Understanding .NET Core and .NET Framework: A Side-by-Side Comparison

Imagine being in a situation where you have to choose between a classic vintage car or a modern electric one. Both are amazing yet built for different roads and distinct times. Which one are you picking?

Choosing between .NET Core and .NET Framework is the same. Both platforms are powerful in their own ways. Yet, they’re built for different purposes. Which one should you select? The vintage or the modern? It comes down to several factors.

In this blog, we’ll walk you through these factors. We’ll explain the differences between .NET Core vs .NET Framework. Understanding their key differences can save you great time and effort. You’ll be able to make the right choice. Let’s dive in!

What is .NET Core?

.Net Core is a modern and open-source cross-platform app development framework. It can help developers build several kinds of applications. This includes web apps and APIs. It works on:

• Windows
• MacOS
• Linux
• Android OS
• iOS

Microsoft developed it and keeps updating it. This framework supports several languages, including C# and F#. Since Microsoft keeps updating it, .NET core gets better every year. After the release of its latest version, it is called .NET 5.

What are the Key features of .NET Core?

.NET core is a flexible framework that helps developers with app development. Due to its open-source nature, .NET core has a diverse community and constantly improves. Let’s take a look at the key features:

• .NET core boasts a Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation. It delivers high performance and helps optimize code execution. Thanks to this, the apps are more responsive, too.
• It is lightweight because it’s built on a modular architecture. The NuGet packages help you include only what you need. This majorly improves deployment flexibility.
• Diversity is a plus point. With .NET Core, you can build IoT, gaming, and AI applications.
• It’s an ideal option for microservices architecture. This helps develop scalable and resilient applications.
• It allows gradual migration from .NET Framework to .NET Core/.NET 5+. However, it has to be done carefully.

Due to these features, many developers prefer using the .Net core framework. Around 34.2% of all websites and web apps run on the .NET 5+ framework.

What is .NET Framework?

.Net Framework was developed by Microsoft as a Windows-only app development platform. It provides a comprehensive platform for building and running applications. This includes desktop and web applications, as well as enterprise software. Yet it’s:

• Windows-Only
• Platform restricted
• Not Modular

.Net framework is an outdated app development framework. It is heavier and slower than most modern frameworks. Yet, it supports multiple languages. Hence, it’s a great option for legacy applications.

What are the Key features of .NET Framework?

Microsoft designed the .NET Framework to work only on Windows. This allows it to work seamlessly with Windows services and security models. Despite being outdated, it remains in use today. Let’s see its other features:

• Supports Object Oriented Programming principles. This makes development more structured and maintainable.
• Enables rich, modern UI development with XAML. It also utilizes WinForms to develop GUI-based applications.
• Provides tools to connect and manipulate data from databases. These include SQL Server, Oracle, and MySQL.
• It allows Interoperability with COM components and legacy applications. This helps it support backward compatibility for older Windows applications.
• Offers a rich collection of pre-built libraries. They enable file handling, networking, and more. It also reduces the need to write code from scratch.

Despite these features, most developers are encouraged to migrate to .NET Core/.NET 5+. Yet, due to potential risks, most still use the .NET framework. 16.4% of developers continue to use the traditional .NET Framework for legacy applications.

How are .NET Core and .NET Framework Connected?

You may not be a history fanatic, but it’s crucial to know that .NET Core was born out of .NET framework’s limitations. This will help you better understand the differences between both. Let’s see how this happened:

It all started with the .NET Framework

Microsoft launched it in 2002. It was developed to help build and run apps on Windows. Their aim was to address the challenges in development and deployment. But how?

Microsoft released one framework that allowed developers to use more than 60 programming languages. It was also the first .NET framework that allowed interoperability with other non-.NET apps and the OS.

However, despite all its amazing features, the .NET framework was only working on Windows. This didn’t give developers as much flexibility. So, Microsoft went on to improve and update its .NET framework.

How .NET Core Emerged

The need for a cross-platform app development framework introduced the .NET Core. It was released in 2016. .NET Core was a new version capable of running on multiple platforms. It didn’t have any constraints for backward compatibility either.

Due to its modular architecture, it is a lighter version. This helps streamline deployment and portability. .NET Core quickly gained popularity due to its cross-platform nature and light nature.

