Blazor Is Not Silverlight: Why Microsoft Won't Abandon Its New Technology

From time to time, I encounter concerns from developers who wonder whether Blazor might share the fate of Silverlight - the technology Microsoft ultimately abandoned. Where do these fears come from? Mainly from history. Many remember the big expectations once placed on Silverlight, followed by the disappointment when Microsoft shifted its focus elsewhere.

In this article, I’ll show you:
• How Blazor differs from Silverlight,
• Why there is no reason to worry that Blazor will be abandoned,
• What concrete arguments support Microsoft’s long-term commitment to Blazor.

1. A Brief History of Silverlight and Where the Concerns Come From

What was Silverlight?

Silverlight was a Microsoft framework used to create interactive internet applications (RIA – Rich Internet Applications). It relied on a browser plugin, which allowed advanced graphics and multimedia to run inside the browser.

Why did Silverlight fail?

• Limited availability: The need to install a browser plugin (similar to Flash) became a significant problem.
• Rise of HTML5: As HTML5 became standardized and widely adopted, the need for dedicated plugins drastically declined.
• Microsoft’s strategic decisions: The company shifted its focus to other areas, and Silverlight simply couldn’t compete with solutions based on open W3C standards.

The result: developer concerns
Because Microsoft discontinued Silverlight, developers became cautious about Microsoft’s new “shiny technologies.” So it’s no surprise that many ask: *“Will Blazor be treated the same way?”*

2. What Is Blazor?

Blazor is a framework within the .NET platform that allows you to build interactive web applications using C# instead of JavaScript.

• Blazor WebAssembly runs .NET code directly in the browser by downloading a WebAssembly file.
• Blazor Server works through SignalR, with UI updates sent to the browser in real time.

Key characteristics of Blazor

• No plugins required – it uses WebAssembly, which is supported natively by all major browsers.
• Unified .NET ecosystem – you can share logic across your entire application using C#.
• Growing community and tooling – including full support in Visual Studio and VS Code.

3. Why Blazor Will Not Share Silverlight’s Fate

Based on open standards (WebAssembly, HTML5, CSS)

Silverlight relied on a proprietary plugin. Blazor relies on WebAssembly-a W3C-backed, universally supported web standard built directly into all modern browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari).

Strong ecosystem and open-source foundation

• .NET Core (now .NET) is fully open-source and heavily community-driven.
• Blazor benefits from active community support - anyone can contribute, report issues, or propose features.
• Microsoft is actively improving Blazor, releasing upgrades and integrations (e.g., Blazor + .NET MAUI).

Integration with Microsoft’s latest technologies

• Azure integration makes deploying Blazor apps simple and efficient.
• Modern tooling (Visual Studio 2022, VS Code) includes native support for Blazor.
• Regular promotion at conferences (Microsoft Build, .NET Conf) signals Microsoft’s long-term commitment.

Universal usage scenarios (WebAssembly + Server)

• Build full SPA applications entirely in C#.
• Or use Blazor Server for instant startup and minimal download size.
• Combined with ASP.NET Core Web API, you can build complete full-stack applications - frontend and backend both in C#.

Differences Between Silverlight and Blazor – A Point-by-Point Comparison

Example Blazor Code

Below is a simple Counter.razor component illustrating how C# is used inside a .razor file:

@page "/counter"

<PageTitle>Counter</PageTitle>

<h1>Counter</h1>

<p role="status">Current count: @currentCount</p>

<button class="btn btn-primary" @onclick="IncrementCount">Click me</button>

@code {
    private int currentCount = 0;

    private void IncrementCount()
    {
        currentCount++;
    }
}

• @page "/counter"` defines the route to this component.
• @code` section contains the C# logic.
• <button @onclick="IncrementCount">` calls a C# method on click.

Compare this to Silverlight’s complicated configuration, reliance on XAML within a plugin, and browser compatibility issues. The difference is enormous.

Why You Can Safely Invest in Blazor

• Microsoft’s support is long-term: Blazor is a key part of the .NET strategy for web applications.
• Large and growing community: Blogs, courses, conferences - Blazor is gaining momentum.
• High demand for .NET web solutions: Many C# developers want an alternative to JavaScript/TypeScript. Blazor provides exactly that.
• No plugins required: The biggest Silverlight problem simply doesn’t exist here.

How to Learn Blazor

If you want to dive deeper into Blazor development, check out my full online course - Blazor School (https://blazor-school.com/).

It’s a practical, step-by-step training that covers Blazor from the basics to advanced applications.

Together, we build several projects, including a complete e-commerce app (product browsing, pagination, filtering, sorting, cart, orders, payments, user accounts, authentication, API, advanced architecture).

Summary

• Silverlight was discontinued mainly due to changing web standards and the need for a browser plugin, which quickly became obsolete.
• Blazor is an entirely different story: it’s built on WebAssembly, HTML5, and open-source standards, with strong support from both Microsoft and the community.
• Investing in Blazor and modern .NET is a smart move - the future looks bright.

I hope this article has addressed your concerns about whether Blazor might repeat Silverlight’s fate. In my opinion - absolutely not.

Blazor is one of the most exciting technologies in the .NET ecosystem, and the differences from Silverlight are so fundamental that comparing the two barely makes sense.

If you want to learn more about Blazor and build modern SPA applications entirely in C# without JavaScript, consider joining the complete course - Blazor School.