title: Silverlight, Wpf Web App (xbap) or Click Once? Pros and Cons
body: <p>We are starting a new project and I'm trying to decide which of the Wpf-esque develop/deploy strategies we should go with. In our case we are looking at quite a complex business app that will be used by 100s (not 1000s) of people, So I'm leaning towards a click-once app. My boss likes the idea of a Silverlight app as it means easier deployment. So which way should we jump?  </p>
  
  <p>The answer is, of course, "it depends".
  So what are the pros and cons of each?  </p>
  
  <p>I'll start the ball rolling (<strong>Edit</strong> Added in some answers from <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/users/1013/artur-carvalho" title="artur carvalho">artur carvalho</a>): </p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p>Silverlight </p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Pros</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>Cross browser<br>
  Doesn't require full framework.<br>
  Better control of users. If your users login, you dont have to worry with activation keys or similar stuff.<br>
  It works on Windows and Mac.<br>
  You can update all your users apps easily.  </p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Cons</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>Can't interact with client's file system etc<br>
  Has less functionality compared with full Wpf (anyone got a good resource that documents differences?)<br>
  Single window<br>
  Single version</p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p>Wpf Web App (xbap)</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Pros</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>Full Wpf. </p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Cons</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>Single browser<br>
  Requires full framework<br>
  Can't interact with client's file system etc<br>
  Single window<br>
  Single version</p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p>Wpf Click once </p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Pros</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>Full Wpf<br>
  Can work offline<br>
  Multiple windows<br>
  Multiple versions (con?)<br>
  Better access to low level parts of the computer<br>
  No downtime for maintenance  </p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Cons</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>Single browser<br>
  Requires full framework<br>
  <em>Slightly</em>(?) harder to install.</p>