After a general idea of how they emerged and evolved will help you understand their differences. It will help you choose what’s better for your project with a deeper understanding.

.NET Core and .NET Framework: Comparison

When choosing between both, you need to consider many aspects. This will depend on the specific project you’ll work on. Let’s look at the breakdown of their comparison to help you select better:

.NET Core vs .NET Framework: Compatibility

Of course, the first and foremost difference between both is platform compatibility. .NET Core is a cross-platform app development framework. This means it runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS. This compatibility, paired with .NET Core’s flexibility and light nature, gives .NET Core several plus points. It also makes .NET Core more suitable for modern development,

The .NET Framework is strictly Windows-based. This means that it’s fully compatible with older Windows apps. Most features in this framework are also better suited for older Windows applications. The .NET Framework remains a prime choice for maintaining legacy applications, even though Microsoft no longer updates it.

.NET Core vs .NET Framework: Applications Types

The type of application you’re building will also determine whether .NET Core or .NET Framework is the better choice. .NET Core is optimized for modern web applications, cloud services, and microservices. Naturally making it the preferred choice for ASP.NET Core applications.

On the other hand, the .NET Framework suits Windows-based desktop applications better. It fully supports WinForms and WPF, simplifying the development process. .NET Framework does not have built-in support for mobile development. However, .NET Core does. Both frameworks come in handy when developing gaming apps. They support Unity.

.NET Core vs .NET Framework: Deployment Model

.NET Core provides a flexible deployment. It supports self-contained deployment. It means that developer can package applications with their runtime. They can then run them on a target machine without requiring installation. Deploying and updating applications with .NET Core is fun, simple, and quick.

In contrast, the .NET Framework requires a system-wide installation on the target machine. This can even lead to compatibility issues. It happens when different applications depend on various framework versions. It takes time and effort to deploy applications with the .NET Framework. Developers also need to be extra careful.

.NET Core vs .NET Framework: Library collection

.NET Core comes with a rich set of libraries. These open-source libraries majorly reduce a developer’s workload. It also allows them to create and manage their applications better and quicker. .NET Core also supports the .NET Standard. It enables code sharing across different .NET implementations.

The .Net framework consists of the Common Language Runtime (CLR) and the Framework Class Library (FCL). They provide reusable code for various tasks. The CLR is the runtime environment that manages the execution of .NET applications. It provides services like memory management and exception handling.

.NET Core vs .NET Framework: Installation

You can install .NET Core on any operating system. Then, you can add development modules as per your platform needs. Since it is cross-platform, developers can install only the components they need. Installing .NET Core is lightweight and flexible. Applications can run with their dependencies. They don’t interfere with system-wide installations.

The difference in the .NET framework is that it is installed as a Windows component. This makes it demand administrative privileges. These privileges affect all applications on the system. This can be restrictive in certain enterprise environments. Here, developers might require isolated application environments.

.NET Core vs .NET Framework: Performance

As a more modern and lightweight version, .NET Core excels in performance. Microsoft prioritizes performance and scalability with .NET Core. It’s the ideal option for web applications and cloud services. This is all thanks to its improved request handling and reduced memory usage. The Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation makes it a go-to choice for high-traffic apps.

The .NET Framework is heavy and slow. It falls behind in performance. The .NET Framework isn’t very flexible or fast. Managed code execution and garbage collection are excellent features. However, they often compromise performance and speed. However, the .NET framework also has a Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation. This means the performance can be optimized.

.NET Core vs .NET Framework: Microservices support

.NET Core supports both microservices and rest services. Developers can easily implement microservices in their applications by creating a REST API. Personalizing these microservices is also simple. You can do so with different technologies and programming languages. So, if you’re aiming for a cloud-first application, .NET Core is an excellent choice.

In .NET Core vs .NET Framework, Microservices play a smaller role in .NET Framework. This Windows-only framework doesn’t support the development or deployment of microservices. However, it completely supports REST API services. This is because the .NET framework is meant explicitly for monolithic applications.

Which one should you pick?

Choosing between .NET Core and .NET Framework is complicated. Both will get you where you need to go. Yet, their purposes vary. One is built for speed and flexibility. It is built for the future! The other is designed for stability and legacy application support.

