What is a .NET application?
Intermediate – Web/Development
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A .NET application is software built on .NET, Microsoft’s free, open-source developer platform. Developers write .NET applications in languages such as C#, F#, and Visual Basic. The same platform can target web, desktop, mobile, cloud, gaming, IoT, and machine learning workloads on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
How a .NET application works
When a developer builds a .NET application, the source code compiles into an intermediate format called Intermediate Language (IL). At runtime, the Common Language Runtime (CLR) translates that IL into native machine code the device can execute. The CLR also handles memory management, security checks, and error handling.
Every .NET app also draws on a large set of base class libraries for common tasks like file access, networking, and data handling. For apps that need faster startup, modern .NET can compile directly to native code ahead of time with Native AOT.
.NET vs .NET Framework
The name “.NET" covers two related platforms, and the difference matters when you plan where an app will run.
| .NET Framework | .NET (formerly .NET Core) | |
|---|---|---|
| First released | 2002 | 2016, as .NET Core |
| Operating systems | Windows only | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Current status | Version 4.8.1 is the final major release; still supported as part of Windows, with no new features | Actively developed, with a new major version every November |
| Open source | No | Yes (MIT license) |
| Typical use | Existing business and line-of-business apps | New, cloud-native, and cross-platform development |
Microsoft dropped “Core" from the name with .NET 5 in 2020. The current long-term support release is .NET 10. See Microsoft’s .NET support policy for release dates and end-of-support timelines.
Types of .NET applications
Web applications
ASP.NET Core is the framework for building web apps, REST APIs, and real-time services. Blazor lets developers build interactive web interfaces in C# instead of JavaScript. Older ASP.NET Web Forms sites still run on .NET Framework, but Web Forms isn’t available on modern .NET.
Desktop applications
Windows desktop apps are built with Windows Forms, Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), or WinUI 3. .NET MAUI covers desktop apps that need to run on both Windows and macOS. Windows Forms and WPF apps are Windows-only, even on modern .NET.
Mobile applications
.NET MAUI (Multi-platform App UI) builds native Android and iOS apps from a single C# codebase. It replaced Xamarin, which reached end of support in May 2024.
Cloud apps and microservices
.NET apps package easily into Docker containers and deploy to Azure, AWS, Google Cloud, or Kubernetes. .NET Aspire adds tooling for building and running distributed, cloud-native .NET applications.
Games
Unity, one of the most widely used game engines, uses C# for scripting. MonoGame and the Godot engine also support C# for 2D and 3D game development. Studios building .NET games often pair their in-house development with specialists, such as teams that handle outsourcing 2D game art, to speed up production and improve visual quality.
IoT applications
The .NET IoT libraries let developers control sensors and hardware on devices such as the Raspberry Pi, running on Linux or Windows.
Machine learning and AI
ML.NET lets developers train and run custom machine learning models without leaving .NET. Newer libraries make it simpler to connect a .NET app to large language models and AI services.
Examples of .NET applications
Stack Overflow runs on ASP.NET. Beyond well-known sites, a huge share of business software is a .NET application: accounting tools, ERP systems, practice management software, point-of-sale systems, and custom in-house apps built over the last two decades.
Running .NET applications from anywhere with cloud desktops
Many companies still depend on .NET Framework desktop apps built with Windows Forms or WPF. These apps only run on Windows, and rewriting them for other platforms is expensive and slow. That becomes a problem once part of the team works on Macs, Chromebooks, or personal devices.
Cloud desktops solve this without touching the code. With V2 Cloud, we host your Windows applications in the cloud, so your team can open any .NET application from any device through a browser or lightweight client. The app and its data stay on the server, and IT manages updates, users, and backups from one IT management console. Nothing sensitive lives on employee laptops.
Want to see how it works for your team? Explore our cloud desktop plans or the full V2 Cloud platform.
.NETApp Frequently asked questions
Is .NET the same as NetApp?
No. .NET is Microsoft’s software development platform. NetApp is a separate company that sells data storage and cloud data management products.
Is .NET free?
Yes. .NET is free and open source under the MIT license, and it’s free to use for commercial applications. The source code is public on GitHub.
What programming languages does .NET support?
C# is the most widely used. .NET also supports F# and Visual Basic.
Can .NET app run on Mac or Linux?
Apps built on modern .NET can run on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Apps built on .NET Framework run only on Windows, but you can still reach them from a Mac or Linux machine through a Windows cloud desktop.
Is .NET Framework still supported?
Yes. .NET Framework 4.8.1 is supported as a component of Windows and receives security fixes, but Microsoft doesn’t add new features to it. New projects should use modern .NET.
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