Top 10 Asp.Net Alternatives

This article will explore ten of the best Asp.Net alternatives. The list includes Ruby on Rails, Django, Laravel, ExpressJS, CakePHP, etc.

While there are multiple web frameworks available to developers, advanced .NET versions are some of the most popular ones in use right now, catching the attention of organizations all around the world.

Asp.Net extends the functionality of the .NET platform with tools and libraries required to create web apps. From simple and responsive web pages to high-performance REST APIs, Asp.Net can be used for a wide range of applications.

That said, there are certain scenarios when using frameworks for other languages that might be beneficial for implementing the required features. In the following post, we take a look at some of the top Asp.Net alternatives and where they can be useful.

If you are a new developer looking to use Asp.Net in your next project, the following list should help you make an informed decision before starting the project.

What is Asp.Net?

Asp.Net is an open-source, cross-platform, server-side web framework developed and maintained by Microsoft that allows developers to build dynamic web pages, apps, and services.

It extends the .NET platform with the tools and libraries specifically required for building web apps. Some of these additions include a base framework for processing web requests, a webpage templating syntax (Razor), an authentication system, and libraries for common web patterns.

When using Asp.Net, the backend code is written in C#, F#, or Visual Basic. Since it is based on the .NET framework, developers can still use the extensive ecosystem of libraries and software packages or create their own libraries that are shared among all apps written on the .NET platform.

Some of the top organizations using Asp.Net in their tech stack include Slack, Mastercard, Roblox, HBO, SpaceX, ViaVarejo, etc.

Advantages of Asp.Net

• Reduces Coding Time

Asp.Net is the right choice for building enterprise-grade apps as it helps organizations market their web deployments quickly.

With this framework, writing complex code is extremely easy and there are several built-in intellectuals that review code, thereby improving the code quality.  

It allows developers to write less code and still implement more functionality than existing technologies.

• World Class Tool Box

As stated earlier, developers using Asp.Net can leverage the extensive toolbox that comes courtesy of the .NET platform.

Developers can access the same using the Visual Studio integrated development console, which acts as an important building framework, allowing developers to build their apps quickly.

The Asp.Net toolbox contains several popular features like automatic deployment, WYSIWYG editing, and drag and drop server controls.

• Simplicity

The modern Asp.Net is a cross-platform framework, which allows developers to build complex web apps and services easily that run seamlessly on multiple platforms.

The common language runtime along with features like automatic reference counting and garbage collection substantially simplifies the app development process.

Once the app is created, Asp.Net provides you with the option to reuse the code later for developing an app on another platform. 

Disadvantages of Asp.Net

• Cost

Compared to its open-source competitors, Asp.Net is downright costlier. Organizations have to bear additional charges, including the Windows Servers license, Visual Studio licenses, and SQL Server licenses.

In addition, maintaining an Asp.Net app is inherently costlier and resource-intensive as you end up using way more web resources when compared to frameworks based on other languages.

• Leaky abstractions

Leaky abstractions might be the single biggest disadvantage to an otherwise flawless framework. The interface for associating user roles is unnecessarily complicated, meaning programmers need to be alert when storing roles in claims or role stores to ensure smooth operation.

Moreover, Asp.Net was known for lacking some basic security features, some of which may still create unnecessary hindrances. 

• Documentation

The documentation for Asp.Net is not exactly up to the mark, which can make it difficult for novice programmers to get started with their first app.

Since Asp.Net is largely unopinionated, developers need to learn how to implement various features and the documentation available on the official websites might not be enough in certain scenarios.

Fortunately, Asp.Net is supported by an active community and you can find help for framework issues on GitHub and other platforms.

Top 10 Asp.Net Alternatives

Here are some of the best alternatives to Asp.Net.

Ruby on Rails

Rails is arguably one of the most widely known web frameworks available to developers right now. It is a server-side, full-stack web application framework written in Ruby and distributed under the MIT license that follows the model-view-controller architecture that supports the app into logical components.

