ASP.NET Core vs ASP.NET MVC: Which .NET framework is better for you?

Nothing affects your next project’s direction as much as the platform you choose. From designing the data model to handling user requests, from designing the data layer to provisioning servers, the platform you choose will be a huge determinant in how your project will take shape.

For web applications, two of the most popular choices are ASP.NET Core and ASP.NET MVC.

In this article, we’ll compare ASP.NET Core and ASP.NET MVC side-by-side so you can see which one is the best fit for your next project.

Everything you need to know about ASP.NET MVC

ASP.NET MVC is a web application framework developed by Microsoft that implements the model-view-controller (MVC) pattern.

MVC is a software design pattern that separates an application into three main components: the model, the view, and the controller. The model handles the data, the view handles the UI, and the controller handles the logic that ties everything together.

ASP.NET MVC was first released in 2009 as an alternative to the existing .NET framework. It was designed to make it easier to build maintainable, testable, and scalable web applications. To do so, the framework incorporates features like:

• Routing, to make it easy to map URLs to controllers and actions.
• Models and views, to make it easy for developers to work with data.
• Filters, to enable functionality like authorization and input validation.

The ability to easily test and maintain your code is especially important in large projects, as it can help you avoid expensive mistakes that are difficult to fix later on. Codebases grow larger, and teams often change over time. Having a well-designed web application development framework in place makes it much easier to keep your web application running smoothly as it grows.

However, Microsoft discontinued ASP.NET MVC in 2018. While the framework still works, it isn’t being actively developed, and there are no plans to release any new features or updates.

Is ASP.NET MVC outdated in 2022?

ASP.NET MVC is not outdated per se. It’s still a competent .NET framework. But we recommend avoiding it for new projects, as it is discontinued. It may work fine for your needs today, but as your project grows, you’ll likely find yourself wanting features that aren’t available or having to work around bugs that can’t be fixed.

There’s also the issue of security vulnerabilities. Without active development, any new security vulnerabilities that are discovered will never be fixed. This could leave your web application open to attack.

Fortunately, Microsoft released the next iteration of its .NET framework: ASP.NET Core.

ASP.NET MVC Vs ASP.NET Core - primary differences between the two

ASP.NET Core is the latest version of ASP.NET, and it includes many improvements over ASP.NET MVC.

The most significant difference between ASP.Net MVC vs ASP.Net Core is that it’s a cross-platform framework. You can use it to build web applications that can run on Windows, Linux, or macOS. The .NET Core framework gives you the freedom to choose the best operating system for your application.

Another key difference is that ASP.NET Core uses the new Razor Pages framework for building web applications. Razor Pages is a much simpler and easier-to-use page-based coding model than the traditional MVC framework, and it’s specifically designed for building page-focused web applications.

Additionally, .NET Core offers many other features that make it a great choice for web development. These include:

• A unified programming model that can be used for MVC and Web API development
• Tag Helpers, which make it easy to generate HTML elements in views
• View Components, which enable reusable UI logic
• Complete integration with Visual Studio IDE
• Built-in support for dependency injection
• Works with all popular javascript frameworks
• Better project folder hierarchy

All .NET Core developers can work on technology improvement and modify it according to their app development needs. This helps the developers to create the best web solutions with ASP.NET Core.

Let’s now see why ASP.NET Core is a great choice for your next project.

Why should businesses choose ASP.NET Core for web development?

Building web apps is no small feat. It requires careful planning, a solid understanding of web development best practices, and a robust development framework. Asp.net Core vs asp.net MVC - how to make the right choice for your business?

ASP.NET Core is an ideal choice for web developers that want to build web apps. It’s a cross-platform, open-source framework that can be used to build internet and cloud applications, desktop applications, and even IoT applications.

Here’s why you should strongly consider it for your next web app development tasks.

Enhanced performance

ASP.NET Core is much faster than ASP.NET MVC. A new modular HTTP request pipeline improved caching capabilities, and support for multiple CPU architectures all improve the framework’s speed.

Additionally, ASP.NET Core has built-in support for caching and content compression. These features make it possible to deliver HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files that are smaller in size and load faster in the browser.

For example, ASP.NET Core has a built-in client-side dependency management system called Bundler and Minifier. This system can be used to manage the dependencies between client-side JavaScript files. It can be used to load files asynchronously or to concatenate and minify files.

Cross-platform support

.NET Core permits programmers to choose between all operating systems for your application. Whether you want to deploy your app on Windows, Linux, or macOS, ASP.NET Core has you covered.

This is a huge benefit for businesses that want to target multiple platforms with their web applications. Cross-platform flexibility also means you can deploy your app in different environments, whether it’s on-premises, in a cloud environment, or in a hybrid configuration.

