Guides selection between UGUI and UI Toolkit for projects. Use when choosing UI framework or migrating UI systems.
Helps you choose the appropriate UI system for your Unity project and provides implementation guidance for both UGUI and UI Toolkit.
UGUI (Legacy) - GameObject-based (2014). Mature, works on all Unity versions, large community. Weaker: Complex UI performance, limited styling, no live reload.
UI Toolkit (Modern) - Retained mode, web-inspired UXML/USS (2021.2+). Better performance, live reload, data-binding. Weaker: Requires 2021.2+, smaller community, limited 3D world-space UI.
Use UGUI if:
Use UI Toolkit if:
When in doubt: For new projects on Unity 2021.2+, UI Toolkit is recommended.
| Feature | UGUI | UI Toolkit |
|---|---|---|
| Version | 4.6+ | 2021.2+ |
| Performance | Simple UIs | All UIs |
| Styling | Inspector | CSS-like USS |
| Layout | Manual/Groups | Flexbox-like |
| Editor Tools | Good | Excellent |
| Runtime UI | Excellent | Good |
| 3D World UI | Excellent | Limited |
See migration-guide.md for UGUI → UI Toolkit migration strategy (3-4 months for medium projects).
| Unity Version | UGUI | UI Toolkit (Editor) | UI Toolkit (Runtime) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019.4 LTS | ✅ Full | ✅ Basic | ❌ No |
| 2020.3 LTS | ✅ Full | ✅ Good | ⚠️ Experimental |
| 2021.3 LTS | ✅ Full | ✅ Excellent | ✅ Production |
| 2022.3 LTS+ | ✅ Full | ✅ Primary | ✅ Full |
Use this Skill when: Choosing between UGUI and UI Toolkit, understanding UI system trade-offs, or planning UI migration
Use @unity-scripter agent when: Implementing UI components, writing custom UI scripts, or converting UI code
Use @unity-architect agent when: Designing complex UI architecture, planning UI data flow, or structuring large-scale UI systems
Use /unity:new-script command when: Generating Editor scripts with UI Toolkit or UGUI templates
