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Windows App SDK deployment overview

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There are two ways in which you can deploy the Windows App SDK:

  • Framework-dependent. Your app depends on the Windows App SDK runtime and/or Framework package being present on the target machine. Framework-dependent deployment is the default deployment mode of the Windows App SDK for its efficient use of machine resources and serviceability.
  • Self-contained. Your app carries the Windows App SDK dependencies with it. Self-contained deployment is a deployment option that was introduced in Windows App SDK 1.1 Preview 1.

This topic also uses the terms packaged app, packaged app with external location, and unpackaged app. For explanations of those terms, see the Deployment overview.

Deploy framework-dependent Deploy self-contained
Advantages Small deployment. Only your app and its other dependencies are distributed. The Windows App SDK runtime and Framework package are installed automatically by framework-dependent apps that are packaged; or as part of the Windows App SDK runtime installer by framework-dependent apps that are either packaged with external location or unpackaged.

Serviceable. Servicing updates to the Windows App SDK are installed automatically via the Windows App SDK Framework package without any action required of the app.		 Control Windows App SDK version. You control which version of the Windows App SDK is deployed with your app. Servicing updates of the Windows App SDK won't impact your app unless you rebuild and redistribute it.

Isolated from other apps. Apps and users can't uninstall your Windows App SDK dependency without uninstalling your entire app.

Xcopy deployment. Since the Windows App SDK dependencies are carried by your app, you can deploy your app by simply xcopy-ing your build output, without any additional installation requirements.
Disadvantages Additional installation dependencies. Requires installation of the Windows App SDK runtime and/or Framework package, which can add complexity to app installation.

Shared dependencies. Risk that shared dependencies are uninstalled. Apps or users uninstalling the shared components can impact the user experience of other apps that share the dependency.

Compatibility risk. Risk that servicing updates to the Windows App SDK introduce breaking changes. While servicing updates should provide backward compatibility, it's possible that regressions are introduced.		 Larger deployments (unpackaged apps only). Because your app includes the Windows App SDK, the download size and hard drive space required are greater than would be the case for a framework-dependent version.

Performance (unpackaged apps only). Slower to load, and uses more memory since code pages aren't shared with other apps.

Not serviceable. The Windows App SDK version distributed with your app can be updated only by releasing a new version of your app. You're responsible for integrating servicing updates of the Windows App SDK into your app.

Also see Create your first WinUI 3 project, and Use the Windows App SDK in an existing project.

More info about framework-dependent deployment

Before configuring your framework-dependent app for deployment, to learn more about the dependencies your app takes when it uses the Windows App SDK, review Deployment architecture for the Windows App SDK.

Packaged apps

If you've chosen to go with a framework-dependent packaged app (see Deployment overview), then here are instructions on how to deploy the Windows App SDK runtime with the app:

Packaged with external location or unpackaged apps

If you've chosen to go with a framework-dependent packaged app with external location, or a framework-dependent unpackaged app (see Deployment overview), then here are instructions on how to deploy the Windows App SDK runtime with the app:

More info about self-contained deployment

See Windows App SDK deployment guide for self-contained apps.

Initialize the Windows App SDK

The way that you should initialize the Windows App SDK depends on whether, and how, you package your app; and on the way in which you deploy relative to the Windows App SDK runtime. Use the section below that applies to your app.

Packaged apps

How your app deploys How to initialize
Framework-dependent See Call the Deployment API.
Self-contained No initialization necessary.

Unpackaged apps, and apps packaged with external location

How your app deploys How to initialize
Framework-dependent See Use the bootstrapper API in an app packaged with external location or unpackaged.
Self-contained See Opting out of (or into) automatic UndockedRegFreeWinRT support.