Top .NET Framework Trends of 2025 — What Developers Need to Know

The .NET ecosystem has come a long way, but the latest .NET Framework trends for 2025 prove there’s still much to explore and develop. Since its release in 2002, every newer version has brought some sort of upgrade, like the Parallel Task Library in .NET 4.0 and the shift to .NET Core in 2016. The introduction of later .NET versions unified these advancements to make development faster and more flexible.

So, what does 2025 hold? Here’s a sneak peek: Improved ASP.NET Core integration with Docker, stronger security features fixing vulnerabilities like CVE-2024-21409, and greater support for IoT apps.

You will also see newer development with Azure, easier workflows that reach full-stack web development, better capabilities with native .NET apps, and some pretty powerful machine learning tools that will completely stir up your technology setup and enhance your workflow.

Table of contents

• Cloud-native development with .NET
• ASP.NET Core advancements
• Blazor for full-stack web development
• Mobile app development with Xamarin
• Security enhancements in .NET
• ML.NET and AI integration
• Usage of .NET MAUI for native.NET app development
• .NET for IoT networks
• .NET for game development
• Connectivity solutions with dotConnect
• Conclusion

Cloud-native development with .NET

The latest 2024 versions of the Azure SDK for .NET streamline the integration of Azure services into cloud-native applications, whether you’re building web applications, microservices, or serverless functions. 

Examples include upgrades to libraries like Azure.Messaging.ServiceBus and Azure.Identity_1.13.0 with improved logging and better authentication protocols. You can also use the Azure.ResourceManager library to monitor API calls and network requests way more effectively.

What’s more, Azure supports more than 100 services that natively integrate with .NET, such as Azure App Service, Azure Functions, and Azure Cosmos DB. They make it easier to develop, debug, and monitor your applications locally before moving them into the cloud.

This way, you will be able to build highly scalable, resilient, and flexible apps. It also allows enterprises to use full-cycle Azure DevOps to implement productive CI/CD pipelines that automate testing and deployment processes.

ASP.NET Core advancements

ASP.NET Core is moving fast, and the wave of .NET trends ushers in exciting updates that extend the framework’s capabilities and improve how we can deploy and manage applications. All eyes are on ASP.NET Core 9 and .NET 9 candidate 2, launching in November 2024.

This new version comes with built-in support for OpenAPI document generation, which simplifies API documentation, and the introduction of the HybridCache API for more advanced caching. It will also improve the developer exception page’s usability and add new features in SignalR for real-time applications.

But what sets ASP.NET Core ahead for your projects this year, as opposed to other .NET frameworks like ASP.NET MVC and ASP.NET Web API? 

While these are cornerstones within the .NET ecosystem, they don’t have some of the modern architecture and flexibility ASP.NET Core brings — particularly for building cross-platform applications or microservices.

Check the table below to see how these frameworks compare.

Feature	ASP.NET Core 9.0	ASP.NET MVC	ASP.NET Web API
Framework Type	Unified framework for web apps and APIs.	Framework for building web applications.	Framework for building RESTful services.
Cross-Platform Support	Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux.	Limited to Windows.	Limited to Windows.
Performance	High performance; supports asynchronous programming.	Moderate performance; relies on synchronous processing.	Moderate performance; supports async programming since version 2.0.
Dependency Injection	Built-in support.	Requires third-party libraries (e.g., Autofac, Ninject).	Requires third-party libraries (e.g., Autofac, Ninject).
Modularity	Highly modular; designed for containerization (Docker) and microservices architecture.	Monolithic architecture.	Primarily monolithic, but can create RESTful services that may fit into a microservices architecture when combined with ASP.NET Core.
Routing	Unified routing for both MVC and APIs.	Attribute and convention-based routing.	Attribute-based routing tailored for RESTful services.
JSON Serialization	Built-in JSON serialization.	Uses JSON.NET.	Uses JSON.NET; typically slower than the other frameworks due to lack of optimizations.

Unlike these other frameworks, ASP.NET Core offers built-in support for Azure services like Azure SQL Database and Azure Active Directory. This means you can easily link your application to the cloud, implement user authentication, and manage your data without any tricky third-party libraries or workarounds.

Besides, you can create and dockerize your ASP.NET Core applications, which saves you lots of time in deployment and keeps your code portable across environments. That means your application is guaranteed to work the same whether it is on the developer machine, test server, or in production.

