Top C# Projects to Sharpen Your Skills and Build Your C# Portfolio

C# is a popular general-purpose, multi-paradigm programming language that is a member of the C programming language family. It is an object oriented and component oriented programming language that is primarily used for designing websites and desktop applications. If you’re looking for gigs as a C# developer, you’ll need an organized portfolio with all your best C# projects.

This article is for anyone looking for C# project ideas to increase their skills at any level of experience. It also contains the best C# templates, skills, and tips for organizing your C# portfolio. C# is the gold standard for developing large-scale Microsoft applications, so most C# practice projects are for Microsoft applications. 

Why Learn C# Through Projects?

One of the best ways to learn to program in C# is to learning C# through completing projects. When you use coding projects to learn C#, you learn how to combine different technical skills to solve problems. Using different coding techniques on real-world problems also helps you master the skills needed to thrive as a C# developer. These are some of the technical skills you can practice by completing C# projects at different levels:

• .Net Framework. This is a Microsoft Windows framework designed specifically for promoting interoperability across programming languages. Since C# is predominantly used for Microsoft applications, you will learn how to build on the .Net Framework and modify it to meet any type of development requirements you have.
• Object Oriented Programming. Learning object oriented programming (OOP) in C# does more than just shorten development time and increase flexibility. It also makes it easier for you to understand other object oriented programming languages like Python, JavaScript, Java, and PHP.
• Front End and Backend Knowledge. C# isn’t exclusively a front end or backend programming language, and it can easily be used for both server and client-side development. If you have any personal project ideas that involve building a website, using C# to build a website can help you learn both C# and full stack application development.
• Microsoft SQL Server. During some of your C# projects, you will use the Microsoft SQL Server, a vital part of the company’s technological architecture. Microsoft SQL Server is a relational database that is ideal for data storage and retrieval across the software. It plays a crucial role in enterprise application processing.
• Coding. Apart from improving your OOP skills, practicing your C# projects will also help you improve your overall coding skills. This gives you more options as an advanced developer because it makes learning other programming languages in the C family, and beyond, easier.

Best C# Projects for All Skill Levels

Some C# projects are simple enough that even complete beginners can complete them, while other C# project ideas require more experience. Our list of cool coding projects to help you master C# includes options for beginner, intermediate, and advanced programmers.

Best C# Project Ideas for Beginners 

If you are new to coding, have limited experience in C#, and want to learn how to make a web application, you should first start with a beginner coding project. C# projects for beginners can typically be completed within a few hours or days. Some of them can even be completed with just a few lines of code and other development tools. The top five C# project ideas for beginners are listed below.

Create a Movie Database Library

• C# Skills Practiced: Coding, .Net Framework, Microsoft SQL Server

If you know how to use C# and Visual Studio, you can create a movie library that works in any basic search engine in under 30 minutes. This data-driven application will contain a collection of movies organized by genre and length in a list of search results. You can build more complexity into the program as you gain more skills, so you can grow this simple C# program as you learn.

Visual studios can be used to easily create the front end of the application, while Microsoft SQL Server can handle the backend as the database. You can also add a star rating system and menu bar that allows you to rate the movies listed on the database. 

Create an Online Voting System 

• C# Skills Practiced: Coding, .Net Framework, Microsoft SQL Server

Building an online poll is one of the most basic things you can design with ASP.Net C# on Microsoft Visual Studio 2010. It can be a single-poll page or a page that can be adjusted as needed. Users should be able to vote and see how the votes are trending. You could also include a modify button that allows users to change their votes.

Note-taking Application 

• C# Skills Practiced: Coding

Creating a note-taking application is an easy C# project that is functional and useful. A simple note-taking application project can build your analytical thinking skills and train you to find a solution when errors occur. Apart from C#, you also need to learn how to write and edit XML files. This application does not require any prior knowledge of graphical user interfaces.

Social Media Bot 

• C# Skills Practiced: Coding, .Net Framework, Microsoft SQL Server

Have you ever wondered how social media bots on Twitter, Facebook, and other platforms work? You can learn the inner workings of a simple bot and create one for yourself with C#. To create a Twitter bot, you must first connect to the Twitter API. The same is true for other social media platforms. You can program the bot to respond to specific keywords.

Logistics Tracking App 

• C# Skills Practiced: Coding, .Net Framework, Microsoft SQL Server

You can create a simple logistic tracking app that can be used by companies that ship goods to customers all over the world. With just a few functions, like a search box where users can enter a product’s tracking number and a feature to email notifications to the recipient whenever the tracking information for the product changes, this application is a good C# project for beginners.

Best Intermediate C# Project Ideas

Once you feel comfortable with the C# projects for beginners, you’re ready to take things a step further and keep building your skill level by completing intermediate C# projects. These projects for mid-level programming in C# require more lines of code and more complex interactions between different modules.

Healthcare Management  System 

• C# Skills Practiced: Coding, .Net Framework, Microsoft SQL Server

A basic hospital or healthcare management system can be designed with C#, .Net, and a fundamental understanding of SQL database management. This Windows application should have features needed to run the hospital’s administrative services smoothly, including a login page for workers in the hospital and a library of patient profiles. This may seem like a complicated goal, but it’s a project that uses intermediate C# skills.

Digital Signature App 

• C# Skills Practiced: .Net, Microsoft SQL Server 

As more business is conducted online, digital signatures are used to finalize all kinds of online contracts. The most practical method of remotely signing online contracts is to use a simple digital signature app. This open-source C# project requires intermediate C# programming skills, Visual Basic for the front end, and MS Access for the backend.

