Create a DevExpress-powered .NET App for WinForms with Design-Time Support

• May 12, 2026
• 3 minutes to read

DevExpress Project Templates

Use the DevExpress Template Kit to quickly create DevExpress-powered projects that target .NET 8+.

Install Template Kit

1. Download a VSIX extension from the Visual Studio Marketplace.
2. Double click the .vsix file to install the DevExpress Template Kit.

Install the DevExpress Template Kit in Visual Studio

In Visual Studio, select Extensions → Manage Extensions… to run Extension Manager. Type DevExpress Template Kit for Visual Studio in the search box and click Install (close the Visual Studio and follow instructions in the VSIX installer):

Create a DevExpress-powered .NET Project

Follow the steps below to create a DevExpress-powered .NET application for WinForms based on a template:

1. In Visual Studio, select File → New → Project….

2. In the Create a new project window, select DevExpress 26.1 Template Kit and click Next:

   

3. Click Create to run the Template Kit.

4. Click the WinForms platform:

   

5. Select the project template and configure its settings (for example, the target framework, MVVM support, etc.), and click Create Project.

   

Tip

• The DevExpress project template adds the DevExpress.Win.Design NuGet package to Package References in the project file (*.csproj) to enhance the design-time experience in Visual Studio for DevExpress-powered WinForms applications.
• Install the DevExpress.Win NuGet package if you do not need design-time customization/features.

Add DevExpress Controls to an Existing .NET App for WinForms

1. Open project properties. Ensure that the Target OS setting is set to Windows.

   

   C#

   <Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
     <PropertyGroup>
       <OutputType>WinExe</OutputType>
       <TargetFramework>net8.0-windows</TargetFramework> <!-- CHECK THIS LINE -->
       <UseWindowsForms>true</UseWindowsForms>
     </PropertyGroup>
   </Project>
   

2. Install required DevExpress NuGet packages. The following techniques enable customization of all or specific DevExpress WinForms UI controls in the Visual Studio designer. This includes grid designers, property editors, and other design-time enhancements that streamline the development process when working with DevExpress UI controls.

   • Install a Unified NuGet Package with Design-Time Support

     Install the DevExpress.Win or DevExpress.Win.Design NuGet package if you want to use most UI controls that ship as part of the DevExpress WinForms UI Library.

     DevExpress.Win is more lightweight and suitable for most cases. DevExpress.Win.Design contains a few more components with design-time support.

   • Install Atomic (Control-Specific) NuGet Packages with Design-Time Support

     If you only need a few DevExpress UI controls, consider installing lightweight, control-specific DevExpress.Win.XXX packages. This technique can improve the initial load time of a Form in the Visual Studio designer by up to 15-20% compared to using the DevExpress.Win.Design package.

     Available DevExpress NuGet packages include:

     • DevExpress.Win.Diagram
     • DevExpress.Win.Dialogs
     • DevExpress.Win.Gantt
     • DevExpress.Win.Gauges
     • DevExpress.Win.Grid
     • DevExpress.Win.Map
     • DevExpress.Win.PdfViewer
     • DevExpress.Win.PivotGrid
     • DevExpress.Win.RichEdit
     • DevExpress.Win.Charts
     • DevExpress.Win.Dashboard
     • DevExpress.Win.SpellChecker
     • DevExpress.Win.Spreadsheet
     • DevExpress.Win.TreeList
     • DevExpress.Win.TreeMap
     • DevExpress.Win.VerticalGrid
     • DevExpress.DataAccess.UI (should be used instead of DevExpress.Xpo and DevExpress.DataAccess)
     • DevExpress.Win.Navigation (should be used instead of DevExpress.Data and DevExpress.Utils)
     • DevExpress.Win.Reporting (should be used instead of DevExpress.Win.Printing)
     • DevExpress.Win.SchedulerExtensions (should be used instead of DevExpress.Win.Scheduler and DevExpress.Win.SchedulerReporting)

     Note

     Packages listed in parentheses do not offer design time for associated components.

   Tip

   To avoid design-time assembly resolution issues in multi-project solutions, add direct references to DevExpress NuGet packages in each project that contains design-time forms.

3. Build the project.