Before understanding .NET Framework let’s clarify what is the framework? A framework is a tool that provides ready-made components or solutions that are customized in order to speed up development. A framework may include a library but is defined by the principle of inversion of control. Microsoft .NET Framework is a software development platform for building and running Windows applications. .NET is also used to build websites, web services, and games. Microsoft started development on the .Net Framework in the late 1990s originally under the name of Next Generation Windows Services. Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8 was the final version of .NET Framework, future work going into the rewritten and cross-platform .NET Core platform, which shipped as .NET 5 in November 2020.
Key Differences
Basically, Microsoft .NET Core is a free, open-source, general-purpose development platform to build cloud-based software applications on Windows, Linux, and macOS whereas Microsoft’s .Net Framework is a software development platform for building and running Windows applications. Microsoft .NET framework includes developer tools, programming languages, and libraries that are used to develop desktop and web applications. The key difference between .NET Core and .NET Framework is a platform for .NET applications on Windows whereas, NET Core is the latest version of the .NET Framework which is a cross-platform and open-source framework optimized for modern app needs and developer workflows.