17 Oct 2023
Beginner
.NET Framework and .NET Core are two different software frameworks developed by Microsoft for building and running Windows applications. .NET Core has evolved into .NET 5 and later .NET 6, which is the successor to .NET Core. Here's a comparison in table format:
| Feature | .NET Framework | .NET Core/.NET 5/.NET 6 |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Windows only | Cross-platform (Windows, macOS, Linux) |
| Open Source | Yes | Yes |
| Application Types | Desktop, Web, Mobile | Desktop, Web, Mobile, Cloud |
| Microservices Support | Limited | Yes |
| Containerization | Limited | Excellent support |
| Framework Size | Large (~200MB) | Smaller (~40-50MB) |
| Performance | Good | Improved and faster |
| Cross-Platform | No | Yes |
| .NET Standard | Not applicable | Compatible |
| Support for Modern APIs | Limited | Extensive support |
| .NET Standard Library | Proprietary | Modular and open-source |
| SDK and CLI | Windows-based | Cross-platform CLI and SDK |
| Side-by-Side Install | No | Yes |
| Compatibility | Limited cross-platform compatibility | Improved cross-platform compatibility |
| Deployment | ClickOnce, MSI | Self-contained deployment, Docker |
| Versioning | Monolithic | Modular and versioned |
| Long-term Support | Yes, with Windows | Yes |
| NuGet Package Format | Packages.config | .csproj (MSBuild) format |
| Cloud Support | Limited | Extensive support (Azure, AWS, etc.) |
| Web Framework | ASP.NET Web Forms, ASP.NET MVC | ASP.NET Core |