Rails is extremely versatile and can be used to deploy a wide range of apps, websites, and APIs. It comes with an extensive repository of libraries and plugins that enhance the framework’s speed and performance.

Django

Often dubbed the Python contemporary to Ruby’s Rails, Django is another popular web framework that comes with several extensions and libraries for building robust and high-performance applications in Python.

It is a free, open-source, full-stack framework, that follows the model-template-view architecture, and provides developers with an optional CRUD interface for enhancing persistent storage that outlives the processes that created it, e.g., a database of records, which can be modified via admin models.

Laravel

Laravel is a popular free and open-source backend web framework for PHP that is used for building a wide range of custom web applications.

It is an entirely server-side web framework that manages data based on the model-view-controller pattern, similar to Rails.

One of the main reasons for the popularity of Laravel is the “syntactic sugar”, i.e., an expressive, elegant syntax that, along with features like the dependency manager, makes development a more enjoyable experience.

Spring Boot Framework

The Spring Framework was initially released in 2002, making it one of the oldest web frameworks available in the market.

Spring Boot, which contains default configurations for bootstrapping, was released in 2014 and is now a popular framework for developing microservices based on Java.

It is an open-source Java framework that provides developers with a fully production-ready environment that can be used to create microservices and standalone apps using a single dependency.

ExpressJS

ExpressJS is one of the top frameworks overall among developers and is used in a wide range of applications.

It is a minimalistic, free, and open-source backend web app framework distributed under the MIT license that enables developers with a wide range of features and tools required to build modern web apps, APIs, and services.

If you are looking to build REST APIs, ExpressJS is one of the best tools available for this type of project.

CakePHP

As the name suggests, CakePHP is an open-source web framework written in PHP. It is a highly opinionated, rapid development framework that allows developers to build a wide range of web apps easily.

CakePHP brings several advantages to PHP development, including better performance, session management, and update consistency. It is modelled after Rails and follows the convention over configuration paradigm, enabling better developer productivity.

Koa

Koa is a free and open-source Node.js framework developed by the creators of ExpressJS. It is a flexible web framework that aims to be a smaller yet more robust foundation for web APIs and apps.

Compared to other Asp.Net alternatives, Koa has a smaller footprint that allows developers to write better middleware.

One of the main selling points of Koa is the use of ES6 generators, which reduces the number of callbacks. It also comes with an easily configurable catchall for errors, enabling developers to avoid crashes easily.

Phoenix Framework

Phoenix is one of the leading web frameworks in the Elixir ecosystem, which is a dynamic, functional language for building scalable and maintainable HTML5 applications, APIs, etc.

Phoenix uses a server-side MVC architecture and enables developers with the tools and resources required to build low-latency, fault-tolerant, distributed systems written in Elixir.

Flask

Flask is one of the most popular Python frameworks and a lightweight alternative to Django. It is a microframework designed to develop web applications quickly and easily while keeping enough headspace to expand the app in the future.

Flask supports a plethora of features and libraries, including extensions for ORM, validation, authentication, upload handling, and other common tools. It is the ideal choice for smaller, niche projects that demand rapid results.

Sinatra Framework

Sinatra is a popular Ruby microframework dependent on the Rack webserver interface. It is primarily designed to be small and flexible and does not follow the typical MVC pattern.

Sinatra is an excellent framework for new developers looking to learn to program in Ruby but is powerful enough to develop a functioning web app with just a single file.

Sinatra is used by several popular corporations like Apple, BBC, Heroku, GitHub, etc.

Conclusion

The .NET platform is extremely useful for building scalable, enterprise-scale infrastructures and Microsoft extends several features and tools to build robust web apps with advanced functionalities.

However, in specific projects that do not require the features and advantages of the platform, alternatives to Asp.Net mentioned above can help you get the job done.

If you cannot decide among these, you can talk to one of the experts at a leading app hosting company and get valuable insights on the topic.

You can also collaborate with them to get your hands on the best software solutions for your next project.

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