.NET Core vs .NET Framework: Advantages and Key Differences

Updated 20 May 2024
Published 17 Nov 2023
Nancy Bhargava 2830 Views
.net core vs .net

Selecting the right one from the .NET framework and .NET Core sometimes becomes challenging. Both of them are the best in the field and receive many good reviews from the experts. The .NET core was launched recently, whereas the .NET framework is established in the industry.

If you are still trying to decide which one will be the best for you, then you can read through the article to learn about their features and differences. It will be helpful for you to decide which one to choose among them.

Essential Elements of .NET Architecture:

1. Visual Studio:

It is primarily used for creating web services, interactive websites, standalone applications, and web applications. .NET is said to provide a modular and fast program for making a lot of applications that can work well with macOS, Windows, and Linux.

With the help of Visual Studio code, you can pair the extensions, i.e., F# and C#, to have an outstanding editing experience.

2. Common Language Runtime or CLR:

It is a type of virtual machine that is created to run the respective framework and also manage the .NET program execution.

.NET provides a run-time environment, also known as CLR, that can run the respective code and also provide dedicated services to make the procedure easy for everyone.

3. Framework Class Library or FCL:

It is a type of standard library best known for collecting value types, reusable classes, and interfaces. It is a comprehensive collection of reusable types, including data types, classes, and interfaces, inclusive of the .NET framework for providing access to various functionalities.

4. Common Language Specification or CLS:

It is best known for defining how the object is implemented to work everywhere. CLS is also considered a subset of CTS, or Common Type System.

The above-listed elements are important to know if you want to know about the .NET ecosystem in detail. You can check their functionalities to take maximum advantage of .NET development tools.

Let’s start Knowing about Individual Platforms, .NET Core and .NET framework

1. Understanding .NET Core

Created by Microsoft, the .NET Core is a modular and open-source platform. It is built for creating high-performance and modern web applications. The framework includes a development environment and library sets that can support many languages, like F#, C#, and Visual Basic.

It is used in developing frameworks for general-purpose software. .NET Core allows developers to create many types of software, like the Internet of Things, Gaming, Cloud, Mobile, Desktop, Web, etc. MacOS, Windows, and Linux also support the .NET Core.

The main benefit of using .NET Core is that the developer can use the individual components required for their application. This feature of being modular will make it faster and more lightweight.

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Features and Advantages of .NET Core

  •  Modernized

In contrast to many earlier frameworks still in use today, Core was created to satisfy the demands of the contemporary world.

Modern language concepts, including object-oriented and modular programming, generics, collections, lambdas, Language Integrated Query (LINQ), and asynchronous programming, are made possible by .NET with the aid of C# version 8.

This increases the productivity of .net developers. To find out more about the features of C# 8, see the C# 8 Features link.

The two most advanced and modern integrated development environments (IDEs) available today are Visual Studio 2019 and Visual Studio Code.

These two integrated development environments (IDEs) prioritize efficiency, speed, and neatness to meet modern demands. For additional details on the new features in Visual Studio 2019, go to this link: Visual Studio 2019 New Features.

  • Incredibly fast

The speed of.NET Core 3.0 is high. The more recent version, .NET Core 3.0, is noticeably faster than the.NET Framework, .NET Core 2.2, and previous iterations of.NET Core.

.NET Core is considerably more efficient than competing server-side frameworks like Java Servlet and Node.js.

  • Highly Efficient

The framework of .NET Core is flexible. You can install your application on a server user-by-user, machine-wide, or on both, and it can also include .NET Core. Furthermore, Docker may install ASP .NET Core framework in a containerized environment.

Understanding ASP.NET Core’s importance for web app development is essential for creating efficient, high-performing, secure online solutions tailored to modern user demands.

  • Microservices:

It is a type of service-oriented architecture and is used by many software applications. The application is comprised of modular and tiny business services.

Every service has a unique procedure and is deployed independently. The .NET Core is scalable and lightweight for every microservice.

  •  Docker Container:

Microservices and Dockers usually work together. Both are modular and lightweight. .NET Core works well with the Docket containers. Even if the image size is larger, the .NET framework can work well with the container.

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2. Understanding .NET Framework

.NET is one of the developer platforms, comprising libraries, tools, and programming languages for creating varied types of applications. Also, the user can find many implementations for .NET.

Asp.Net development services cater to diverse industries, ensuring tailored and innovative solutions for unique business needs

Every implementation will promote the .NET code execution at different places, i.e., Android, Windows, MacOS, Linux, etc. The .NET framework supports running desktop applications, websites, windows services, etc.

The .NET applications are created in Visual Basic, C#, and F# languages. Its code is compiled in CIL or a common intermediate language.

