What is differnece between .NET Framework and .NET Core ?

The .NET Framework and .NET Core are both frameworks developed by Microsoft for building applications, but they have several differences in terms of architecture, platform support, and features:

1. Platform Compatibility:

• .NET Framework:

It is primarily designed for Windows-based applications. It is tightly integrated with Windows and runs only on Windows operating systems.

• .NET Core:

It is a cross-platform framework that can run on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It was designed with platform independence in mind and is optimized for cloud and container-based deployments.

2. Architecture:

•  .NET Framework:

It is a monolithic framework that includes a large set of libraries and components, including the Common Language Runtime (CLR), Base Class Library (BCL), and ASP.NET for web development.

• .NET Core:

It is a modular and lightweight framework that is composed of smaller, more manageable components. It allows developers to include only the necessary components in their applications, reducing the size of applications and improving performance.

3. Open Source:

• .NET Framework:

It is primarily proprietary, with some parts of it being open-sourced in recent years.

• .NET Core:

It is fully open-source, with its source code hosted on GitHub. This openness encourages community contributions, transparency, and innovation.

4. Development Model:

• .NET Framework:

It follows a traditional release model, with major updates being released less frequently.

• .NET Core:

It follows a more agile and frequent release model, with updates and new features being released more frequently. This allows for faster innovation and responsiveness to community feedback.

5. Tooling and Support:

• .NET Framework:

It is supported by Visual Studio, Microsoft's integrated development environment (IDE), and has extensive tooling support for Windows-based development.

• .NET Core:

It is supported by Visual Studio as well as Visual Studio Code, a lightweight, cross-platform code editor. It has tooling support for Windows, macOS, and Linux development.

6. Cloud and Container Support:

• .NET Framework:

While it can be deployed to the cloud, it is not optimized for cloud-native applications and containerized deployments.

• .NET Core:

It is optimized for cloud and container-based deployments. It has builtin support for containerization technologies like Docker and is well suited for building microservices and cloud-native applications.

What to use .NET Framework or .NET Core?

.NET Core is to be used for the server application when –

1. There is cross-platform need.
2. Targeting microservices or using Docker containers.
3. Need of high performance and scalable systems.
4. Side by side need of .NET versions per application.

.NET Framework is to be used for the server application when –

1. Application is to be built to run only on Windows.
2. If application uses .NET framework technologies not available for .NET Core.
3. Applications that are already running on .NET Framework. 

Overall, while both the .NET Framework and .NET Core are powerful frameworks for building applications, .NET Core offers greater flexibility, platform independence, and modernization for developers, particularly in the context of cloud and cross platform development.