Can I use Fluent Design (WinUI 3 look) in a commercial React/Electron app?

KamilDev 0 Reputation points
2026-07-11T22:04:17.28+00:00

Hi!

I'm really impressed by Fluent Design - this language perfectly combines lightness, elegance, and intuitiveness. As a solo dev planning to build independent, commercial web/Electron applications, I'd like their look to closely follow the Fluent Design implementation shown in the WinUI 3 Gallery (controls, cards, mica material imitation, sidebar + workspace layout, etc.).

I'm planning to write my own component library in React/CSS, visually inspired by this style (tokens: radii, spacing, colors) - without copying Fluent UI/WinUI code directly. I also don't intend to use legally protected assets such as the Segoe UI font family or Fluent Icons, nor to suggest any affiliation with Microsoft.

Question: is such a closely-inspired implementation of the Fluent Design language, in an independent commercial cross-platform product, okay from Microsoft's perspective? Has the company made any statement on this anywhere?

Edit: to clarify — I'm already familiar with Fluent UI React. My question isn't about which library to use, but specifically about building my own component library from scratch, visually replicating the WinUI 3 Gallery look/tokens, without using their code — is that okay to do commercially?

Windows development | WinUI
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  1. Danny Nguyen (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 8,725 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-07-13T07:06:38.18+00:00

    Hi @KamilDev ,

    While I cannot advise on legal matters, a closely inspired implementation should be fine. It is worth looking at the official repository: microsoft/fluentui.

    As Microsoft states on their Fluent UI GitHub page:

    Licenses All files on the Fluent UI React GitHub repository are subject to the MIT license. Please read the License file at the root of the project. Usage of the fonts and icons referenced in Fluent UI React is subject to the terms of the assets license agreement.

    Since the Fluent UI React components are under the MIT License, replicating the visual tokens—like border radii, spacing, colors, and layout paradigms—from scratch for your own component library is generally safe for commercial use.

    For fonts and icons, Microsoft has open-sourced the Fluent System Icons under the MIT License, which handles many use-cases.

    It sounds like you have a great understanding of the boundaries already. Good luck with your app.

    If you found my response helpful or informative, I would greatly appreciate it if you could follow this guidance or provide feedback.

    Thank you. 

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