Dapper vs Entity Framework Core vs ADO.NET: Which One Should You Choose?

Introduction

When it comes to working with databases in .NET applications, developers have several options to choose from, including Dapper, Entity Framework Core, and ADO.NET. Each of these technologies has its strengths and weaknesses, and choosing the right one for your project can be daunting.

In this article, we will compare Dapper, Entity Framework Core, and ADO.NET and help you determine the best fit for your needs.

ADO.NET

ADO.NET is a database access technology that is part of the .NET Framework. It provides a set of classes and interfaces that allow .NET applications to interact with databases. ADO.NET has been around for a long time and is widely used in .NET applications. ADO.NET is a low-level tool, which means that it provides fine-grained control over database operations.

However, this also means that developers have to write a lot of code to interact with databases. ADO.NET is widely used in .NET applications and has been around for a long time.

Let's see an example of how to use ADO.NET to retrieve data from a SQL Server database:

string connectionString = "Data Source=server;Initial Catalog=database;Integrated Security=True";
using (SqlConnection connection = new SqlConnection(connectionString))
{
    connection.Open();
    string query = "SELECT * FROM Customers WHERE Country = @Country";
    SqlCommand command = new SqlCommand(query, connection);
    command.Parameters.AddWithValue("@Country", "INDIA");
    SqlDataReader reader = command.ExecuteReader();
    while (reader.Read())
    {
        Console.WriteLine($"{reader["CustomerID"]}, {reader["CompanyName"]}, {reader["Country"]}");
    }
}

Entity Framework Core

Entity Framework Core (EF Core) is a high-level ORM (Object-Relational Mapping) tool that allows .NET applications to interact with databases. It provides a set of classes and APIs that abstract the database operations, making it easier for developers to work with databases. EF Core is built on top of ADO.NET, which means it uses ADO.NET internally to interact with databases.

EF Core supports several database providers, including SQL Server, MySQL, SQLite, and PostgreSQL. It provides several features, such as automatic schema migration, query translation, and change tracking. EF Core also supports LINQ, which allows developers to write queries in C# instead of SQL.

Let's see an example of how to use EF Core to retrieve data from a SQL Server database:

string connectionString = "Data Source=server;Initial Catalog=database;Integrated Security=True";
using (var context = new MyDbContext(connectionString))
{
    var customers = context.Customers.Where(c => c.Country == "INDIA").ToList();
    foreach (var customer in customers)
    {
        Console.WriteLine($"{customer.CustomerID}, {customer.CompanyName}, {customer.Country}");
    }
}

Dapper

Dapper is a micro ORM that was developed by the StackOverflow team. It provides a lightweight and fast way to work with databases. Dapper is built on top of ADO.NET and provides a simple API for database operations. Dapper is designed to be fast and efficient, which means that it doesn't have some of the features provided by EF Core.

Dapper is ideal for scenarios where performance is critical and developers want fine-grained control over the database operations. Dapper is also easy to learn and use, providing a small set of APIs covering most of the database operations.
Let's see an example of how to use Dapper to retrieve data from a SQL Server database:

string connectionString = "Data Source=server;Initial Catalog=database;Integrated Security=True";
using (var connection = new SqlConnection(connectionString))
{
    var customers = connection.Query<Customer>("SELECT * FROM Customers WHERE Country = @Country", new { Country = "INDIA" });
    foreach (var customer in customers)
    {
        Console.WriteLine($"{customer.CustomerID}, {customer.CompanyName}, {customer.Country}");
    }
}

Comparison Entity Framework Core VS Dapper VS ADO.NET

Now that we have examined the three tools let's compare them based on several factors.

Performance

Dapper is often considered faster than ADO.NET in certain scenarios due to its lightweight and optimized design for data access. EF Core is slower than Dapper because it has a lot of features, which means it has more overhead. ADO.NET and Dapper generally offer better performance compared to EF Core due to their lightweight nature and reduced overhead. ADO.NET offers more control over the performance of queries as it allows developers to write SQL queries directly.

Ease of Use

Regarding ease of use, EF Core is the clear winner. EF Core provides a high-level API that abstracts the database operations, making it easier for developers to work with databases. EF Core also supports LINQ, which allows developers to write queries in C# instead of SQL. Dapper is also easy to use but requires developers to write SQL queries.

Features

When it comes to features, EF Core is the clear winner. EF Core provides a lot of features, such as automatic schema migration, query translation, and change tracking. Dapper doesn't provide all of these features, which means that developers have to implement them themselves. ADO.NET is a low-level tool and doesn't provide as many features as EF Core.

Flexibility

Dapper is the most flexible tool among the three because it allows developers to write SQL queries and map the results to any class or structure. EF Core is less flexible than Dapper because it requires developers to define classes that map to database tables. ADO.NET is also less flexible than Dapper because it requires developers to write more code to map the results to classes or structures.

Which Tool Should We Use?

The choice of tool depends on the requirements of your project. If you need a lightweight and fast tool for database operations, Dapper is a good choice. If you need a tool that provides a high-level API and many features, EF Core is a good choice. If you need fine-grained control over database operations, ADO.NET is a good choice.

Conclusion

This article compared three popular tools for database operations in .NET applications ADO.NET, Entity Framework Core, and Dapper. We saw how each tool differs based on factors such as performance, ease of use, features, and flexibility. We also provided examples of how to use each tool to retrieve data from a SQL Server database. Ultimately, the choice of tool depends on the requirements of your project, and each tool has its pros and cons.