To set up Docker with your .NET applications, you only have to:

• Install Docker.
• Add Docker support. In Visual Studio, right-click on your ASP.NET Core project and select Add > Docker Support. This will create a “Dockerfile” and a “.dockerignore” file.
• Build the Docker image. Execute the following command: “docker build -t my-aspnet-core-app.” Replace “my-aspnet-core-app” with what you would like to name your Docker image.
• Run the Docker container. Start the container by running “docker run -d -p 80:80 –name my-aspnet-container my-aspnet-core-app.”

Blazor for full-stack web development

Blazor is the next generation in SPA frameworks. Instead of playing around with JavaScript and complicated setups, you can create dynamic websites using C#, HTML, and CSS.

What’s great about this framework is that it lets you build applications for the web and even hybrid apps for desktop and mobile — it doesn’t matter if you are developing .NET static pages or complex, interactive apps. You can break your app down into reusable components that bundle both the UI and the logic together. You will then be able to develop each component in isolation without feeling strained by managing and maintaining your code base.

It also serves as the foundation for building ASP.NET Core Blazor Progressive Web Applications (PWAs), enabling you to create apps that behave like native applications. Simply use Blazor WebAssembly (which lets you run .NET code in browsers) to build PWAs with offline access, push notifications, and installation on user devices.

New to Blazor? Check these tutorials to stay tuned to the latest trends!

Mobile app development with Xamarin

Building .NET mobile apps can be a real pain — dealing with different languages and frameworks for every platform. It’s quite the opposite with Xamarin: You develop native applications for iOS, Android, and Windows from just one codebase. Its architecture allows up to 75% code sharing, but you can also create custom platform-specific code if you need it. The result? Faster development, reduced costs, and consistent user experiences across devices.

The bad news is that Microsoft officially announced that support for Xamarin ended in May 2024. That means no further updates will be provided, not even bug fixes or security patches, for Xamarin.Android, Xamarin.iOS, or Xamarin.Forms.

That’s why you should consider migrating to .NET MAUI, a multi-platform app UI and the successor to Xamarin. As we will see in detail below, it generally allows a more modern and flexible way to develop native applications across platforms, with better performance and access to new APIs.

Important: Continuing to use Xamarin poses significant risks, including potential compatibility issues with future operating system updates. Google Play will block Xamarin. Android in August 2025, while Apple will do the same with Xamarin.iOS in April 2025.

Security enhancements in .NET

Much of the focus in most .NET Framework trends is on application safety and integrity. In this regard, Microsoft published some critical updates that cover denial-of-service issues and fixes for remote code execution vulnerabilities, especially one related to the HTTP .NET remoting server.

Every new release makes .NET even safer. Now, you get features that block security holes, check your inputs more carefully, handle errors better, and keep your data more secure.

Besides the enhanced security, recent updates ensure quality and reliability in your applications. That covers various optimizations that reduce memory usage for faster response times and bug fixes that guarantee fewer sudden crashes.

ML.NET and AI integration

If you’re a .NET developer interested in machine learning, then ML.NET is a great place to start. It’s a cross-platform, open-source framework from Microsoft that allows the development of ML native apps using C# or F#. You could build a web app that predicts customer behavior or a desktop app that classifies images depending on user input.

It’s fast and reliable, with each update ensuring your applications work well and your data is safe. Plus, you get access to ML libraries like TensorFlow.NET, Accord.NET, CNTK, and ONNX.

Now, ML.NET is just one piece in the conglomerate of AI-related .NET trends that are emerging in 2025. You can also use Azure AI to incorporate most AI functionalities into your projects, from natural language processing to predictive analytics. For example, you can create a chatbot that will help customers find their products on your website or even an application to predict sales trends based on historical data.

What’s more, you can take advantage of Azure Cognitive Services and its pre-built AI models to build your applications with a lot more capabilities, including computer vision, speech recognition, and sentiment analysis.

Usage of .NET MAUI for native.NET app development

As we mentioned above, .NET MAUI is the successor to Xamarin. It’s built on .NET 6 and uses C# and XAML. In contrast to Xamarin, .NET MAUI uses a single project structure, so you can write once and deploy across all platforms seamlessly. 

While it shines in cross-platform mobile app development, it’s also possible to use it to create macOS and Windows apps. However, its adoption for desktop applications is still catching up because many developers still seem more comfortable with other frameworks like WPF or WinForms. 

Whatever you decide to use it for,.NET MAUI provides direct access to native APIs, such as camera, GPS, and file storage. It also supports a whole set of reusable UI components with ready-built controls and layouts, which make development faster and far more productive.

