Let’s start with the definition of ASP.NET. WHAT IS IT?
.NET is a developer platform made up of tools, programming languages, and libraries for building many different types of applications.
ASP.NET extends the .NET developer platform with tools and libraries specifically for building web apps.
When developing web applications with ASP.NET, you have two primary options: ASP.NET Web Forms and ASP.NET MVC (Model-View-Controller). Both frameworks offer distinct approaches to building web applications. and choosing between them depends on various factors, including the development approach, project requirements, and team expertise. In this blog post, we’ll compare the differences and highlight the strengths of both frameworks:
| Asp.Net Web Forms | Asp.Net MVC |
|---|---|
| Asp.Net Web Form follows a traditional event-driven development model. | Asp.Net MVC is lightweight and follows MVC (Model, View, Controller) pattern based development model. |
| Asp.Net Web Form has server controls. | Asp.Net MVC has HTML helpers. |
| Asp.Net Web Form supports view state for state management at the client side. | Asp.Net MVC does not support view state. |
| Asp.Net Web Form has file-based URLs meaning file names that exist in the URLs must have its physical existence. | Asp.Net MVC has route-based URLs meaning URLs are divided into controllers and actions and moreover it is based on controller not on physical file. |
| Asp.Net Web Form follows Web Forms Syntax. | Asp.Net MVC follow customizable syntax (Razor as default). |
| In Asp.Net Web Form, Web Forms(ASPX) i.e. views are tightly coupled to Code behind(ASPX.CS) i.e. logic. | In Asp.Net MVC, Views and logic are kept separate. |
| Asp.Net Web Form has Master Pages for a consistent look and feels. | Asp.Net MVC has Layouts for a consistent look and feels. |
| Asp.Net Web Form has built-in data controls and is best for rapid development with powerful data access. | Asp.Net MVC is lightweight, provides full control over markup and supports many features that allow fast & agile development. Hence it is best for developing an interactive webapplication with the latest web standards. |
| Asp.Net Web Form is not Open Source. | Asp.Net Web MVC is an Open Source. |