Skip to main content

Command Palette

Search for a command to run...

30 difference between dotnet vs dotnet core

Updated
•4 min read•View as Markdown
B
Senior Software Engineer | Backend, Cloud, Data, Machine Learning

Here are 30 key differences between .NET Core and .NET:

  1. .NET Framework is a Windows-only framework for building Windows desktop applications, server applications, and web applications, whereas .NET Core is a cross-platform framework that can be used to build applications on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

  2. .NET Framework has been around for over two decades, whereas .NET Core was introduced in 2016.

  3. .NET Framework is not open source, whereas .NET Core is open source and can be freely used, modified, and distributed.

  4. .NET Framework requires the Windows operating system, whereas .NET Core can be used on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

  5. .NET Framework uses the Windows-only Common Language Runtime (CLR), whereas .NET Core uses the cross-platform CoreCLR.

  6. .NET Framework is tightly integrated with the Windows operating system, whereas .NET Core is designed to be modular and easily installed without depending on the operating system.

  7. .NET Framework includes the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) and Windows Forms for building desktop applications, whereas .NET Core does not include these components.

  8. .NET Framework includes Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) for building distributed systems, whereas .NET Core has its own lightweight alternative, ASP.NET Core.

  9. .NET Framework supports more programming languages than .NET Core, including Visual Basic, F#, and C++, whereas .NET Core currently supports only C# and F#.

  10. .NET Framework has a larger ecosystem and a more extensive set of third-party libraries and tools than .NET Core, although this gap is shrinking over time.

  11. .NET Framework has a more complex and monolithic architecture than .NET Core, which is more modular and can be easily customized.

  12. .NET Framework applications require the .NET Framework runtime to be installed on the target machine, whereas .NET Core applications can be self-contained and do not require any runtime installation.

  13. .NET Framework uses the Windows registry to store configuration information, whereas .NET Core uses a simple JSON configuration file.

  14. .NET Framework includes the Windows Workflow Foundation (WF) for building workflow-enabled applications, whereas .NET Core does not include this component.

  15. .NET Framework includes the Entity Framework (EF) for working with databases, whereas .NET Core includes a lightweight, cross-platform version called EF Core.

  16. .NET Framework has a larger footprint and is more resource-intensive than .NET Core, which is optimized for performance and scalability.

  17. .NET Framework is not compatible with .NET Core, and applications built with one cannot be easily ported to the other.

  18. .NET Framework is a mature and stable framework with a long track record of success, whereas .NET Core is a newer framework that is still evolving.

  19. .NET Framework is mainly used for building Windows desktop applications and legacy web applications, whereas .NET Core is increasingly being used for modern, cross-platform web applications and microservices.

  20. .NET Framework is not actively developed and is in maintenance mode, whereas .NET Core is actively developed and is being merged with other .NET technologies to form the unified .NET 5 platform.

  21. .NET Framework has a larger set of system libraries than .NET Core, as it includes more legacy features.

  22. .NET Core has better performance than .NET Framework, as it has a smaller runtime and more optimized code.

  23. .NET Core is designed to be more modular and flexible than .NET Framework, which makes it easier to build and deploy applications in a more agile way.

  24. .NET Core includes built-in support for Docker containers, which makes it easy to deploy and run applications in a containerized environment.

  25. .NET Core includes built-in support for dependency injection, which makes it easier to write modular and testable code.

  26. .NET Core includes the .NET Standard Library, which defines a set of common APIs that can be used across all .NET platforms, including .NET Framework. This makes it easier to share code between different .NET applications and reduces the amount of platform-specific code that needs to be written.

  27. .NET Core has better support for cross-platform development and interoperability with other languages and frameworks.

  28. .NET Framework has a larger memory footprint than .NET Core, which can affect application performance on lower-end hardware.

  29. .NET Core has a more modern and streamlined development experience, with features like live code reloading and a built-in command-line interface.

  30. .NET Core has better support for modern web development, including serverless computing, cloud deployment, and microservices architecture.

More from this blog

yesicbap

437 posts