ASP.NET MVC vs. ASP.NET Core MVC: Which One Should You Choose

You may get confused while choosing between ASP.NET MVC and ASP.NET Core MVC. Well, here’s the detailed comparison between the two that help you to make the right choice as per your project requirements before starting with your dot net development project.

ASP.NET is a widely used web application framework that has been around for many years. It has been the go-to choice for building enterprise-level web applications, but over time, new versions and new platforms have emerged, each with its own benefits and drawbacks. Two of the most prominent versions of ASP.NET are the traditional ASP.NET MVC and the newer ASP.NET Core MVC.

ASP.NET MVC is a framework that was first introduced in 2009 as a response to the growing popularity of the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture. It is built on top of the.NET Framework and is designed to help developers create scalable and maintainable web applications. ASP.NET Core MVC, on the other hand, is a new and improved version of ASP.NET MVC, built on top of the.NET Core runtime.

Both versions have their advantages and disadvantages, and choosing between them can be a difficult decision. In this article, you can take a closer look at ASP.NET MVC and ASP.NET Core MVC and compare their features to help you decide which one is right for your next dot net development project.

Performance and Speed:

One of the key differences between ASP.NET MVC and ASP.NET Core MVC is their performance and speed. ASP.NET Core MVC has been designed to be faster and more efficient than ASP.NET MVC, thanks to a number of optimizations that have been made to the framework.

ASP.NET Core MVC is built on top of the.NET Core runtime, which is a lightweight and modular version of the.NET Framework. This means that it has a smaller footprint than the traditional.NET Framework, which translates into faster startup times and better performance. In addition, ASP.NET Core MVC uses a new and improved middleware pipeline that allows developers to more easily manage their application's HTTP requests and responses.

However, it's important to note that while ASP.NET Core MVC is faster and more efficient than ASP.NET MVC, it may not always be the best choice for every project. If you are building a small to medium-sized web application, then the performance gains of ASP.NET Core MVC may not be noticeable. However, if you are building a large-scale enterprise-level application, then ASP.NET Core MVC may be the better choice for its scalability and performance optimizations.

Compatibility and Cross-Platform Support:

Another major difference between ASP.NET MVC and ASP.NET Core MVC is their compatibility and cross-platform support. ASP.NET MVC was built specifically for the Windows operating system and is designed to run on the full.NET Framework. This means that if you want to run your ASP.NET MVC application on a non-Windows operating system, you will need to use a virtual machine or a container.

ASP.NET Core MVC, on the other hand, was designed with cross-platform support in mind. It can run on Windows, Linux, and macOS, and can be deployed to a wide range of hosting platforms, including cloud-based services like Azure and AWS. This makes ASP.NET Core MVC a more flexible choice for developers who want to build web applications that can run on a variety of platforms.

However, it's important to note that ASP.NET Core MVC is not backward compatible with ASP.NET MVC. This means that if you have an existing ASP.NET MVC application, you will need to migrate it to ASP.NET Core MVC if you want to take advantage of its cross-platform support.

Modularity and Customization:

One of the benefits of ASP.NET Core MVC is its modularity and customization options. ASP.NET Core MVC is built on a modular architecture that allows developers to easily add or remove features as needed. This makes it easy to create a custom application that only includes the features and functionality that you need.

In addition, ASP.NET Core MVC includes a wide range of middleware components that can be easily integrated into your application. This includes components for handling authentication, authorization, caching, and more.

To conclude, ASP.NET MVC and ASP.NET Core MVC are two popular web application frameworks used for building scalable and maintainable web applications. While they share some similarities, there are some key differences between the two.

ASP.NET MVC is built on top of the.NET Framework and is designed for the Windows operating system. It provides a powerful toolset for building enterprise-level web applications, but lacks cross-platform support. On the other hand, ASP.NET Core MVC is a new and improved version of ASP.NET MVC that is built on top of the.NET Core runtime. It is designed to be faster, more efficient, and cross-platform compatible.

One of the biggest advantages of ASP.NET Core MVC is its modularity and customization options. It allows developers to easily add or remove features as needed, and includes a wide range of middleware components that can be easily integrated into an application.

Another advantage of ASP.NET Core MVC is its performance and speed. Thanks to a number of optimizations, including a new and improved middleware pipeline, ASP.NET Core MVC is faster and more efficient than ASP.NET MVC.

However, ASP.NET Core MVC may not be the best choice for every project. If you are building a small to medium-sized web application that only needs to run on Windows, ASP.NET MVC may be a better choice. Additionally, if you have an existing ASP.NET MVC application, it may be more cost-cost-effective to continue using that framework rather than migrating to ASP.NET Core MVC.

Overall, the choice between ASP.NET MVC and ASP.NET Core MVC will depend on the specific requirements of your web application project. Both frameworks have their advantages and disadvantages, and choosing the right one will depend on factors such as performance, cross-platform support, modularity, and customization options.

Rob Stephen is a well-versed dot net developer associated with an award-winning dot net development company in Australia, GetAProgrammer. The author has written this article to let you know what are the differences and similarities between ASP.NET MVC and ASP.NET Core MVC, what are their features, and which one you should choose based on your requirements.

Kimberley Black is an App Development expert and currently a senior tech consultant with GetAProgrammer.