Shopping Cart App 

• C# Skills Practiced: Coding, .Net Framework, Microsoft SQL Server

Ecommerce and shopping cart apps are popular projects for app developers. If you don’t want to create an entire ecommerce app, you can start by creating a shopping cart for a website that provides paid products or services. The user interface must be functional, and the cart must be simple to use. You will also need to add a checkout page with payment options and a submit button.

Personal Information Organizer 

• C# Skills Practiced: Coding, .Net Framework, Microsoft SQL Server

This intermediate C# project idea combines a calendar app with an extensive to-do list. You should be able to use it to organize your daily activities, set reminders, and record other information that will assist you in completing your tasks. You should also be able to save any personal information you frequently use for easy access.

Payroll Management System

• C# Skills Practiced: Coding, .Net Framework, Microsoft SQL Server

This project might be a little more challenging than the others on this list, but you can make it as simple as you want to make it an appropriate C# project for an intermediate programmer. The final product will be an enterprise-scale payroll management system designed for a smaller workforce. The software should include a list of employees, options to add or remove employees from the payroll, and admin login details. 

Advanced C# Project Ideas

The final set of fun C# projects is designed for developers who have several months or more of experience with C# and related technologies. These C# projects are more complex and take longer to complete than beginner or intermediate projects. From functional management software to a racing game, you’ll find a wide range of advanced C# programming projects listed below. 

Car Racing Game 

• C# Skills Practiced: Object Oriented Programming, Coding, .Net Framework, Microsoft SQL Server

One of the best games you can create with C# is a car-driving game. However, you will need more than C#, a Microsoft server, and the Net framework for this project. You will also need a game engine to help speed up the game development process. Some of the best game engines for C# games are Unity, Stride, Godot, Wave, and CryEngine. 

Student Management Software 

• C# Skills Practiced: Object Oriented Programming, Coding, .Net Framework, Microsoft SQL Server

You will need advanced knowledge of C# and MySQL to build this application that allows schools to keep track of student records. Each student will have their own page that can be edited or deleted as needed. You’ll also learn how to build an option for interval evaluation so that each student’s performance is easily accessible.

Employee Management Software 

• C# Skills Practiced: Object Oriented Programming, Coding, .Net Framework, Microsoft SQL Server 

The goal of this software is to assist employers in efficiently managing their employees’ work schedules, personal information, and other critical employee information. Data security is a priority for an app like this with sensitive information, and through this advanced C# programming project, you’ll learn how to securely store and access important information. 

Ad Tracking System 

• C# Skills Practiced: Object Oriented Programming, Coding, .Net Framework, Microsoft SQL Server 

An advertisement tracking system, also known as an advertisement analytic system, is software that digital marketers use to track and manage ad campaigns. You can complete this professional project by combining Visual Studio, ASP, C#, and MySQL. Key features are an admin portal for accessing detailed reports and an option to download reports in pdf format. 

Hotel Management Software  

• C# Skills Practiced: Object Oriented Programming, Coding, .Net Framework, Microsoft SQL Server 

Like other parts of the hospitality industry, large volumes of data flow through hotels daily. You can create hotel management software to manage information in a robust database that handles bookings, reservations, available dates, pricing, and payments. The framework for this project is fairly simple, so advanced programmers have the freedom to brainstorm and build more complex modules.

Sample C# Projects With Source Code

From beginners to advanced developers, sample C# projects are useful to see examples of strong code. These ready-made templates contain source code that you can use as the foundation of your projects. While there aren’t currently many active C# templates, there are .Net Framework templates that can be used for C# projects.

• .NET Framework React Desktop Apps. This framework is ideal for developing desktop apps with C#. It is compatible with Winforms, ASP.NET, and OSX Cocoa. Just download the source code, install it, and manipulate it to fit your project. While the primary programing language for this template is C#, you can use JavaScript, HTML, TypeScript, CSS, and EJS. 
• .NET Framework Website with ServiceStack.Razor. This razor-netfx framework template is most commonly used with C#, HTML, and TypeScript. This C# project is on GitHub, but you can learn more about it on the official razor-netfx website. 
• .NET Framework self-hosting HttpListener Console App. Are you thinking of using C# to design a self-hosting console app? This template might be the right fit. While other templates on this list are compatible with several programming languages, this one is designed for C#.  

How to Build the Perfect C# Porject Portfolio

A software developer’s portfolio is an extension of their resume. It proves to prospective clients or employers that you have the programming skills to get the job done. You’ll want to organize your portfolio professionally and keep it accessible. You can create a website for your portfolio, or you can host your sample projects on GitHub. The tips below will help you create a professional portfolio of C# projects. 

Organize By Complexity 

Make it a habit to showcase your most complex projects over simpler ones. Clients and prospective employers want to see what you are capable of, and they may not want to keep scrolling if they see the simple stuff first. Good C# projects to prioritize in your portfolio show off several different technical skills and have a professional polish.

Include Testimonials

It’s not enough to make a list of all the coding and data science projects you’ve completed over the years. You also need to demonstrate that previous clients have been pleased with your work. This might include client testimonials, links to your official social media pages, and anything else that makes the portfolio realistic and personalized.

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Include Relevant Projects

You will want to research the job you are applying for to identify the most relevant skills for that position. Then, make sure you include C# projects in your portfolio that display your mastery of these skills. This will show you are prepared for the job and can help you stand out from the crowd. 

Why Are C# Projects So Important?

Coding is a challenging skill to master, and C# projects serve two major goals for aspiring C# developers. First, C# practice projects are the best way to move from theoretical knowledge to functional knowledge, and, second, programmers need a portfolio of projects to show prospective employers that they can build strong software.

You can work on C# projects at any learning level, from beginner to advanced. In fact, it’s a good idea to start trying C# projects early in the learning process. Coding is a practical skill that is best learned through practice. Find a C# project idea at your skill level that interests you, and get coding!

C# Projects FAQ