ASP.NET Core vs ASP.NET Zero: What are the differences?

Introduction

ASP.NET Core and ASP.NET Zero are both popular frameworks used for building web applications. While ASP.NET Core is a framework for building modern, cloud-based applications, ASP.NET Zero is a ready-made application framework that follows best practices and aims to accelerate the development process. Despite some similarities, there are several key differences between ASP.NET Core and ASP.NET Zero.

1. Separation of Concerns:

ASP.NET Core focuses on the separation of concerns by implementing the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architectural pattern. It allows developers to separate the application logic, data, and presentation layers, enabling easier maintenance, testing, and flexibility for different device types. On the other hand, ASP.NET Zero adopts a modular architecture that follows Domain Driven Design (DDD) principles. It provides a clear separation between the application's modules, which simplifies development, scalability, and maintainability.

2. Authentication and Authorization:

ASP.NET Core offers a flexible authentication and authorization system that supports various authentication providers, such as external logins, social logins, and token-based authentication. It enables fine-grained access control based on user roles and policy-based authorization. ASP.NET Zero, on the other hand, includes a built-in identity and permission management system that simplifies user management, authentication, and authorization. It provides ready-made screens and features for user registration, login, and role-based permissions.

3. Multi-Tenancy Support:

ASP.NET Core provides multi-tenancy support out of the box, allowing developers to build applications that serve multiple customers or tenants from a single codebase. It enables easy management of tenant-specific data, configuration, and customization. ASP.NET Zero takes multi-tenancy to the next level by providing a complete multi-tenant architecture with separate databases, schemas, and user interfaces per tenant. It offers tenant management screens and features, making it easier to build and manage multi-tenant applications.

4. UI Frameworks and Theming:

ASP.NET Core does not enforce any specific UI frameworks or theming options. It allows developers to choose from a wide range of frontend technologies, such as Angular, React, or Blazor, and customize the user interface according to their needs. ASP.NET Zero, on the other hand, comes with a built-in UI framework based on popular frontend technologies like Angular or React. It provides ready-to-use screens, components, and theming options that speed up the development process.

5. Extensibility and Customization:

ASP.NET Core promotes extensibility by providing a modular and pluggable architecture. Developers can easily extend the framework's functionality by adding custom middleware, services, or libraries. ASP.NET Zero, on the other hand, offers a customizable framework that allows developers to modify or extend its features and behavior. It provides hooks, events, and extension points that enable developers to add custom business logic, UI components, or integrations without modifying the core framework.

6. Pricing and Licensing:

ASP.NET Core is an open-source framework and is available for free under the MIT license. It allows developers to use, modify, and distribute the framework without any licensing restrictions. ASP.NET Zero, on the other hand, is a commercial framework and requires a license for commercial usage. It provides different licensing options based on the number of developers and projects, and it offers additional support and updates.

In summary, ASP.NET Core focuses on separation of concerns, provides flexible authentication and multi-tenancy support, allows freedom in UI frameworks and theming, and promotes extensibility. On the other hand, ASP.NET Zero is a ready-made application framework with a modular architecture, built-in identity and permission management, complete multi-tenant support, a built-in UI framework with theming options, and offers customization options with commercial licensing.