Starting a Xamarin app can feel like staring at a blank wall. You know what the app should do, but getting it to look good across both Android and iOS? That’s where things get messy fast. Anyone who’s ever wrangled with layouts in XAML knows that designing a clean, cross-platform interface is no walk in the park.
Thankfully, some smart people out there have already done the heavy lifting. A few companies are building UI templates for Xamarin that help you skip the frustrating part and jump straight into building something that looks legit. Let’s talk about four that are actually worth your time—one of them being the much-loved GrialKit.
GrialKit by UXDivers: The Go-To for Polished Design
Let’s start with GrialKit by UXDivers, since it’s pretty much the go-to name in Xamarin UI templates. These guys get design. Their screens don’t just work—they look like someone actually spent time thinking about the user experience.
They’ve got tons of templates, covering a wide range of functionalities:
- Shopping carts.
- Settings pages.
- Dashboards.
- Onboarding flows, and more.
What makes GrialKit special is how smooth it feels to plug it into a real app. You get separation between views and logic, which means you’re not trapped in a spaghetti mess of code. Plus, they’ve got a previewer app that lets you see your screens on your phone while you’re still editing them. This is a huge time-saver.
It’s not cheap, but if you’re serious about building apps that look polished and professional, GrialKit is probably the best investment you’ll make.
CodeCanyon: A Marketplace for Hidden Gems
Then there’s CodeCanyon, which isn’t a company exactly—it’s a marketplace—but hear me out. There’s a decent selection of Xamarin templates up there created by indie developers. Some of them are basic, sure, but there are also some really useful kits for things like ecommerce apps, fitness trackers, or booking platforms.
Most of these templates come with at least a few screens wired up to sample data, and you can get something that looks halfway decent running in an hour or two. You’ll need to be a little cautious—some of the code can be messy—but if you read the reviews and choose carefully, you can find some hidden gems without dropping a ton of cash.
Templify: Clean, Full-Stack UI Kits
Another solid option is Templify. These folks focus on full-stack UI kits that feel like real apps. Instead of just giving you a splash screen and calling it a day, they’ll bundle in everything from sign-up screens to navigation flows to profile pages.
The designs are clean and modern, and they tend to keep things simple, which is great if you plan to build on top of it. What I like about Templify is that their templates are usually lightweight—no bloated code or weird dependencies. It’s easy to rip out what you don’t need and replace it with your own logic.
They don’t have a massive library yet, but what they do offer feels practical and usable, not just flashy for the sake of it.
Xablu: Structured Templates from a Xamarin Consultancy
And then there’s Xablu, a Dutch Xamarin consultancy that also happens to offer some pretty solid starter templates and components. They’re not pushing out templates every week, but when they do release something, it’s structured like a real-world app.
They follow clean architectural patterns like MVVM, and their code tends to be very readable. Xablu also offers support and workshops, which means if you’re working on something a bit more complex, you can get actual help rather than digging through Stack Overflow for hours.
Their templates are especially helpful if you’re part of a team and need something that’s built to scale, not just to demo.
If you’re interested in exploring the full context of these company offerings and insights, you can read the comprehensive article here.
Choosing the Right Template for Your Project
So, which one’s right for you? That depends.
- If you want the full package with beautiful design and a seamless experience, GrialKit is hard to beat.
- If you’re on a budget and don’t mind hunting a little, CodeCanyon might surprise you.
- Templify is perfect for devs who want a clean starting point without all the fluff.
- And Xablu is great if you’re looking for structure, stability, and long-term maintainability.
In the end, templates won’t magically build your app for you, but they sure make the process a lot smoother. Instead of burning days messing around with layout quirks, you can actually focus on building features your users will care about. And let’s be real—launching faster, with less stress, and with a better-looking product? That’s a win.
