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The Top C# .NET Datagrids
The .NET ecosystem is a developer's playground, offering a versatile framework for creating anything from desktop applications to cloud-based services. Known for its strong performance, flexibility, and extensive library support, .NET supports multiple languages, including the favored C#. It’s a top choice for many looking to develop applications that can natively run on any OS.
\ Among the many powerful tools in the .NET arsenal—like libraries for UI, security, and data access—datagrids are particularly crucial for organizing and presenting complex data in applications. This comparison will spotlight five C# .NET datagrids, including ComponentOne FlexGrid, DevExpress, Telerik, Infragistics, and SyncFusion. We'll take a closer look at what each datagrid brings to the table across various .NET platforms like WinForms, WPF, Blazor, and more.
If you're on the hunt for a powerful and flexible datagrid for your .NET projects, the ComponentOne FlexGrid from MESCIUS is a top contender. It brings that Excel-like experience you are already familiar with, making it straightforward and user-friendly. The same .NET FlexGrid is now fully supported across a wide range of .NET platforms, including WinForms, WPF, WinUI, UWP, Blazor, ASP.NET Core, ASP.NET MVC, Xamarin, and .NET MAUI. This means you can count on delivering the same great functionality no matter where you're deploying your application. There’s even a JavaScript version if you need to go full client-side.
FlexGrid comes packed with features that make it simple for you to highlight important information and tailor the user interface to your needs:
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Conditional formatting
Custom cells
Built-in editors
Excel-like filtering
Search and highlight capabilities
Grouping and summaries
Cell merging
Column bands
Subtotals and aggregates
Instant Search
Excel-like cell selection
Frozen columns/rows
Stylish themes
Exporting to common formats
With FlexGrid, you'll experience up to 10 times faster loading and scrolling, which is especially valuable when working with large datasets. The extensible API allows you to customize every aspect of the grid so you can meet all your specific project needs without any compromise.
\ Whether you want to quickly set up data binding to .NET data sources or prefer the granular control of unbound mode, FlexGrid adapts to suit your needs, making it easy to manage diverse data scenarios.
Platform-Specific FeaturesComponentOne FlexGrid also offers a broad spectrum of features built with the specific needs of different C# .NET platforms in mind – more than any other competitor:
\ WinForms
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- Rich design-time tools, including Smart Tags and a visual designer for easy setup and configuration
- Robust event model with essential customization event hooks
- Transform the grid into a TreeGrid or Transposed display
- Office-inspired themes, so you can swap out the boring gray for clean light and dark themes
\ WPF & WinUI
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UI virtualization and cell recycling for optimal performance
Deep customization with XAML cell templates and C# cell factories
Super flexible filtering options, including full-text (search box), filter row, Excel-style filter menus, and separate filter panels and dialogs
Modern-looking default style plus WPF themes to customize it further
On-demand data loading
ASP.NET Core/MVC
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- Supports real-time updates with SignalR
- Easy JSON data binding
- Robust accessibility features
- Shares feature set and client-side API exactly with the JavaScript version
\ Blazor
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- Optimized for both server-side and client-side WebAssembly
- Super flexible filtering options, including full-text (search box), filter row, Excel-style filter menus, and separate filter panels and dialogs
- Responsive layouts for columns for browser resizing
\ UWP
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- Adaptive layouts and seamless integration with Windows 10 features
- Flexible data binding to IEnumerable and ObservableCollection
- Advanced interactions, including checklist mode and direct printing capabilities
\ Xamarin & .NET MAUI
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Pull-to-refresh interactivity
Adaptive layouts for columns for different screen sizes
Row Details to help display many columns in a small space
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The DevExpress DataGrid works with a variety of platforms, including Blazor, ASP.NET MVC, Xamarin, MAUI, WinForms, WPF, and WinUI, so you have plenty of options depending on your project needs. It’s worth noting that DevExpress no longer offers support for UWP C# .NET controls. As the industry shifts toward more modern frameworks, DevExpress has decided to focus its resources on maintaining support for newer technologies.
It provides all the essentials with features similar to ComponentOne FlexGrid. These tools give you the flexibility to present data clearly and interactively, making it easy to offer data management and analysis in your applications:
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- Excel-like filtering
- Master-detail views
- Custom edit forms
- Grouping
- Conditional formatting
- Custom cell editors
- Custom sorting
- Instant Search
- Extensive theme options
\ DevExpress DataGrid is designed to handle large datasets efficiently, offering fast data processing and rendering. Its architecture is optimized for high performance, making it ideal for enterprise-level applications that demand quick and responsive data interactions.
\ DevExpress also provides robust data binding features, enabling your users to effortlessly connect controls to a variety of data sources, including SQL, JSON data, and more. This allows for easy data display from databases and other sources. To keep data current, implement simple methods like a refresh button or a timer.
Below is a breakdown of the features you can expect from DevExpress on different .NET platforms.
\ WinForms
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View-based architecture with various data views, like GridView, Tile View, and Card View
HTML & CSS markup support and customizable themes/skins
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WPF
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- Server-side data processing for large dataset handling
- Full MVVM support with auto-generation of UI elements
- Adaptive data views, including Table and Tree-List Views
\ ASP.NET MVC
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- Batch editing to minimize server interactions
- Mobile-friendly customization dialog for touch devices
\ Blazor
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- Real-time data updates with observable data collections
\ Xamarin
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Pull-to-refresh, swipe support, and infinite scrolling.
Customizable appearance with Light and Dark themes
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While Telerik is missing some of the more complex controls and unique platform-specific features present in DevExpress and ComponentOne, the basics are covered. Datagrid features include:
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- CRUD operations
- Built-in data validation
- Custom editors and templates
- Multi-column sorting
- Advanced filtering
- Exporting to common formats
\ From a performance perspective, Telerik’s DataGrid handles large data sets without problem. It offers quick sorting, filtering, and grouping, and the UI virtualization ensures smooth scrolling and interaction by rendering only visible elements.
