ASP.NET Core is an open-source web development framework from the ASP.NET family, running on macOS, Linux, and Windows. Launched in 2016, it's a revamped version of its earlier Windows-only iteration, designed for building modern web apps on the .NET platform.
ASP.NET Core emphasizes performance, consistently outperforming other popular web frameworks in independent benchmarks like TechEmpower.
It supports the rapid evolution of runtime components, APIs, compilers, and languages, ensuring app stability. ASP.NET Core allows multiple versions to coexist on the same server, enabling apps to either adopt the latest version or continue on their existing version.
ASP.NET, part of the wider .NET framework, thrives on its open-source nature, with contributions from over 60,000 developers and 3,700 companies on GitHub.
ASP.NET Core applications can be developed and run on macOS, Windows, Linux, and Docker, with comprehensive tools available in the Visual Studio family and command-line utilities for various platforms.
Apps can be deployed with an integrated ASP.NET Core runtime or on a centralized web server. The framework is also optimized for Docker containers.
Microsoft offers official, Azure-tested .NET releases with full support, alongside a flexible support policy for ASP.NET Core. Options include long-term support releases or the latest releases requiring more frequent updates. Additionally, Red Hat supports .NET Core on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), ensuring compatibility and performance.