Difference between .NET Framework & .NET Core

 Microsoft released .NET Framework 1.0 as its software framework for Windows platform. Since then it has been continuously updating it to meet the technological advancements.

In June 2017, Microsoft redefined the core architecture of .NET Framework to simplify development, testing and deployment. The company released .NET core 1.0 along with ASP .NET Core 1.0 with Entity Framework. .NET Core does have some learning curve in it.

    As of Oct 2020, the latest version of .NET Framework is 4.7. Microsoft is unlikely to release new versions of this framework in the future. The latest version of .NET Core is 3.0

Understanding the major differences between the 2 platforms:

Open Source -

            .NET Framework was released as a licensed and proprietary framework. But the company has released .NET Core as open source framework. Hence individuals can build apps on .NET Core without paying any license fees.

Cross Platform -

            .NET Framework enable developers to build software for only Windows platform. But .NET Core is cross-platform, and supports three distinct operating systems — Windows, OS X, and Linux. This makes it easier for developers to build cross platform applications and use their apps on various platforms.

Modular Collection of Libraries -

            Both the frameworks uses huge collection of class libraries. But .NET Core uses a redesigned Common language runtime called CoreFX. Hence, the developers have option to pick and use only the libraries required by each application, and enhance the application’s performance by removing unnecessary libraries.

    

ASP.NET-

         While using web applications with .NET Framework, the developers have option to use a robust web application framework like ASP.NET. But .NET Core comes with a redesigned version of ASP.NET. The developers can now use ASP.NET Core to build both web and cloud applications. In addition to being open source, ASP.NET Core is also available on three distinct platforms — Windows, OS X, and Linux

Deployment Options-

         While using .NET Framework, developers have to deploy web applications only on Internet Information Server. But the web applications developed with ASP.NET Core can be hosted in a number of ways. The developers can deploy the ASP.NET Core applications directly in the cloud or self-host the application by creating their own hosting process.

Cloud Ready Configuration-

         Unlike .NET Framework, .NET Core is designed with features to simplify development and deployment of cloud-based application. The developers can use ASP.NET to build a variety of cloud-based applications rapidly. Also, they can publish the applications directly to the cloud by availing the cloud-ready configuration included in ASP.NET Core.

Mobile App Development-

         .NET Framework does not include any robust framework or tools to simplify mobile app development. But .NET Core compatible with Xamarin through the .NET Standard Library. Hence, developers can take advantage of Xamarin to write cross-platform mobile apps in C# with a shared code base and same set of APIs. They can further use the tools provided by Xamarin to customize the mobile app for individual mobile platforms like iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

Microservices:-

        Unlike .NET Framework, .NET Core makes it easier for developers to build microservice oriented systems rapidly. As such systems include a number of independent and dynamic microservices, the developers have to focus on individual microservices. .NET Core enables programmers to develop custom microservices by using varying programming languages, technologies and frameworks. Also, the developers can build a robust system by combining multiple microservices seamlessly.

Performance and Scalability-

         .NET Core is more effective than .NET Framework to enhance the performance and scalability of applications. It enables developers to enhance the performance of applications drastically without deploying additional hardware or infrastructure. Also, it allows developers to build, test and deploy applications directly in the cloud. Hence, the developers can switch to .NET Core to enhance the performance and scalability of their applications without putting extra time and effort.

Compatibility-

         .NET Core does not support all the features and functionalities provided by the latest version of .NET Framework. But it can be used as a subset of the .NET Framework. Also, .NET Core is still compatible with .NET Framework through the .NET Standard Library. Hence, the developers can still run the applications developed with .NET Framework after upgrading to .NET Core.

        So all and all, .NET Core is the future of  development. You may want to use the opportunity to shift your self from .NET Framework to .NET core by accepting the learning curve.