MVC is the latest architecture in Microsoft’s ASP.NET framework. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the most appropriate for all development. Let’s look at the differences of each framework and the situations each are more useful.

ASP.Net is a web application framework by Microsoft that is built on a common language runtime for building dynamic web pages. ASP.Net works with common programming languages, including VB.NET and C#, which can be combined with HTML. ASP.NET is a server side technology that can be hosted on any server that runs Windows.

ASP.NET MVC is one of the three of Microsoft’s web application frameworks. It was designed with separation of concerns and testability in mind. The three logic layers – model-view-controller- handle a different aspect. Model handles the database part, view handles the user interface and display, and controller handles the logic.

While ASP.NET MVC has more technological benefits, it also has greater startup costs. There are certain benefits yielded from MVC’s closeness to the code that are more substantial depending on the application.

Before we move on to discuss the ideal situation of their uses, you might want to check out their advantages and disadvantages that we listed out in our last blog.

When to use ASP.NET

ASP.NET requires less expertise than MVC and is much faster to develop web applications overall. Prior knowledge of HTML is not required. ASP.NET uses a more mature code-base and has a larger web control toolbox. It’s more sensible to use ASP.NET if you are already relying on 3rd party UI controls.

When to use ASP.NET MVC

The main advantage of using MVC is its separation of concerns. This allows for parallel development – different developers can work on Controller, View, and Model separately. This makes MVC ideal for team development. Since the controller is a separate class, automatic testing is possible using a test-as-you-develop, or Test Driven Development approach. Because controllers are not bound to a specific view, they can be reused for multiple views.

Since there is no view state there is no automatic state management – performance doesn’t take a hit on the page size. MVC supports RESTful interfaces using rich routing features that treat every URL as a resource. This improves overall Search Engine Optimization.

Also, MVC gives developers more control options. Since MVC doesn’t support server controls, developers must use HTML input controls. Integrating ASP.NET MVC applications with third party JavaScript libraries like jQuery is easier.

Which is better?

Although MVC has more benefits, it also requires greater expertise to implement. Therefore, the nature of the application and the development team play a factor in which to use. MVC is generally preferable when the project size is larger and requires a faster development cycle. MVC is ideal for teams because each aspect can be developed simultaneously. Also, MVC is preferable when there are more requirements for an improved architecture.

ASP.NET can technically do almost everything MVC can but may require additional manual coding. Therefore, ASP.NET is preferable when developing smaller, less complex applications. ASP.NET is useful for easier access to web controls or when adapting a legacy codebase.

AllianceTek has equal expertise in both ASP.NET and ASP.NET MVC and can recommend which technology is ideal for your project requirements.

Call us at 484-892-5713 or Contact Us today to discuss which technology is right for you and how to implement it. Schedule an appointment today!