# Pixeval: a .NET 10 and Avalonia Pixiv client for desktop and mobile

> Pixeval is a GPL-3.0 third-party Pixiv client built on .NET 10 and Avalonia. It targets Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, and the old WPF and WinUI3 builds are no longer the focus.

**Pixeval/Pixeval** — Wow. Yet another Pixiv client!

- Repository: https://github.com/Pixeval/Pixeval
- Website: https://pixeval.github.io
- Stars: 3,162 · Forks: 209
- Language: C#
- License: GPL-3.0
- Published: 2026-09-24 · Updated: 2026-09-24 · Language: en
- Canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/pixeval-pixeval

## What Pixeval actually is, and who it is for

Pixeval is a third-party client for Pixiv, written in C# and published under GPL-3.0. The README describes it as a "powerful, fast, beautiful" Pixiv application built on .NET 10 and Avalonia, and the repository topics confirm the stack: avalonia, desktop-app, dotnet, pixiv-client. It is aimed at people who want a native application rather than a browser tab for browsing Pixiv, and who are willing to run a client that is not published by Pixiv itself.

The project has been through a rewrite. The README states that the Avalonia-based Pixeval is under development and that the old WPF/WinUI3 versions are no longer heavily maintained, with a recommendation to switch to the new version when appropriate. That sentence is the single most useful thing on the page for anyone deciding whether to adopt it. If you find an older build, an older tutorial or an older issue thread, assume it describes the previous generation of the app.

The supported platform list is broad: Windows 8 and above, macOS, Linux, Android 16 (API 36) and above, and iOS 13 and above. A browser target is commented out in the README, so there is no web client. That breadth is unusual for a Pixiv client and is a direct consequence of Avalonia, which lets one C# codebase render on desktop and mobile.

## The Avalonia rewrite and what replaced the old WPF build

Pixeval's architecture is a single .NET solution with an Avalonia UI layer. The repository root holds Pixeval.slnx alongside Directory.Build.props, global.json and nuget.config, with source under src/ and build or packaging helpers under scripts/. The global.json file is the mechanism that pins the SDK version the build expects, which is how a project targeting .NET 10 keeps contributors on a matching toolchain instead of whatever dotnet they happen to have installed.

Avalonia is the reason the same application appears on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. The README frames the rewrite in terms of developer experience as much as user experience: a better UI, a better project structure, and a better development experience. That is a claim about the codebase, not a benchmark, and there is no performance figure in the README to check it against.

The practical consequence for a reader is that Pixeval is not one app with five ports. It is one codebase with platform-specific packaging on top. The desktop release and the mobile release are the same project at different stages of the same build pipeline, which is why the platform list and the framework badge sit next to each other in the README.

One structural detail worth noting: the repository carries .gitmodules and a crowdin.yml. The Crowdin configuration indicates localization is managed outside the repository, so translated strings arrive through that service rather than through pull requests against the source tree. The README itself is published in Simplified Chinese, English and Russian.

## Installing Pixeval on Windows, macOS and Linux

There are two documented installation paths. On Windows, the README links to a Microsoft Store listing for Pixeval, which is the path of least resistance if you are on Windows 8 or later. On macOS and Linux, the project maintains its own Homebrew tap at Pixeval/homebrew-tap, and the README points to that repository's README for the install and uninstall commands rather than repeating them. The tap repository runs a brew test-bot workflow, which is the standard Homebrew CI check for a formula.

The README does not print the brew command itself, so the honest instruction is to follow the tap's own README. The shape of it is the usual tap-then-install pair:

```bash
brew tap Pixeval/homebrew-tap
brew install --cask pixeval
```

Treat that as the pattern Homebrew taps use, not as a verified command from this repository. Confirm the exact formula name in the tap README before you run it, because the README here does not state it.

If you want to build from source instead, the README directs you to CONTRIBUTING.md for the steps to download and compile the project. That is also where you would look to understand the current development progress, since the README describes the Avalonia version as still in development. The build expects the .NET 10 SDK, and the framework badge in the README links to the .NET download page. Before building, check global.json for the pinned SDK version, since a mismatched SDK is the most common reason a .NET solution fails to restore.

For a first real use, the flow is the same as any Pixiv client: launch the app, sign in with your Pixiv account, and browse. The README does not document the sign-in flow, the settings surface, or where downloads are written, so there is nothing here to quote about the first-run experience beyond the fact that it is a Pixiv client.

## Where Pixeval stops being the right tool

The clearest limitation is stated by the project itself: the old WPF and WinUI3 versions are no longer heavily maintained. If you are on a Windows version that the Avalonia build does not cover, or you depend on behaviour that only existed in the WPF client, the README tells you to move to the new version rather than promising that the old one will keep working. There is no migration guide in the README.

The second limitation is documentation depth. The README is a landing page: a description, a platform list, an install pointer, and a feedback section. It does not document configuration, download locations, account handling, or the update mechanism. Anything you need to know beyond "it runs on these platforms" lives in CONTRIBUTING.md, the project homepage, or the issue tracker. If your evaluation depends on reading a specification before installing, Pixeval will not give you one.

