When to Use .NET Core vs. .NET Framework
Use .NET Core/.NET 5+ if:
You are building cross-platform applications.
Your application targets modern workloads like cloud, microservices, or containers.
You need high performance and scalability.
Use .NET Framework if:
You are maintaining or extending a legacy application that relies on Windows-specific features.
Your project depends on libraries or APIs that are not yet supported in .NET Core/.NET 5+.

NET Framework is Microsoft’s original framework for building Windows desktop and server applications. It has been around since 2002 and remains widely used for legacy applications.

Key characteristics of .NET Framework :

Windows-Only : Primarily designed for Windows applications.
Monolithic Design : Includes a large set of libraries and tools as part of the framework, which can lead to heavier deployments.
Legacy Support : Continues to support older technologies like Windows Forms, WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation), and ASP.NET Web Forms.
Closed Source : Historically closed-source, though some components have been open-sourced over time.

.NET Core is a free, open-source, cross-platform framework developed by Microsoft for building modern, cloud-based, and high-performance applications. It was introduced as part of Microsoft’s effort to modernize the .NET ecosystem and make it more versatile and adaptable to today’s development needs.

Key characteristics of .NET Core :

Cross-Platform : Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Modular Design : Built with a modular architecture using NuGet packages, allowing developers to include only the components they need.
High Performance : Optimized for performance, making it suitable for web applications, microservices, and cloud-native solutions.
Open Source : Hosted on GitHub, with contributions from both Microsoft and the developer community.
Support for Modern Workloads : Ideal for containerized applications, microservices, and cloud deployments (e.g., Azure).