🚀 .NET Framework vs .NET Core: The Beginner’s Guide

🎯 Introduction

Hey friend 👋, are you stuck thinking “.NET Framework vs .NET Core… which one should I learn?”
Don’t worry, you are not alone. Many beginners feel confused here. But trust me, once you know the difference, you’ll laugh 😄 at how simple it really is.

Let’s go step by step. We’ll keep it short, clear, and super friendly.

📚 What you are going to learn in this lesson

✔️ What is .NET Framework?
✔️ What is .NET Core?
✔️ Key differences between them.
✔️ A simple program in both.
✔️ Which one you should learn first.

Sounds exciting? Let’s dive in 🚀

🏛 What is .NET Framework?

So, first things first.
👉 .NET Framework is the old player in the Microsoft world.
👉 It was released in 2002.
👉 It only runs on Windows.

Think of it like an old traditional house. Strong, reliable, but not so flexible.

If you build apps with .NET Framework, they work smoothly on Windows. But nope ❌, you can’t take them to Linux or Mac.

🌍 What is .NET Core?

Now meet the new hero 💪.
👉 .NET Core was released in 2016.
👉 It works on Windows, Linux, and Mac.
👉 It’s faster, lighter, and open-source.

So, it’s like a modern apartment. Flexible, open, and works anywhere you want.

If you are starting today, .NET Core (now just called .NET 5, 6, 7, and so on) is the way to go.

⚡ .NET Framework vs .NET Core – Key Differences

Feature	.NET Framework	.NET Core
Platform	Only Windows	Windows, Linux, Mac
Performance	Slower	Faster
Open Source	No	Yes
Mobile Support	Limited	Supports Xamarin & MAUI
Future	Old, no new big updates	Actively updated

So yeah, .NET Framework vs .NET Core is like comparing a vintage car 🚗 vs an electric car ⚡. Both are cool, but one clearly fits the future better.

👨‍💻 Simple Program Example

Let’s see how both look.

Example in .NET Framework

				
					using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        Console.WriteLine("Hello from .NET Framework 👋");
    }
}

💡 This program runs only on Windows because it’s tied to the .NET Framework.

Example in .NET Core

				
					using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        Console.WriteLine("Hello from .NET Core 🚀");
    }
}

💡 The syntax looks the same, right? But here’s the magic – this program can run on Windows, Linux, and Mac.

So, the real difference is not in how you write code, but in where you can run it.

🤔 Which One Should You Learn?

If you are new, start with .NET Core.
Why? Because it’s the future. Microsoft is putting all the cool updates there.
But hey, don’t worry. If you see old projects in .NET Framework, you’ll still understand them easily.

🔍 Latest & Upcoming Versions: .NET Framework vs .NET Core

When we talk about “.NET Core,” note: Microsoft rebranded it simply to “.NET” from version 5 onward. So “.NET Core” in many current contexts means “.NET 5, 6, 7, 8, 9…” etc. Microsoft Learn+2Versions of .NET+2

Here are the details:

🏁 What is the latest version (as of now)?

The latest stable release is .NET 9.0. Microsoft+2Versions of .NET+2
.NET 8 is also very recent, and is an LTS (Long‐Term Support) version. Microsoft+2connecting-software.com+2
.NET 9, by contrast, is an STS (Standard‐Term Support) version. That means it gets support (updates, bug fixes) but not as long as LTS versions. Microsoft+2connecting-software.com+2

So, if you are starting new work and want stability, often .NET 8 (LTS) is a good bet. If you want newer features, experiment, stay up to date, .NET 9 is great.

🔮 What upcoming version is expected?

The next major version in the pipeline is .NET 10.0. It’s going to be an LTS release. Microsoft+2Versions of .NET+2
As of now, .NET 10 is in release candidate / preview (or at least pre‐release stage) as of September 2025. Microsoft
Microsoft’s release schedule tends to put out new major versions around November each year. So .NET 10 is expected to GA (generally available) around November 2025. connecting-software.com+1

⚠️ How this relates to “.NET Framework vs .NET Core”

.NET Framework’s latest stable version is 4.8.1 (Windows‐only). Microsoft+2Versions of .NET+2
There are no new major versions of .NET Framework planned (no “4.9” etc). Microsoft is focusing new work and features on modern .NET (which came from .NET Core lineage). Microsoft+1
So in the comparison .NET Framework vs .NET Core, that means modern .NET (formerly .NET Core) is evolving, getting new versions, new improvements. .NET Framework is stable but mostly in maintenance mode.

🎉 Next what?

Awesome! You just learned the basics of .NET Framework vs .NET Core. Feeling a little clearer now? 😃

So, what’s next?

👉 In the next chapter, we will learn Setting up .NET Core Environment.
Yes, step by step, super easy, and with lots of fun examples.

Stay tuned, my friend 🚀

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