The third is scope. Pixiv clients operate against a service that does not publish a stable public API for third-party clients, and this README says nothing about how Pixeval talks to Pixiv or what happens when that interface changes. That silence is the risk you are accepting. If an unexpected break in the upstream service would be a serious problem for you, a browser is the more predictable choice.

Finally, there is no browser build. The README has the browser line commented out. If your environment is a locked-down desktop or a Chromebook, Pixeval is not an option regardless of how the rest of the evaluation goes.

## How Pixeval compares with other third-party Pixiv clients

The related searches around Pixeval are mostly names of other clients: PxView R, Pixez Flutter, PiPixiv. The difference between them is the runtime and the resulting platform story. Pixez Flutter is, as the name says, a Flutter application, which means a Dart codebase and Flutter's rendering stack. Pixeval is C# on Avalonia, which means the .NET toolchain, NuGet packages, and a global.json-pinned SDK. If your team already builds .NET desktop software, Pixeval's build is the one you already know how to run in CI. If your team is a Flutter shop, the reverse is true.

The other axis is packaging. Pixeval ships through the Microsoft Store on Windows and through a self-hosted Homebrew tap on macOS and Linux, and it publishes numbered releases, with 5.0.12 dated 2026-08-21 and 4.3.23 dated 2026-04-30. The 4.x line and the 5.x line sit months apart, which is consistent with the README's statement that the project moved to a new codebase and left the old one behind.

What Pixeval does not offer is a different kind of product. It is a client, not a downloader library and not a service. If what you actually want is a scriptable component to embed in your own application, none of these clients is the right shape; you would be looking for a library, and this README does not point at one.

## Licence, maintenance and the cost of upgrading

Pixeval is GPL-3.0. For an end user installing it from the Microsoft Store or Homebrew, that is mostly invisible. For anyone who wants to redistribute a modified build, the copyleft terms apply to the whole derived work, and the LICENSE file at the repository root is the authority rather than this article. If your organisation has a policy against GPL-3.0 desktop software, that policy is the deciding factor, not the feature list.

On maintenance, the repository is not archived and the last push was on 2026-09-05, which is recent. The release history shows 5.0.12 on 2026-08-21 and 4.3.23 on 2026-04-30, so the current line is receiving releases. The README's own statement about the old WPF/WinUI3 versions is the more important signal: the project's attention is on the Avalonia codebase, and an upgrade from a 4.x build to a 5.x build is a move between two different applications, not a patch bump.

That is the real upgrade cost. Budget for a reinstall and a fresh sign-in rather than an in-place update, and check the release notes for the version you are moving to before you start. There is no documented rollback procedure in the README, so if you need to return to an older build, you are doing it by reinstalling the older package yourself.

Feedback channels are listed in priority order: a GitHub issue first, then email to decem0730@hotmail.com, then a QQ group. The README gives that ordering explicitly, which is a reasonable signal about where reports actually get read.

## Conclusion

Adopt Pixeval if you want a cross-platform Pixiv client and you are comfortable building or installing a GPL-3.0 .NET application: the Avalonia version is where development happens, the Microsoft Store listing covers Windows, and the self-hosted Homebrew tap covers macOS and Linux. Skip it if you need a browser client, a documented API, or a stable WPF or WinUI3 build, because the README says the old versions are no longer heavily maintained. Before you commit, check the CONTRIBUTING guide for the build steps, confirm the .NET 10 runtime is available on your machine, and read the LICENSE if you plan to redistribute anything.

## FAQ

### What platforms does Pixeval support?

The README lists Windows 8 and above, macOS, Linux, Android 16 (API 36) and above, and iOS 13 and above. A browser target appears in the README but is commented out, so there is no web client.

### How do I install Pixeval on macOS or Linux?

The project maintains a self-hosted Homebrew tap at Pixeval/homebrew-tap, and the README directs you to that repository's README for the install and uninstall commands. The tap repository runs a brew test-bot workflow.

### Is the old WPF or WinUI3 version of Pixeval still maintained?

No. The README states that the old WPF and WinUI3 versions are no longer heavily maintained and recommends switching to the Avalonia-based Pixeval when appropriate.

### How do I build Pixeval from source?

The README points to CONTRIBUTING.md for the steps to download and compile the project. The build targets .NET 10, and global.json in the repository root pins the SDK version the build expects.

### What licence is Pixeval released under?

Pixeval is licensed under GPL-3.0, and the LICENSE file at the repository root is the authoritative text. The README links to that file from its licence badge.

## Sources

- [License: GPL-3.0](https://github.com/Pixeval/Pixeval/blob/main/LICENSE)
- [Pixeval/Pixeval on GitHub](https://github.com/Pixeval/Pixeval)
- [Project website](https://pixeval.github.io)
- [README](https://github.com/Pixeval/Pixeval/blob/main/README.md)
- [Releases](https://github.com/Pixeval/Pixeval/releases)

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Hysen Labs editorial analysis, written from the project's own repository and release notes. Cite the canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/pixeval-pixeval