Choosing the technology for a business web application is a long-term decision. The software may run for ten years or more, so the framework has to be fast, secure and supported for that long. ASP.NET Core, Microsoft's open-source web framework, checks those boxes for most business applications. Here is why we build on it, and when we would recommend something else.

Performance

ASP.NET Core is one of the fastest mainstream web frameworks, and it performs consistently well in independent benchmarks such as TechEmpower's. For a business application, that means quick pages under load, fewer servers and lower hosting bills.

Security built in

Many security features come with the framework instead of from third-party packages:

  • ASP.NET Core Identity for accounts, roles, two-factor authentication and lockout.
  • Protection against cross-site request forgery with anti-forgery tokens.
  • HTTPS enforcement, HSTS and data protection for cookies and tokens.
  • Output encoding in Razor views, which blocks most cross-site scripting by default.

Microsoft ships security fixes on a regular monthly schedule, so keeping an application patched is routine work.

Predictable long-term support

A new .NET version ships every November. Even-numbered releases are long-term support (LTS) releases with three years of updates, and upgrading from one LTS to the next is usually a small, planned job. You can plan your roadmap around it.

Runs anywhere

ASP.NET Core runs on Windows and Linux, on IIS, in Docker containers, and on Azure, AWS or any other cloud. You are not tied to one hosting provider, and you can move later if prices or needs change.

A mature ecosystem

  • C#, a modern, strongly typed language that catches many errors before the code runs.
  • Entity Framework Core for data access on SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL and others.
  • Blazor for interactive interfaces written in C#, or any JavaScript framework if you prefer.
  • A large library of NuGet packages for payments, PDFs, email, background jobs and more.
  • First-class tools: Visual Studio, VS Code and Rider.

Easy to staff

.NET is widely used in enterprises, so experienced developers are available in most countries. A system built on a mainstream framework is easier to hand over and maintain than one built on a niche technology.

When we would choose something else

ASP.NET Core is not always the answer. A simple brochure website needs a good template and an easy admin panel more than a powerful framework. A team with deep experience in another stack may be more productive staying with it. The right choice fits the product, the team and the budget.

What we build with it

Our own SaaS products, client web applications and admin panels run on ASP.NET Core with SQL Server, and so does this website. See our custom web application and SaaS development services, or hire an ASP.NET Core developer for your team.