Your choice will ultimately come down to your expertise and project requirements. If you’re still confused about which to choose, read below. This will help you make an informed decision:

Choose .NET Core when you:

• Need cross-platform support for your app development.
• You’re building modern web applications with the ASP.NET Core.
• Require high performance and scalability.
• You want to develop containerized applications with Docker & Kubernetes.
• Your application is cloud-based and supports microservices.
• Starting a new project and want long-term support with the latest .NET versions.

Choose .NET Framework when you:

• Are maintaining an existing legacy application already built on .NET Framework.
• Your project relies on Windows-specific APIs. This could involve WinForms, WPF, and ASP.NET Web Forms.
• Your application integrates with Windows-only services.
• working with older technologies without direct support or replacement in .NET Core.
• need full support for WCF. It’s not fully supported in .NET Core.
• You have some strict Windows-based infrastructure requirements.

Generally, .NET is the preferred choice when building new applications. .NET framework can be an excellent choice for older applications. However, due to the .NET framework’s outdated nature, it’s recommended that you migrate to .NET Core. Future-proofing is vital.

Is Migration a good choice for you?

Migrating to the modern .NET Core expands the possibilities and features of your existing legacy applications. It also has a lot to do with your future goals. Even Microsoft is investing heavily in .NET Core. While the .NET Framework stopped receiving major updates beyond version 4.8.

Migration is a heavy and huge process. It sounds great but comes with certain risks. So, the choice to migrate shouldn’t be taken lightly.

You Should migrate if:

1. You want to improve the performance. .NET Core is significantly faster than .NET Framework.
2. Your app needs scalability, and you’re moving to the cloud. If you’re using microservices, .NET Core is ideal.
3. You want modern development features in your legacy applications. The .NET Core has better containerization and support for modern libraries.
4. Security and long-term support matters are your priority. You’ll also get better open-source community support.

You Should not migrate if:

1. Your application relies heavily on Windows-only technologies. If it’s utilizing WinForms, WPF, or WCF, you shouldn’t migrate. They have limited to no support in .NET Core.
2. You have strict dependencies on third-party libraries. If your app is using older libraries that don’t yet support .NET Core, migration could break functionality. It might damage your application instead.
3. Your business has a strict Windows-based infrastructure. If your company is deeply tied to Windows Server environments, staying on .NET Framework might be beneficial.
4. Migrating can require code rewrites, which may be expensive and time-consuming. Additionally, it could take up to two years to migrate.

If you’re working on a legacy application, analyze the dependencies before migrating. It’s a time-consuming process and doesn’t always guarantee success. You need to weigh your options before making a decision.

Case study: Successful migration

Ignition Group

This was a South African technology business focusing on:

• Better client engagement
• Building sales-support tools
• Adding value-added services for the businesses it served.

Now, their order processing software was originally built using the .NET Framework. They also used the Windows Workflow Foundation. Despite a small risk chance, their engineering team still chose to migrate to .NET core.

Hence, the engineering team successfully migrated to .NET Core. The migration also helped them speed up the microservice development and deploy them to Azure Kubernetes Service.

Approved Admissions

This was a cloud-based eligibility verification platform focusing on:

• improving the platform performance and reducing the per-transaction cost.
• enhance the horizontal scalability.
• enable better internal security of their legacy software.

To improve performance and address declining support, they chose to migrate to .NET Core. Most of their legacy application’s code was custom. So, it drastically affected the migration process. How?

It simplified the whole process and made it shorter! This transition helped them enhance their application’s speed. It also gave it access to modern development features.

Wrapping up

The .net core vs .net framework debate is here to stay. There are a lot of aspects affecting their usage. Yet, both are progressive and impacting in their own fields. Utilizing them in the right place will help you get the most out of them. Your project greatly affects your choice. Be mindful and choose the right one.

At Linkitsoft, we’re always keeping up with the latest development trends and updates. We ensure that we provide the best for our clients. With us, you can reduce the risks associated with application migration.

Our expertise in the software tech industry allows us to develop strong applications. We use the top frameworks, including .NET, to deliver highly optimized apps. Connect with us today. Let’s create a plan for your app. We’ll help you decide what you need for your project and partner with you for more!

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