DayFrame: Ex-Microsoft developer builds new Outlook alternative

Ex-Microsoft developer Jeff Fritz is working on the desktop application DayFrame, which is designed as an alternative to Outlook. After his departure from Microsoft in mid-July 2026, he will continue to develop the modular project for Windows and MacOS.

New approach to emails and appointments

DayFrame is designed as a native .NET application based on .NET MAUI and Blazor Hybrid and is intended to centrally bundle everyday tasks. The core of the surface is an Windows Phone-like sidebar with Live Tiles. These not only serve to navigate between the modules, but also display current information directly on the tile. Users can customize colors, fonts and sizes of the elements. The architecture is intended to enable easy porting to different operating systems.

Flexibility through modular design

As Dr Windows writes, the focus is on maximum customizability. Users should be able to pin different providers for emails or chats with their own tiles. Unnecessary functions can be completely deactivated. Fritz also plans to provide equal support for commercial services and open source solutions. The focus is on expandability during ongoing operations. The optional integration of artificial intelligence is also planned. Users should be able to store their own API keys to connect language models.

At the same time, DayFrame remains usable as a traditional, local application without the need for a cloud. This is intended to protect the privacy of users who prefer to keep their data completely on the local system. The modular substructure is intended to ensure that new functions are developed independently of each other. The planned modules include:

Technical status and development

The current disadvantage is the very early stage of development of the project. DayFrame hasn’t even reached early alpha yet. There are currently no public versions for end users to download or test. However, Jeff Fritz uses his experience from years of working on .NET to make the base stable. If you want to follow progress, you can watch regular developer streams on YouTube or Twitch.