This .NET framework also lets you build cross-platform mobile apps, which makes mobile app development much faster. Rather than re-writing an app for each mobile platform, you can now write once and port to multiple platforms. And since it works with all javascript frameworks, you can mold your web app however you wish.

Less code

ASP.NET Core MVC requires less code than ASP.NET MVC. This is due in part to the fact that many features that were previously implemented in ASP.NET MVC, like authorization and session state, have been moved to middleware components.

Additionally, the default project templates for ASP.NET Core are much simpler than the ones in MVC. This reduces the amount of code NET Core developers need to write to get a basic web application up and running.

For example, you can build a web API in a few minutes. You don’t need to add complex configuration code or write boilerplate code to handle common tasks anymore.

Easy maintenance

.NET Core follows a modular approach which makes it easier to maintain thanks to Dependency Injection (DI). DI is a technique for creating loosely coupled, testable code.

One way to take advantage of DI is to create separate DI containers for each microservice. This makes it easier to manage and test individual services. NuGet packages can be used to inject dependencies into your code, making it easier to manage them and making your code more testable and reusable.

It’s also easier to test .NET Core MVC applications since you can mock the dependencies in your controllers. You can spin up an internal web server to test webhooks without having to expose your development environment to the internet. Plus, it can be used to simulate different types of webhook payloads, such as those that might be generated by different third-party services.

This makes it simpler to write unit tests that exercise the controller logic without having to spin up an entire web server.

Support of cloud-based web application development

ASP.NET Core is a great choice for developing cloud-based web apps. The framework includes built-in support for developing and deploying applications to Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, and other cloud platforms. Moreover, .NET core permits developers to deploy dynamic websites to the cloud in a matter of a few clicks with most hosting providers.

Additionally, ASP.NET Core is a great choice if you’re looking for a framework that supports cloud-based development. Cloud-based development has become increasingly popular in recent years, as it offers a number of advantages over traditional, local development environments.

And since .NET Core is open source, you can easily find third-party libraries and tools that work with it.

Better security

Safety is a top priority when developing any type of web application. And ASP.NET Core lets you do so by allowing you to maintain HTTPS enforcement.

The main HTTP enforcement in ASP.NET Core is the built-in authorization system. This system allows for granular control over who can access what resources on your site. You can also use this system to create custom roles and permissions that fit your specific needs. Additionally, the ASP.NET Core framework provides a number of ways to secure your web application, including HTTPS/SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and various encryption algorithms.

In addition, ASP.NET Core applications can take advantage of the many security features provided by the Microsoft .NET platform, such as code access security and role-based security.

Rapid development

ASP.NET Core is designed from the ground up to be fast and easy to use. A streamlined project system, automatic dependency injection, and built-in support for unit testing all contribute to making development faster and easier.

All you have to do to get started is install the .NET Core SDK in Visual Studio, create a new project, and start coding. No fiddling with configuration files or complex build processes - just write code and hit F5 to run it.

And because ASP.NET Core applications are compiled as .NET Standard libraries, they can take advantage of the many great features that are available in the .NET ecosystem, such as the large number of open-source libraries that are compatible with .NET Standard, as well as the NET commonplace library.

Better Portability

ASP.NET Core is a cross-platform framework that can be run on Windows, macOS, and Linux. And because it’s built on .NET Standard, you can use the same code on all three platforms.

In addition, ASP.NET Core apps can be deployed to Docker containers, making them even more portable. .NET Core’s cross-platform development capabilities make it a great choice for everyone.

When to choose ASP.NET MVC?

There’s little reason to use ASP.NET MVC since Core MVC is feature-complete and offers far better performance. The only reason to use ASP.NET MVC over Core MVC would be if you have an existing application that uses it and you don’t want to rewrite it. Other than that, there’s no compelling reason to choose ASP.NET MVC over Core MVC.

When to choose ASP.NET Core?

ASP.NET Core is a lean and composable framework. If you’re starting a new project, you should choose ASP.NET Core. It’s faster and more lightweight than ASP.NET MVC and offers all of the same features. There’s no reason to choose ASP.NET MVC over ASP.NET Core MVC.

If you have an existing ASP.NET MVC project, you can choose to either rewrite it using ASP.NET Core MVC or keep it as-is and continue using ASP.NET MVC. There’s no compelling reason to rewrite an existing ASP.NET MVC project unless you want to take advantage of the performance improvements in ASP.NET Core MVC.

Get your modernization right with Resolute Software

Using modern technologies ensures your web applications will stay secure and perform for the foreseeable future. Here at Resolute Software we specialize in modernizing software to keep up with rapidly changing technologies. We have the experience and expertise to help you with your ASP.NET Web forms modernization.

Our team of experienced developers can help you rewrite your existing ASP.NET MVC application using ASP.NET Core. Or, if you’re starting a new project, we can help you get your application up and running quickly and easily.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you get the most out of ASP.NET Core.