The compiled code is then kept in assembly files with .exe and .dll file extensions. When the created applications work, the CLR opts for an assembly and employs a JIT, or just-in-time, compiler to switch the machine code and execute the particular system architecture they are running.

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Features and Advantages of the .NET Framework

  • Scalability and Reliability

.NET framework is widely used for web app development and is a powerful and dependable platform for application development.

Small, large and medium businesses have been actively using the ASP.NET application development framework as their preferred platform for technological advancement.

To trigger business growth initiatives, many companies have also chosen to use the .NET development framework.

Since ASP.NET web development provides a strong foundation for quickly and efficiently improving commercial applications with the aid of Visual Studio, it naturally adapts to the constantly innovating software development requirements.

The user can create reusable and dependable programs by using .NET. This means that when your organization develops, your application can adapt and expand with it.

A specialized group of .NET developers with Microsoft certifications collaborates to deliver more reliable results and guarantee meeting expectations.

  • Flexible Deployment

The degree of freedom offered by the .NET framework is its undeniable benefit. Flexible deployment is an essential feature of .NET Core. You can either deploy it alone or include it in your applications.

All relevant conditions are taken into account by the modular architecture. Custom .NET Development Solutions can help developers deploy their custom code when creating web applications. To create custom solutions, you need to hire .NET Developers who are skilled in working with .NET.

  • Security

Using stated permissions and other enforcement mechanisms to block barriers in your code is the key advantage of working with the .NET framework.

It would help if you balanced the degree of security and usefulness in all potential scenarios when using trusted code.

You get ownership of all rights related to the code when you design it. It is up to you to limit its usage and ensure that every .NET developer who uses it engages in regulated code sharing.

  • Availability of extensive libraries

The user does not need to write any codes to manage low-level programming operations, as many library types are readily available, and the users can access them anytime.

It is a great benefit that can be explored with .NET, as many platforms need hundreds of codes to deploy and test for creating applications.

The developers can take advantage of these libraries and learn about the .NET Core’s recent updates to add new functionalities to their applications.

  • Memory Management

The developers are held responsible for releasing and allocating memory to manage object lifelines. For .NET Framework applications, the CLR also allows the working of these services for these applications.

  • Open source

The developer is allowed to make their contribution to the .NET development procedure. .NET has a big community, and as GitHub can access the source code without any payment, lakhs of active developers use it to improve the functionality of their applications.

They can fix bugs and add new features. The open-source feature of .NET is helping many developers create the application they want and can seek support from their community when required.

The developers do not need to look further to other resources for their queries, as .NET’s extensive community can help them fix errors.

The above-listed benefits of ASP.NET will help you know about the framework in a better way.

Learn more:  How to Migrate from .NET Framework to .NET Core

Key Differences Between .NET Core and .NET Framework

Here is the table to showcase the key differences between .NET and .NET Core frameworks:

.NET Framework .NET Core
Open Source Some frameworks are open-source  It is open source
Application Model .NET Framework can be used to develop web and desktop applications. It also supports WPF applications and Windows forms. It never supports desktop web applications. But it provides full support for the web and the Windows mobile store.
Installation It is installed as a single package for the Windows OS. Being cross-platform, it is packaged and installed independently of the OS
Security A code-access security feature is provided Do not have such kind of features
Rest APIs Supports Rest APIs Supports Rest APIs
Microservices Does not support Microservices   Does it provide microservices?

Use Cases and Considerations

Here are some of the use cases and considerations for .NET Core and .NET Framework:

A. When to Choose .NET Framework:

  1. WPF applications and Windows forms are unsupported. Mono will still be required to construct a macOS-compatible.NET desktop application.
  2. No support for third-party libraries: .NET Core provides a compatibility layer to allow .NET Framework and .NET Core to function together. Even though this will help bridge many class libraries to.NET Core, compatibility issues may still occur if the class library in question uses any.NET Framework APIs that are incompatible with.NET Core.
  3. Features missing from the Framework: .NET Core still needs to have all of the functionality of the.NET Framework. For example, there are some differences between Entity Framework version 6 and Entity Framework Core. Upcoming performances can be seen with the missing features, but as of now, the .NET Core doesn’t have all the features of the .NET Framework.

B. When to choose .NET Core

  1. If you require a scalable and high-performance system: As per Microsoft, it is suggested to use .NET Core for creating scalable and high-performance applications. It is crucial if you are creating in-built microservices. In this case, using virtual machines and fewer servers can work best for you. The scalability and efficiency gained through this will be able to transform the user experience without paying any extra money.
  2. When running multiple .NET versions concurrently, you need to install applications with dependencies on different .NET Developer versions. Using .Net Core in such a scenario allows you to use various services on the same server with varied .NET versions.

