Old .NET Framework or modern .NET: which one does your project use?
Before you hire a .NET developer, check which “.NET” your system runs on, because the skills and the future are different. “.NET Framework” (up to 4.8.1) is the Windows-only platform most older business apps were built on. “Modern .NET” (.NET Core 3.1, then .NET 5 through .NET 10) is cross-platform and is where all new features land.
You can usually tell from the project files. A Web.config full of settings, a packages.config file and pages ending in .aspx mean .NET Framework. A Program.cs with builder.Services lines and an appsettings.json file mean modern .NET.
Microsoft’s lifecycle page says .NET Framework follows the Component Lifecycle Policy, meaning versions 4.7 to 4.8.1 are supported as part of the Windows versions they run on. Some older releases are already gone: 4.5.2, 4.6 and 4.6.1 retired on 26 April 2022, and 4.6.2 is listed as ending in January 2027. Modern .NET works differently, with fixed support windows per release.
Neither is “wrong” for a running business. But a developer who only knows one side may struggle on the other. Ask candidates which they have shipped to production, recently.
ASP.NET Core MVC vs Web API vs Blazor: which should your .NET developer use?
Choose MVC or Razor Pages for public-facing portals where pages must load fast and be readable by search engines, Web API when a mobile app or another system is the main consumer, and Blazor for internal tools where your team wants to write everything in C#. Many real projects combine two of them.
MVC and Razor Pages render HTML on the server. The browser receives a finished page, so first load is quick even on a budget Android phone over a patchy connection, which matters for dealer and customer portals in India. Razor Pages is simpler for form-heavy screens; MVC suits larger apps with many controllers.
Web API returns JSON rather than pages. It is the right core when you plan a Flutter or React Native app, or when partners must pull data from you. A good .NET developer documents it with OpenAPI so the app team or partner can work without phoning anyone.
Blazor lets developers build interactive screens in C# instead of JavaScript. Blazor Server keeps a live connection to the server and suits staff tools on a reliable office network. Blazor WebAssembly runs in the browser and suits apps that need to feel like desktop software. Microsoft’s own Blazor guide for Web Forms developers notes that WebAssembly does not support every feature yet and that chatty server-side apps can suffer latency, so the choice should follow your users’ connections.
Entity Framework Core and SQL Server skills to check when you hire
Almost every business .NET app lives or dies by its database layer, so test a candidate on Entity Framework Core and SQL Server before anything else. A developer who writes clean C# but fetches whole tables into memory will produce a slow app within a year.
Good EF Core practice looks like this: queries that select only the columns a screen needs, AsNoTracking for read-only lists, Include used deliberately rather than everywhere, pagination on every list, and migrations checked into the repository so the database schema has a history. For heavy reports, a good developer will happily drop to a stored procedure or a raw SQL query instead of forcing EF Core to do something it does poorly.
On the SQL Server side, look for comfort with execution plans, indexes on foreign keys and filter columns, and an understanding of locking. Many “the app hangs every afternoon” complaints turn out to be a long report transaction blocking the order-entry screen.
Five-minute test
Show a LINQ query that loads orders, then loops to read each customer’s name. Ask how many SQL queries run. A strong candidate spots the problem and rewrites it with a projection or Include.
When PostgreSQL is fine
EF Core works well with PostgreSQL through its provider. If you have no SQL Server licences and no stored procedures to keep, it can lower hosting costs; your developer should explain the trade-off.
The .NET support calendar: why November 2026 matters
If your app runs on .NET 8 or .NET 9, both reach end of support on 10 November 2026, according to Microsoft’s official .NET support policy page. After that date they receive no security patches. The current long-term release, .NET 10, was released on 11 November 2025 and is supported until 14 November 2028.
The pattern is predictable, which helps with budgeting. Microsoft ships a new major version every November. Even-numbered releases are Long Term Support with three years of patches; odd-numbered releases are Standard Term Support with two years. In the last six months of each window only security fixes are issued.
For most business apps, the sensible rhythm is to move from one LTS to the next: 8 to 10 now, 10 to 12 when that arrives. The jump between adjacent modern versions is usually modest: update the target framework, update NuGet packages, fix a handful of breaking changes, run tests. The big effort is only when coming from .NET Framework.
If you are hiring now, ask the candidate what they would do about the November 2026 deadline for your app, and how long it would take. A specific plan is a good sign.
