Using .NET only Tech Stack for MVP: Pros & Cons

Picking the right tech stack for your Minimum Viable Product (MVP) starts with what the team is most comfortable working with. Furthermore, you also have to figure out if the stack will allow you to seamlessly scale while keeping maintenance simple.

There are many advantages and disadvantages to using various stacks to build an MVP, a .NET only tech stack isn’t any different. But if you’re a startup, most experienced .NET ninjas will tell you to practice caution.

This is because ASP.NET development has been divided into two categories that have significant cultural and architectural differences between them:

• NET MVC is a great framework that’s heavily influenced by Rails and is the platform of choice for coders who want to quickly ship software.
• WebForms is the platform of choice for enterprise developers who place more importance on documentation over shipping code.

Pros of using .NET Stack for your next MVP

A key advantage to using .Net development stack is the fact that Microsoft still plays an important role in the marketplace. As result, it will be easier to integrate it with various Microsoft products.

For databases, .NET works well with Oracle, MySQL, NoSQL, and SQL server. Further, you can also benefit from using the LINQ and Entity Framework.

A C#/.NET based business layer (async/await, multiple threads, and thread pool) also works well, but make sure that you only do what makes the most sense.

The Windows Server IIS can seamlessly scale to large number of users, but you have to know how to do it. You also need to have access to create your own User Interface (UI). All this can only be accomplished with ASP.NET MVC.

Visual Studio is excellent, so that’s another advantage of taking the .NET route.

Cons of using .NET Stack for your next MVP

Development on .NET can be slow, as a result, it doesn’t suit all businesses, especially startups. Further, If you’re focusing on a mobile app, then your focus should be on Android and iPhone.

Hosting on Microsoft’s Azure is growing and the prices have dropped in recent years, but it’s still not the leading choice.

If you have a corporate .NET WebForms developer, it will be the wrong choice for a startup (as it will cost you more time and money). Further, in this competitive job marketplace, you will also be forced to seek out developers that are highly familiar with Microsoft technologies.

In software engineering circles you will hear a pledge allegiance to MEAN or claim that MERN is the best choice out there. However, like with any other development stack, it really comes down to the skills and experience of your development team and the problem you’re looking to solve.

If the development team is really familiar with LAMP, then the decision has already been made for you. While .NET may not be ideal for startups, if that’s what your team knows best and it works well for what you’re hoping to achieve with your product, then, by all means, it should be your first choice.

What’s your experience using a .NET only tech stack? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below.