The most standout update this year has been the integration with HybridWebView. This allows you to import existing web applications into .NET MAUI projects and host HTML/JavaScript content within a WebView — facilitating communication between JavaScript code and C#/.NET.

.NET for IoT networks

Ever thought about building projects with sensors and devices? The latest .NET trends make it possible now. It lets you use C# to build IoT apps that run on popular hardware platforms like Raspberry Pi and HummingBoar. On top of it, you can work with specialized hardware, such as temperature sensors and displays, using open-source libraries and frameworks.

There are even .NET IoT libraries for handling different communications and connecting things like accelerometers and LCD screens to your devices.

While there’s still much to improve, .NET for IoT works seamlessly with Azure. Using the Azure IoT Hub, you can manage tons of devices from the cloud. This means easy setup, monitoring, and two-way communication with all your devices.

If you’re part of an enterprise-sized .NET team, you will also want to pay attention to Azure IoT Hub’s automatic device management. It makes things like updating configurations really easy: just define desired settings and then mark a large set of devices to apply them. Additionally, you can track device states and properties in real time with the device twin feature, getting valuable insights into performance to identify potential issues.

.NET for game development

.NET trends cover all aspects of application development, and that includes the gaming industry. You can use .NET to create games for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, as well as consoles like Xbox and PlayStation.

It works fairly well with major game engines, giving you a lot of freedom when developing your game. For example, Unity lets you create high-quality games using C# for the logic while leveraging the massive toolbox of .NET features. Another option is MonoGame. It’s the open-source implementation of Microsoft’s XNA framework to create 2D and 3D games on multiple platforms.

What’s more, you can manage game backends using .NET’s integration with Azure PlayFab, such as player data or in-game purchases.

Connectivity solutions with dotConnect

To reap all the benefits of .NET Framework trends, you’ll need to connect your .NET applications with a variety of databases. Without the right tools, you will get slowdowns and compatibility issues — not to mention poor access and manipulation of your data. A solution like dotConnect can help you avoid these problems while making your development process easier.

It’s a versatile tool for building all kinds of data-driven apps. Plus, it supports most popular databases, works fast, and is compatible with all versions of Entity Framework, including Entity Framework Core. This way, you can easily access and convert your data, writing code that talks directly to your database

Introduction to dotConnect 

dotConnect is a robust data connectivity solution that helps you develop .NET applications faster and easier. Built on the ADO.NET architecture, it provides high-performance data providers for major databases like Oracle and MySQL, as well as popular cloud applications like Salesforce and Adobe Commerce.

You can use it to build ORM models integrating with Entity Framework and Entity Framework Core. In addition, it works with a wide range of development tools, including Visual Studio and Microsoft Sync Framework, to help you save time, reduce complexity, and streamline your workflow.

Benefits of using dotConnect

• Fast work speed: dotConnect allows you to access and manipulate data quickly to simplify your coding and help you deliver features faster.
• Broad database support: No more worries about compatibility – dotConnect works with Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL, DB2, Oracle, InterBase, SQLite, Firebird, DB2, and Microsoft Access.
• Extensive integration: dotConnect integrates with various third-party tools, from development environments like Visual Studio to cloud services such as Salesforce Marketing Cloud and Microsoft Dynamics 365.
• ORM development support: In addition to its compatibility with Entity Framework and Entity Framework Core, dotConnect supports LinqConnect and NHibernate. It also provides a visual ORM designer through Entity Developer to make your work easier.
• Robust security: dotConnect offers built-in support for SSL and advanced authentication methods, so you can rest easy knowing that your application data is secure.
• Backward compatibility: dotConnect is designed with your existing projects in mind, which means you can upgrade without the concern of introducing breaking changes.

Entity Developer

Entity Developer is dotConnect’s versatile ORM designer, designed for .NET developers who are overwhelmed by complex coding or struggle to keep their data models consistent. It supports Entity Framework, Entity Framework Core, NHibernate, LinqConnect, Telerik Data Access, and LINQ to SQL. 

Plus, it provides an intuitive visual designer interface where you can build your data models using drag and drop. Once the design is done, you will be able to automatically generate code and further tweak it to your specific needs. With just a few clicks, you can also refactor and validate your models to ensure they align with your application’s requirements.

Conclusion 

.NET Framework trends are unleashing a whole world of possibilities for developing .NET applications more easily and quickly.  However, without reliable data access, you will find your progress stalled by frustrating performance issues and compatibility challenges.

Use dotConnect to ensure seamless access to databases, extensive integration, high performance, and ORM support. You will be able to efficiently manage your data while focusing on building all kinds of high-quality .NET applications.