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What is .NET Core? The Modern Framework for Building Cross-Platform Apps

For more tutorials on .NET Core, visit FullStackPrep.Dev

What is .NET Core? The Modern Framework for Building Cross-Platform Apps

Are you still working with the traditional .NET Framework and wondering what all the hype is around .NET Core?

Let’s explore why .NET Core has become the go-to platform for building modern, scalable, and high-performance applications — and how it differs from its predecessor.


🚀 What is .NET Core?

.NET Core is a lightweight, cross-platform, open-source framework developed by Microsoft. Unlike the classic .NET Framework (which runs only on Windows), .NET Core runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Here’s what sets it apart:

  • Cross-platform development
  • High performance via Kestrel web server
  • 🔄 Modular with NuGet-based dependencies
  • 🔐 Built-in support for Dependency Injection
  • 🌍 Perfect for microservices & cloud-native apps

💻 .NET Core vs .NET Framework

Feature .NET Core .NET Framework
Cross-platform ✅ Yes ❌ Windows only
Open-source ✅ Fully OSS ❌ Partially
Performance ✅ Faster (Kestrel) ❌ Slower (IIS)
Microservices support ✅ Designed for it ❌ Legacy support
Dependency Injection ✅ Built-in ❌ Manual setup

👨‍💻 Real World Use Case

Imagine you’re building a lightweight, containerized REST API.

With .NET Core, you get:

  • Blazing-fast startup
  • Native Docker support
  • Simplified middleware and routing
  • Out-of-the-box dependency injection

✅ It’s built for today’s cloud-first and microservice-driven architecture.


📚 Deep Dive Tutorial

We’ve explained this in full with examples, diagrams, and interview questions here:

👉 What is .NET Core and how is it different from .NET Framework?

Whether you’re a beginner or preparing for an interview, this guide covers:

  • Architecture insights
  • CLI usage
  • Core libraries
  • .NET 6+ changes

🧠 Why You Should Care

  • Employers expect .NET Core knowledge in 2025+
  • Azure, AWS, and GCP fully support it
  • It’s the future of Microsoft’s developer stack

💬 Share Your Experience

Have you migrated to .NET Core yet?

What’s been your biggest learning curve?

Drop your thoughts in the comments 👇

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