\ For data binding, Telerik easily connects to various sources, including local data, remote APIs, and dynamic collections. Whether you're using ADO.NET, Entity Framework, or another ORM, it's easy to connect and manage data.
\ Like DevExpress, Telerik has also discontinued the availability of UWP controls for new purchases and critical fixes, which ends on December 1st, 2024.
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Telerik's doesn’t offer much in the way of specialized tools for specific C# .NET platforms, compared to other competitors:
\ WinForms
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- Design-time data layer integration for simple setup and data binding
- Navigate through keyboard shortcuts and integrated search
\ WPF
Integrated DataPager for easy navigation
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ASP.NET Core
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- The compact grid displays more data by minimizing padding
- Define custom aggregate functions
\ WinUI
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- Built-in async export to prevent UI lag
- Data validation API
\ Blazor
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Render only visible rows with grid virtual scrolling
Dynamic ExpandoObject support handles flexible, weakly-typed data
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Xamarin
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- MVVM support
Infragistic’s DataGrid is available for all the major C# .NET platforms, including WinForms, ASP.NET Web Forms, Xamarin, MAUI, UWP, Blazor, and WPF. It comes with a range of controls to customize and edit the DataGrid:
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- Column sorting and filtering
- Cell merging
- Form editor
- Column management (resizing, moving, hiding, fixing)
- Paging
- Grouping
- Tooltips
- Exporting to common formats
- Data validation
- Themes and customization
- Drag and drop
\ If you're aiming to reach touch device users, Infragistics' DataGrid offers valuable features like responsive touch metrics, vertical and multidirectional panning, and multi-gesture functionality. These capabilities improve the user experience on tablets and other smartphones, making your applications more accessible to a broader audience.
If you're looking into unique platform features, Infragistics offers a few useful ones across different C# .NET platforms. They're not extensive, but they do add some nice touches to the DataGrid experience:
\ WinForms
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Gestures like tap, double tap, and panning
Advanced business intelligence capabilities with OLAP Pivot Grid
AppStylist for DataGrid style customization
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WPF
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- Data Grid Configurator is a visual tool to set up the grid without coding
- Automatically highlights cells or rows based on in-the-moment data changes
\ ASP.NET WebForms
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- Batch updating
- Multi-column headers and footers
\ Blazor
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- Outlook-style intuitive data grouping
\ UWP
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- Real-time live data streaming
- Template columns
\ Xamarin
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- Responsive layouts
- Live scrolling fetches data as users scroll
- Advanced data grouping with split headers
Syncfusion's DataGrid is built for speed, handling millions of records without a hitch. It connects with different data sources, for example, the Blazor DataGrid can bind to RESTful services, OData, and more. The grid is responsive, working well on any device whether it's a desktop, tablet, or smartphone. Datagrid controls include:
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Column sorting and filtering
Cell merging
Row and column customization
Conditional formatting
Localization
Clipboard operations
Master-detail views
Grouping
Exporting to common formats
Data validation
Themes and customization
Preview rows
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Synfusion supports many .NET platforms, including ASP.NET Core, ASP.NET MVC, Xamarin, WinForms, WPF, Blazor, WinUI, and even UWP.
Platform-Specific HighlightsSyncfusion offers a broader range of specific features for different .NET platforms than both Infragistics and Telerik. However, what really sets them apart is their team licensing. For small development teams, Syncfusion offers a reduced pricing option, making it an attractive choice for budget-conscious projects.
\ WinForms
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- Provides a nested grid setup for representing complex data relationships
- Displays rows not bound to the data source
\ WPF
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- Compatible with automation tools like Coded UI and UFT
- Provides an expanded view of row data with customizable templates.
\ ASP.NET Core
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- Displays a shimmer effect as a loading indicator
\ ASP.NET MVC
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Built-in support for data annotations
Customization options for the loading indicator
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Blazor
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- Extensive customization for a range of templates
- Responsive layouts
- Drag and drop rows within the grid or between different grids
\ UWP
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- Loads data incrementally as the user scrolls
- Supports nested grids, representing master-detail relationships
\ Xamarin
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- Pull to refresh
- Supports columns and rows not directly bound to the data source for custom calculations and displays
\ WinUI
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Parallel LINQ for efficient data operations like sorting, filtering, and grouping
Detailed control over gridline visibility, including horizontal, vertical, both, or none
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ComponentOne FlexGrid by MESCIUS is the top pick for all your C# .NET DataGrid needs. It’s not just quick – it’s the fastest out there, capable of handling millions of records while still offering a super-responsive user experience. But speed is just the start. FlexGrid is fully featured and packed with a core set of controls like conditional formatting, custom cell templates, advanced filtering, and more, no matter which .NET platform you’re working with.
\ FlexGrid also offers the most extensive list of platform-specific features, catering to your unique needs on various .NET platforms, from WinForms to Xamarin. For instance, in WinForms, you have rich design-time tools and a visual designer that simplifies setup and configuration. In WPF, FlexGrid provides deep customization with XAML, along with advanced filtering and multi-column filtering dialogs. Unlike some competitors, FlexGrid continues to support UWP, offering adaptive layouts and seamless Windows integration. There’s even an ActiveX and JavaScript version, although these are not technically .NET.
\ And then, there’s the extensibility! If you need a feature that isn’t included out-of-the-box, FlexGrid's flexible API allows you to create it. Whether you need custom editors, unique data bindings, or specific formatting, you can tailor the grid perfectly to your project.
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