Difference Between C# and ASP.NET

Last Updated : 02 Apr, 2023

Pre-requisites: C#, ASP.NET

C# (also known as C sharp) is an object-oriented programming language that is used to produce an array of applications for gaming, mobile, web, and Windows platforms also It is a modern and type-safe language and provides simple syntax which makes it easier to learn and it also supports features like automatic memory management and garbage collection. C# can be used to develop the following applications:

Desktop applications
Game development
Mobile application development
Web development
Database Programming

ASP.NET is an open-source web application framework that is used for building dynamic web pages and web applications. It supports features like built-in authentication and authorization which increase the security of an application. It provides a large number of libraries and frameworks to simplify the development process and also supports multiple programming languages such as C#. ASP.NET can be used to develop the following applications:

E-commerce applications
Content management systems (CMS)
Enterprise applications
Web services
Cloud applications

Difference between C# and ASP.NET

Feature	C# (C-Sharp)	ASP.NET
Definition	It is a programming language.	It is a web development framework.
Developed by	It was developed by Microsoft.	It was developed by Microsoft.
Platform	.NET Framework, .NET Core, Xamarin.	.NET Framework, .NET Core.
Code Execution	Compiled	Compiled and interpreted (server-side).
Application Type	It is used for creating console, desktop, mobile, and web applications.	It is used for dynamic web pages and web applications.
Performance	It depends on the application.	It is optimized for web applications.
Libraries	Access to .NET libraries such as Windows Forms, System.IO, and Standard Library.	Access to .NET libraries + web-specific libraries.
Security	It provides standard .NET security features such as Exception handling, Code access security, and Garbage collection.	It provides additional web security features such as built-in authentication and authorization.
Operating System	It supports Microsoft Windows, Linux, and macOS	It supports Microsoft Windows, Linux, and macOS