Build an Excel-Like Spreadsheet in .NET MAUI Using Blazor Hybrid

#blazor #netmaui #blazorhybrid #crossplatformappdevelopment

TL;DR: Learn how to build an Excel‑like spreadsheet UI inside a .NET MAUI app using Blazor Hybrid to deliver consistent cross‑platform data editing, reusable web components, and a maintainable app architecture with native performance and better UX.

Delivering a consistent and modern user experience across mobile and desktop platforms has become essential for today’s business applications. With .NET MAUI Blazor Hybrid, you can build apps for web, desktop, Android, iOS, and macOS using a single shared codebase. This reduces duplication, simplifies maintenance, and significantly accelerates development.

In this blog, we’ll explore how to integrate the Syncfusion^® Blazor Spreadsheet component into a .NET MAUI Blazor Hybrid application to deliver an Excel-like experience across all platforms.

Why use a Spreadsheet UI in a .NET MAUI App?

A spreadsheet interface makes sense when users need flexible, cell-based editing rather than row-by-row data entry. Compared to a standard DataGrid, a spreadsheet UI is better suited for:

Financial or budgeting apps where formulas are required
Data entry tools with copy/paste operations
Reporting or planning screens where users expect Excel-like behavior
Scenarios where users work with files rather than records

Using Blazor inside .NET MAUI also brings architectural benefits. The UI logic lives in reusable Razor components, while MAUI handles native shell features like navigation, lifecycle, and platform APIs. This approach reduces duplication and keeps the app easier to maintain as it grows.

Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have the following set up:

Visual Studio 2026 with .NET MAUI and ASP.NET workloads installed
Latest .NET SDK
Basic familiarity with .NET MAUI and Blazor

Once your environment is ready, the next step is to create a .NET MAUI Blazor Hybrid app and configure it to host a spreadsheet UI.

Create a .NET MAUI Blazor Hybrid App

Let’s begin by creating a new .NET MAUI Blazor Hybrid application. In Visual Studio, create a new project and select the .NET MAUI Blazor Hybrid App template.

Choose the .NET MAUI Blazor Hybrid App template

Enter your project name, choose a location, configure the solution details, and then click Next.

Configure the project name and details

On the next screen, select the target .NET Framework version you want to use and finish creating the project.

Selecting the target .NET framework version

Once the project is created, you’ll see the standard MAUI Blazor Hybrid project structure. This includes:

A standard .NET MAUI project layout
A wwwroot folder for web assets
Razor components rendered through BlazorWebView

Default MAUI Blazor Hybrid project template

This project serves as the foundation for hosting Blazor-based UI components inside a native .NET MAUI application.

Install the required NuGet packages

With the project ready, the next step is to add the packages required for the Spreadsheet component. Install the following NuGet packages:

These packages provide the Spreadsheet control itself along with the theme files required for proper styling.

You can install them through the NuGet Package Manager or run the following commands in the Package Manager Console:

Package Manager Console

Install-Package Syncfusion.Blazor.Spreadsheet 
Install-Package Syncfusion.Blazor.Themes

After the installation is complete, you’re ready to register the services required by the Spreadsheet component.

Register Syncfusion services

Before using the Spreadsheet component, you need to register the Syncfusion Blazor services in your MAUI application. Open the MauiProgram.cs file and add the AddSyncfusionBlazor() service registration inside the CreateMauiApp method:

using Syncfusion.Blazor;

public static class MauiProgram
{
    public static MauiApp CreateMauiApp()
    {
        var builder = MauiApp.CreateBuilder();
        builder.Services.AddSyncfusionBlazor();     
        ...
    }
}