1. What They Are
| Platform | Description |
|---|---|
| .NET Framework | The original .NET platform released by Microsoft in 2002. It runs only on Windows and is used for building desktop (WPF, WinForms) and web (ASP.NET) apps. |
| .NET Core | A modern, cross-platform, open-source reimplementation of .NET, introduced in 2016. Runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS, designed for cloud and container environments. |
2. Platform Support
| Feature | .NET Framework | .NET Core |
|---|---|---|
| OS Support | Windows only | Cross-platform (Windows, Linux, macOS) |
| Deployment | Installed system-wide (via Windows Update) | Can be installed per app (self-contained) |
| Container Support | Limited | Fully supported (Docker/Kubernetes friendly) |
| Mobile / IoT / Cloud | Not supported directly | Supported via .NET (Core → 5/6/7/8) ecosystem |
Summary: .NET Core is built for modern, cloud-native and cross-platform development.
3. Runtime & Architecture
| Area | .NET Framework | .NET Core |
|---|---|---|
| Runtime | Common Language Runtime (CLR) | CoreCLR (lightweight, modular) |
| Base Class Library (BCL) | Windows-specific APIs | Modular libraries (System.* NuGet packages) |
| Compilation | JIT (Just-In-Time) only | JIT + AOT (Ahead-of-Time) with ReadyToRun support |
| Performance | Heavier, slower startup | Optimized for speed and scalability |
| App Isolation | Shares runtime | Each app can have its own runtime version |
Summary: .NET Core uses a modular, faster, and isolated runtime.
4. Application Models Supported
| Application Type | .NET Framework | .NET Core |
|---|---|---|
| ASP.NET Web Forms | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| ASP.NET MVC / Web API | ✅ Yes | ✅ Rebuilt as ASP.NET Core |
| WPF / Windows Forms | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes (Windows-only starting .NET Core 3.0+) |
| Console Apps | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Windows Services | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes (.NET 6+) |
| Cross-platform (Linux/Mac) | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Blazor / MAUI / Minimal APIs | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
Summary: .NET Core adds support for new app models and modern architectures like microservices and serverless.
5. Package & Dependency Management
| Feature | .NET Framework | .NET Core |
|---|---|---|
| Package Manager | GAC (Global Assembly Cache) + NuGet | NuGet only |
| Deployment | Shared assemblies (can cause version conflicts) | Self-contained or framework-dependent |
| Versioning | Machine-wide | App-local, side-by-side |
Summary: .NET Core eliminates the old “DLL Hell” problem — each app can carry its own dependencies.
6. CLI Tools & Development Experience
| Feature | .NET Framework | .NET Core |
|---|---|---|
| Command-line Tools | Limited | dotnet CLI powerful toolchain |
| Build System | MSBuild only | MSBuild + cross-platform CLI |
| Project Format | .csproj (verbose XML) | Simplified .csproj (SDK-style) |
| IDE Support | Visual Studio (Windows only) | VS, VS Code, Rider (cross-platform) |
Summary: .NET Core offers a modern, developer-friendly toolchain with CLI-first design.
7. Open Source & Community
Summary: .NET Core is open, transparent, and community-driven.
8. Performance
| Area | .NET Framework | .NET Core |
|---|---|---|
| Startup | Slower | Faster |
| Throughput | Moderate | Optimized |
| Memory Footprint | Higher | Lower |
| Async & Parallelism | Legacy support | Native async-friendly design |
| Container Startup | Poor | Excellent |
Summary: .NET Core’s runtime and libraries are optimized for microservices and high-performance workloads.
9. Future & Support Lifecycle
| Feature | .NET Framework | .NET Core / .NET 5+ |
|---|---|---|
| Active Development | Maintenance mode only | Ongoing (current: .NET 8, .NET 9 soon) |
| New Features | ❌ No new features | ✅ Continuous updates |
| End of Life | 4.8 is the last major version | Unified platform (Core → 5 → 6 → 7 → 8...) |
Summary:
➡️ .NET Framework = Legacy (maintenance only)
➡️ .NET Core / .NET 5+ = Future of .NET
10. Real-world Example
| Scenario | Use .NET Framework | Use .NET Core / .NET 6+ |
|---|---|---|
| Maintaining an old enterprise ASP.NET Web Forms app | ✅ | ❌ |
| Building a new cross-platform Web API | ❌ | ✅ |
| Deploying to Linux or Docker | ❌ | ✅ |
| Creating a modern microservices architecture | ❌ | ✅ |
| Integrating with legacy Windows-only components | ✅ | ❌ (or limited) |
Summary Table
| Feature | .NET Framework | .NET Core / .NET 6+ |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Windows only | Cross-platform |
| Open Source | Limited | Fully open source |
| Performance | Moderate | High performance |
| Deployment | System-wide | Self-contained |
| Future | Legacy | Active development |
| App Models | Limited | Modern (Blazor, MAUI, etc.) |
Final Takeaway
-
.NET Framework → Best for existing legacy apps that run on Windows only.
-
.NET Core / .NET 6+ → The future of .NET: cross-platform, open-source, high-performance, and cloud-ready.
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