rendering quality in high-DPI environments. Fast data processing keeps applications responsive, even with large datasets.

Interactive Data Visualization

DevExpress includes over 60 customizable chart types, maps, and interactive gauges, making it easy to create business intelligence dashboards. Examples include:

• Treemaps and Heatmaps
• Gantt and Sankey Diagrams
• Sunburst and Circular Gauges

Reporting and Analytics Features

The subscription features essential tools for building advanced decision-support systems. These components enable developers to provide users with detailed, interactive reports and data analysis capabilities directly within their applications:

• End-User Report Designer
• Pivot Tables and PDF Viewer
• Document Processing
• Printing and Exporting Tools

Flexible UI Customization

Developers can leverage HTML and CSS markup to craft custom UI elements, giving precise control over the application's look and feel. With over 50 available themes, modifying the appearance to fit user preferences is straightforward. The skin and theme editor adds flexibility for creating unique visual styles, while touch-enabled controls extend compatibility to modern touch devices.

The suite also includes essential UI components such as versatile data grids, an Excel-inspired spreadsheet, and a Word-inspired text/RTF editor. Additional controls include:

• Scheduler and Calendar
• Ribbon and Backstage View
• Diagram Control
• Navigation and Docking Controls

Telerik

Telerik UI for WinForms comes with over 160 controls for building modern, high-performance applications. With support for .NET 7 and 8, this suite streamlines the creation of visually appealing desktop applications. Pricing is tiered to meet various support needs, ranging from $999 per year for Lite Support to $1,299 for Priority Support and $1,499 for Ultimate Support. Each developer needs a license, which can be reassigned as needed.

It offers High DPI support for perfectly scaled applications on high-resolution monitors, multi-touch support for easy handling of touch gestures, and compliance with accessibility standards like MSAA, Appium, and Section 508.

Versatile View Types

Effective data presentation, data management, and user interaction hinge on robust view types. Telerik UI for WinForms offers a variety of view types that enhance the clarity, functionality, and interactivity of applications:

• GridView – Provides advanced filtering, grouping, and sorting for managing and presenting large datasets efficiently.
• ChartView – Interactive charts that turn raw data into visual insights, aiding in data analysis.
• Scheduler – Streamlines the management of appointments and events, ideal for calendar functionalities.
• ListView – Customizable layouts for displaying lists of items.
• PDFViewer – Directly view and interact with PDF files within your application, adding comprehensive document handling.

Modern Themes and Customization

Give your application a unique look with a wide range of themes inspired by Office, Windows, and Visual Studio:

• Fluent

• Material

• VS2012Dark

• Desert

• MetroBlue

• Office2013Light

• Office2010Black

The ThemeBuilder offers flexibility to create and modify themes, ensuring that the application's UI can be uniquely styled to match user preferences and branding requirements.

Enhanced User Experience (UX) Tools

Interactivity is key to making applications feel dynamic and engaging, providing users with a richer and more responsive experience. For example, the new AIPrompt feature makes it easy for users to interact with AI using simple commands. It offers a sleek, customizable interface that makes integrating AI services straightforward and efficient. Other UX controls include:

• Chat Functionality
• Virtual Keyboard
• Carousel
• Ratings
• StepProgressBar

Infragistics

Ultimate UI for Windows Forms by Infragistics offers over 100 UI controls designed for desktop developers focused on enterprise software. This comprehensive library includes data grids, high-performance charts, Microsoft Office-style user interface tools, dashboards, and reporting controls, all compatible with .NET 8.

The data grid supports virtual data handling and high-speed entry, allowing for smooth management of large datasets. Priced at $1,195 per year per developer for a royalty-free subscription (without Priority Support), Infragistics provides a solid solution for enterprise application development but is also the most expensive option.

High-Performance Data Grid

The Windows Forms data grid from Infragistics is designed for high performance and versatility. It includes a rich feature set similar to Microsoft Excel, making it ideal for data-centric applications. Key features include:

• Custom Layouts – Design and implement unique data presentations.
• Explorer View – Navigate data intuitively.
• Drag and Drop – Easily move data elements.
• Business Intelligence – Integrate BI capabilities.

Comprehensive Charting

Ultimate UI allows you to build feature-rich charts with minimal coding. The library includes over 60 high-fidelity chart types, which can animate data in real time to improve the user experience.

• Easy Data Binding
• Financial Indicators
• Trend Lines
• Drill-downs and Tooltips

Enterprise Application Controls

Infragistics controls are catered to meet the demands of enterprise environments, addressing critical needs such as advanced financial modeling, comprehensive reporting, and data-driven decision-making. The suite includes specialized tools designed to elevate operational efficiency by offering a familiar interface that streamlines workflows:

• Excel Library – Work with spreadsheets using Microsoft Excel objects like worksheets, cells, and formulas.
• Scheduling – Manage and present time-based data with scheduling controls.
• Menus – Replicate the look and feel of Microsoft Office applications with advanced navigation controls.

SyncFusion

With more than 95 WinForms UI controls and document processing libraries – including data grids, charts, diagrams, and a versatile PDF Viewer – Synfusion helps developers create robust line-of-business applications in .NET 8 environments.

Syncfusion offers a cost-effective solution at $395 per month for up to 5 developers (team license), totaling $4,740 annually, which equates to approximately $948 per developer per year. This makes it an attractive choice for small developer teams seeking discounted rates.

Input and Navigation Controls

Synfusion's 33 different input and navigation controls simplify data entry and streamline navigation, making user interaction straightforward and improving workflow efficiency. They integrate seamlessly for a user-friendly design that supports productivity. Controls include:

• ComboBox
• RangeBox
• RadioButton
• Colorpicker
• TabControl
• Navigation Drawer
• Ribbon
• Scroll Frame

Docking Manager

Syncfusion's WinForms Docking Manager empowers developers to create sophisticated, Visual Studio-inspired interfaces for their applications. This robust control supports a variety of window behaviors, allowing users to organize and customize their workspace:

• Flexible Window Management – Enable users to dock, float, and tab windows anywhere within the application interface.
• Resizable Windows – Interactive window resizing using splitters, configurable to optimize the use of screen space.
• MDI Support – Facilitates Multiple Document Interface (MDI) for working simultaneously on multiple documents within the application.

Document Processing Libraries

Syncfusion's document processing libraries for .NET streamline the creation, editing, and conversion of Excel, PDF, Word, and PowerPoint files. These libraries provide developers with intuitive APIs and features like advanced formatting, data manipulation, and secure handling.

• Excel – Handle Excel files with charts, formulas, and pivot tables. Convert to PDF, HTML, JSON, and other formats.
• PDF – Edit PDFs with annotations, merge capabilities, and convert documents from over 20 formats.
• Word – Create, edit, and convert Word documents with rich formatting and security features.
• PowerPoint – Develop and customize PowerPoint presentations with animations and slide transitions.

Conclusion

When it comes to WinForms UI controls, ComponentOne shines as the top choice. With a rich assortment of over 120 versatile UI controls, 80 dynamic chart types, 40 customizable themes, and 500 samples for learning and implementation assistance, ComponentOne equips developers to create visually stunning desktop applications.

Whether you need to create sophisticated dashboards, customize themes, integrate comprehensive reporting tools with FlexReport, or manage project schedules with intuitive calendars and Gantt charts, ComponentOne provides the most comprehensive set of UI tools to meet your development needs.