November 25, 2025 07:31 by
PeterHere is a comprehensive essay that compares the features of ASP.NET WebForms with their equivalents in ASP.NET Core MVC, replete with definitions, goals, creation instructions, and examples. This can be used straight away as a blog post.
One of Microsoft's first frameworks for creating dynamic webpages was ASP.NET WebForms. Like Windows Forms, it offered drag-and-drop controls, code-behind, postback handling, and event-driven programming.
However, WebForms became obsolete as web development progressed because of:
- Heavy ViewState
- Low performance
- Tight coupling
- Limited testability
- Difficulty in maintaining clean separation of concerns
ASP.NET Core MVC was introduced to solve these challenges with a modern, lightweight, testable, and scalable architecture.
This article explains:
- WebForms features
- Their ASP.NET Core MVC replacements
- Purpose of each
- Examples showing how things are done in MVC
1. WebForms vs ASP.NET Core MVC – Feature Comparison Table
| WebForms Feature | ASP.NET Core MVC Replacement | Purpose / Explanation |
| ASPX Pages |
Razor Views (.cshtml) |
Clean HTML + C# without ViewState; faster rendering |
| Code-behind (.aspx.cs) |
Controller Actions |
Controller handles requests instead of page lifecycle |
| Master Pages |
Razor Layout (_Layout.cshtml) |
Reusable template for common UI (header/footer) |
| User Controls (.ascx) |
Partial Views / View Components |
Reusable UI blocks |
| Server Controls (GridView, TextBox, etc.) |
HTML + Tag Helpers |
Lightweight, more control over HTML output |
| PostBack & ViewState |
Model Binding + HTTP verbs (GET/POST) |
Cleaner request handling without ViewState overhead |
| Page Life Cycle |
Middleware + MVC Request Pipeline |
Structured, testable request processing |
| Validation Controls |
Data Annotations + jQuery Validation |
Model-level validation |
| Data Binding (Eval, Bind) |
Strongly Typed Models |
Compile-time checking, safer and cleaner |
| Events (Button Click) |
Controller Actions (OnPost, OnGet) |
Clear routing-based action handling |
| Web.config settings |
appsettings.json, Program.cs |
Cleaner configuration with dependency injection |
2. How MVC Replaces WebForms – Explanation with Examples
2.1 ASPX Page → Razor View
WebForms
Default.aspx
<asp:Label ID="lblMessage" runat="server"></asp:Label>
<asp:Button ID="btnClick" Text="Click Me" runat="server" OnClick="btnClick_Click" />
Default.aspx.cs
protected void btnClick_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
lblMessage.Text = "Hello World!";
}
ASP.NET Core MVC Replacement: Razor View + Controller
Controller
public class HomeController : Controller
{
public IActionResult Index()
{
return View();
}
[HttpPost]
public IActionResult ShowMessage()
{
ViewBag.Message = "Hello World!";
return View("Index");
}
}
Razor View (Index.cshtml)
<form method="post" asp-action="ShowMessage">
<button type="submit">Click Me</button>
</form>
<h3>@ViewBag.Message</h3>
2.2 Master Pages → Razor Layout
WebForms
Site.Master
<asp:ContentPlaceHolder ID="MainContent" runat="server"></asp:ContentPlaceHolder>
ASP.NET Core MVC Replacement
Views/Shared/_Layout.cshtml
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<header>
<h1>My MVC App</h1>
</header>
<div class="content">
@RenderBody()
</div>
</body>
</html>
Use layout inside view
@{
Layout = "_Layout";
}
2.3 User Controls (.ascx) → Partial Views
WebForms
Header.ascx
<h2>Welcome User</h2>
ASP.NET Core MVC Replacement
Views/Shared/_Header.cshtml
<h2>Welcome User</h2>
Use partial:
@await Html.PartialAsync("_Header")
2.4 Server Controls → Tag Helpers
WebForms
<asp:TextBox ID="txtName" runat="server" />
<asp:Button ID="btnSubmit" runat="server" Text="Submit" />
ASP.NET Core MVC Replacement
<input asp-for="Name" class="form-control" />
<button class="btn btn-primary">Submit</button>
2.5 ViewState → Model Binding
WebForms
Uses ViewState automatically – very heavy.
ASP.NET Core MVC Replacement
Controller
[HttpPost]
public IActionResult Save(UserModel model)
{
return Content(model.Name);
}
View
<input asp-for="Name" />
No ViewState
Pure model binding
2.6 Validation Controls → Data Annotation Validation
WebForms
<asp:RequiredFieldValidator ControlToValidate="txtName" ErrorMessage="Name required" />
ASP.NET Core MVC Replacement
Model
public class UserModel
{
[Required]
public string Name { get; set; }
}
View
<input asp-for="Name" />
<span asp-validation-for="Name"></span>
3. Creating an ASP.NET Core MVC Project – Step-by-Step
Step 1: Create Project
Visual Studio →
Create New Project → ASP.NET Core Web App (Model-View-Controller)
Step 2: Project Structure
- Controllers
- Views
- Models
- wwwroot
- appsettings.json
Step 3: Create Model
public class Employee
{
public int Id { get; set; }
public string Name { get; set; }
}
Step 4: Create Controller
public class EmployeeController : Controller
{
public IActionResult Index()
{
return View();
}
}
Step 5: Create View
Views/Employee/Index.cshtml
<h2>Employee List</h2>
4. Why ASP.NET Core MVC Is Better than WebForms
- No ViewState → Faster pages
- Better control over HTML
- Follows MVC pattern (clean architecture)
- Works cross-platform (Windows, Linux, Mac)
- Lightweight and high performance
- Fully testable
- Modern front-end integrations (Bootstrap, Angular, React)
5. Conclusion
ASP.NET Core MVC is a modern replacement for WebForms.