The above parameters will clarify when you should use any of them. Keep these in mind while aiming to select the best fit for your project.

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Trends and Development  in the .NET Ecosystem

Here is the list of top trends related to the .NET ecosystem:

1. Advanced Security

As the digital world continues to grow, so too has the frequency of cyberattacks. Also, the .NET framework will provide an advanced security solution to all users. Along with security, they never compromise on offering the best user experience and performance.

Their recent versions include the latest security features that can guard your device from any threats and ensure that memory pages are not read. All of their versions come with advanced security features.

2. ML.NET 1.4

As more and more medium- and enterprise-level businesses automate their processes and handle enormous amounts of data, machine learning has become one of the most frequently debated topics globally.

The original purpose of Microsoft’s release of this open-source machine learning framework was to enable developers to build custom machine learning models.

With every new release, ML.NET’s performance capabilities get better and better. The fact that ML models contain languages like F# and C# precludes them from being transferred to other systems.

3. Xamarin Development

One of the most outstanding cross-platform technology stacks is Xamarin, which lets developers create a single code base and maintain native performance and feel across all platforms. Furthermore, programmers can share ninety percent of their programs on average across many platforms.

Compared to building multiple solutions for many operating systems, this approach is more economical and saves time.

4. Blazor Framework

C# is a computer language that is used to create .NET applications and allows users to interact with both client-side and server-side scripting languages.

After the latest development with Blazor, which is now combined with C#, you can now work on any web assembly by employing the capabilities of C# as your programming language.

Blazor allows you to create web applications and reuse web components if you are using HTML and CSS. Blazor is a tool for creating sophisticated, interactive user interfaces in C#.

JavaScript is needed to create interactive user interfaces using popular frameworks like React, Vue, and Angular. However, abandoning these frameworks in favor of Blazor can make it difficult for web developers to transition.

This is. The most beneficial trend in web development right now is this one, which will help developers acquire the best coding techniques and get past common roadblocks that crop up during the development process.

5. ASP.NET Core Docker Support

Google Trends recently displayed a range of queries suggesting that more people are looking for content related to ASP.NET Core than regular ASP.NET.

This proves the open-source software development community is ready to accept the new development philosophy.

You might be surprised to hear that Microsoft provides updates for .NET Core, which can be helpful when creating client-server architecture, REST APIs, and full-stack applications.

Microservices application deployment is possible with ASP.NET Core progressive web applications with Docker compatibility.

There is also this alternative. It enhances the scalability, security, and reliability of your system because you can configure components for each of your services.

The above list of .NET Core and Asp.NET trends will help you assess your project requirements and let you know the future of the .NET ecosystem.

Learn more: Pros and Cons of .NET Development 

Which is Best: .NET Core Or .NET Framework?

The project’s requirements will determine which framework you should use to complete your project. Knowing which platform is best for you is very important.

Here is a list of factors that you can consider to determine which version of the .NET Core and .NET framework will be useful for you.

A. Prefer .NET Core if:

  • For the project, cross-platform integration is necessary.
  • You will need to build microservices to finish the project.
  • The project focuses on using CLI (Command Line Interface) because .NET Core is well-suited.

B. Prefer .NET framework if:

  • Workflow, WCF, and webforms are among the functionality that the applications require .NET Core to have, but it does not.
  • The primary goal of creating an application is to run it on Windows.

In Conclusion

After reading this article, you will get a detailed understanding of the .NET framework and .NET Core. Both have their pros and cons, yet they are very intrinsically related.

In simple terms, you will find the .NET Core as the most recent version of the .NET framework, which is a general-purpose, open-source, and free programming platform.

It is an efficient cross-platform framework that works well with Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X.

Microsoft .NET Core framework is used for developing applications specialized for microservices, games, machine learning, cloud computing, mobile devices, and desktop PCs.

The .NET Core is created from scratch, making it fast, modular, lightweight, and cross-platform. On the other hand, the Microsoft Net framework is a type of software development platform that is widely used for running and building applications.

The .NET framework here is inclusive of libraries, developer tools, and programming languages that are used for creating web and desktop applications. It is also used to build websites, web services, and games.

The Dot Net Framework was designed to let developers construct programs operating on Microsoft’s Windows platform, and Dot Net Framework applications are multi-platform.

You can contact Arka Softwares, an experienced Microsoft .NET Development Company for your specialized project needs.

Nancy Bhargava

Nancy works as an IT consulting professional with Arka Softwares. She has an in-depth knowledge of trending tech and consumer affairs. She loves to put her observations and insights of the industry to reveal interesting stories prompting the latest domain practice and trends.

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