Difference between .NET and .NET Core

The article Difference between .NET and .NET Core does not explain the differences between .NET and .NET Core , it compares NET Framework and .NET Core.

To get the latest official answer from Microsoft, see:

.NET and .NET Core official support policy | .NET

https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/platform/support/policy/dotnet-core?utm_source=copilot.com

.Net Core and .Net are the same thing except .Net Core is version 3.1 and older. Beginning with version 5 "Core" is not used in the name.

Difference Between .NET Framework and .NET Core

.NET Framework

• Windows-only

• Closed-source (earlier), now partially open-source

• Heavy, not cross-platform

• Uses CLR (Common Language Runtime)

• Supports Web Forms, WCF, ASP.NET MVC

• Best for legacy enterprise apps

• No performance optimization compared to Core

.NET Core

• Cross-platform (Windows, Linux, macOS)

• Fully open-source

• High performance & optimized runtime

• Uses CoreCLR

• Supports microservices , Docker , cloud apps

• Side-by-side versioning

• Unified platform ? now part of .NET 5+ (modern .NET)

Simple Summary

• .NET Framework = Windows + Legacy + Heavy

• .NET Core = Cross-platform + Faster + Modern + Cloud-ready