It removes the limitations of WebForms like ViewState, server controls, postback, and complex lifecycle.
Instead, it offers:
- Razor Views
- Controllers
- Strongly typed models
- Tag Helpers
- Layout pages
- Middleware pipeline
Understanding how WebForms features map to MVC features helps developers migrate old systems or learn ASP.NET Core efficiently.
November 5, 2025 08:24 by
PeterFrom classic drag-and-drop Web Forms to contemporary MVC architecture and now to blazing-fast, cross-platform ASP.NET Core, ASP.NET has undergone tremendous evolution over the years. Developers may select the best technology for cloud solutions, SaaS products, enterprise applications, and APIs by being aware of the distinctions.
1. ASP.NET Web Forms
Overview
ASP.NET Web Forms (2002) follows an event-driven, server control-based model, similar to Windows desktop applications.
It uses ViewState to maintain UI state between requests.
- Key Features
- Drag-and-drop UI controls
- Rapid development
- Code-behind model
- Strong Visual Studio Designer support
Limitations
Heavy ViewState → slower performance
1. Not SEO-friendly
2. Tight coupling between UI & logic
3. Difficult to test (no clear separation)
Real-Time Use Case
Internal HR Management System (Leave request, employee attendance, salary slip portal)
Many legacy corporate internal portals still run on Web Forms because of rapid UI development & minimal front-end requirements.
Sample Code – Button Click event (Web Forms)
Default.aspx
<asp:Button ID="btnSubmit" runat="server" Text="Submit" OnClick="btnSubmit_Click" />
<asp:Label ID="lblMessage" runat="server" />
Default.aspx.cs
protected void btnSubmit_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
lblMessage.Text = "Request Submitted Successfully!";
}
2. ASP.NET MVC
Overview
Introduced in 2009, ASP.NET MVC follows the Model-View-Controller pattern, ensuring separation of concerns, testability & full control over HTML.
Key Features
- SEO-friendly
- No ViewState → lightweight
- Test-driven development
- Clean separation of concern
- Full control over HTML, CSS, JS
Limitations
- More coding compared to Web Forms
- Learning curve for beginners
Real-Time Use Case
E-commerce Application (Amazon-like portals)
- Product listing pages
- User login & cart management
- SEO-friendly product URLs (/products/shoes/sneakers)
Example – Return JSON response (MVC)
Controller
public class ProductController : Controller
{
public ActionResult GetProduct()
{
var product = new { Id = 101, Name = "Laptop", Price = 55000 };
return Json(product, JsonRequestBehavior.AllowGet);
}
}
Overview
ASP.NET Core (2016+) is a cross-platform, high-performance framework designed for cloud & microservices architecture.
Key Features
- Runs on Linux, Windows, macOS
- High performance, lightweight
- Dependency Injection built-in
- Unified MVC + Web API framework
- Cloud-ready, container-friendly (Docker/Kubernetes)
- Minimal APIs for microservices
Real-Time Use Case
Online Trading / Banking API System
- Real-time stock market API
- Payment gateway integration
- Secure authentication (JWT, OAuth)
- Microservices workload
Banks, fintech & startups use ASP.NET Core for high speed + security.
Example – Minimal API (Core)
var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
var app = builder.Build();
app.MapGet("/stock", () => "Stock Price: ₹102.55");
app.Run();
Comparison Table
| Feature | Web Forms | MVC | ASP.NET Core |
| UI Style |
Drag-and-drop |
Razor views |
Razor + Blazor + APIs |
| Architecture |
Page-based |
MVC |
Modular + MVC + Minimal APIs |
| Cross Platform |
No |
No |
Linux/Mac/Windows |
| ViewState |
Yes |
No |
No |
| Performance |
Low-Medium |
Medium-High |
Very High |
| Ideal For |
Legacy systems |
Web portals |
Cloud apps, APIs, microservices |
| Real Use Case |
Internal HR system |
E-commerce website |
FinTech, SaaS, Banking APIs |
Which Should You Choose?
| Scenario | Best Option |
| Maintain old enterprise system |
Web Forms |
| Build structured web app |
MVC |
| Modern cloud, microservices, APIs |
ASP.NET Core |
Conclusion
ASP.NET's evolution shows how modern application needs have changed from simple web pages to scalable cloud-native systems. If you are starting a new project today → ASP.NET Core is the recommended choice.