Yes, and it is often the most sensible spend. A Web Forms app that has run your billing or admissions for ten years may not need rewriting this year; it needs someone who can fix it, harden it and keep it running while you decide.
Microsoft’s guide on migrating Web Forms to Blazor makes the same point: for a working app there is often no need to migrate, and Web Forms will continue to be supported for many years. What you give up by staying is access to newer features such as cross-platform hosting and newer performance work, because those exist only after a move to modern .NET.
Maintenance of Web Forms has its own skills: understanding ViewState and the page lifecycle, UpdatePanels, master pages, and the web.config sections where connection strings and sometimes secrets were stored in plain text. A careful developer moves those secrets out, removes debug settings from production, and checks that authentication is enforced on every page, not just the ones linked from the menu.
When the time comes to move, the least risky route is gradual: move business logic into class libraries that both old and new apps can share, then rebuild screens in MVC or Blazor one area at a time. We explain the full approach on our .NET Framework to .NET migration page.
Portals and internal tools succeed when the brief describes people and decisions, not screens. Tell your .NET developer who logs in, what they must see, what they may change, and who approves what.
A dealer portal, for example, needs dealer-specific pricing, order placement, invoice and ledger download, and perhaps a complaint ticket. An HR tool needs leave requests, approvals by reporting line, and exports for payroll. An inventory tool needs stock movements, reorder alerts and barcode-friendly entry screens on a tablet.
Three details save the most rework later. First, list the roles and write one sentence for each on what they can and cannot do. Second, list every report by name, with the columns finance or operations actually uses. Third, name every existing system the tool must talk to: Tally, an ERP, SMS, email, WhatsApp, a payment page. Each integration is real work and should be a visible line in your quote.
- Roles and permissions, one sentence each
- Reports by name, with columns and filters
- Integrations with owners and API access details
- Expected users now and in two years
- Where it will be hosted and who pays for hosting
If a portal is the main goal, our portal development page goes deeper on user journeys and permissions.
Azure hosting for .NET apps: what a developer should set up
Azure is the natural home for many .NET apps, but it is not the only option, and a good developer will tell you when a simple Windows or Linux server is enough. Modern ASP.NET Core is cross-platform, so Linux hosting on Azure, AWS or a VPS is possible for many apps.
For a business portal on Azure, a tidy setup usually includes App Service for the web app, Azure SQL Database or SQL Server on a VM for data, Key Vault for connection strings and API keys, Application Insights for errors and performance, and deployment slots so a new version can be tested before swapping it live. Backups and alerts should be switched on before launch, not after the first incident.
What drives the monthly Azure bill: the App Service plan tier, database size and performance tier, storage, outbound bandwidth, and anything left running that nobody uses. We document each resource and why it exists, and the subscription stays in your company’s name with billing from your card. Another of us leads hosting, and our cloud hosting setup service covers AWS too.
How do you screen a .NET developer if you are not technical?
Ask them to explain choices, not definitions, and listen for specifics. You can judge clarity and honesty even without reading C#.
These questions work well for business owners and managers. The notes after each describe what a strong answer includes.
- “Would you build our portal in MVC, Razor Pages or Blazor, and why?” A strong answer asks who the users are and what connections they have before choosing.
- “Our app is on .NET 8. What happens in November 2026?” They should know support ends and outline an upgrade to .NET 10.
- “How would you find why the orders screen is slow?” Look for measuring first: logs, Application Insights, SQL execution plans.
- “Where do you keep the database password?” Right answers mention user secrets locally and Key Vault or environment variables in production.
- “How do you deploy without downtime?” Deployment slots, health checks and a rollback route.
- “What would you leave in Web Forms rather than rewrite?” A mature developer can name things that are fine as they are.
For a broader hiring framework that works across languages, see hiring for custom software.
.NET developer rates in India: INR and USD bands explained
.NET developer rates in India spread widely, and the drivers are predictable: seniority, legacy versus modern work, how the engagement is billed, and whether the price includes project management and testing.
Hourly and monthly “dedicated developer” pricing sells time; you manage the outcome. Project pricing sells an outcome against a written scope. We use project pricing with milestones: new .NET business apps start at ₹60,000 for clients in India and US$900 for international clients, and legacy work is quoted after an audit so you are not paying for guesses.
What tends to push a .NET quote up: Web Forms or WCF in the mix, no source control history, no tests, many integrations, data migration from old databases, and compliance requirements like detailed audit logs. What brings it down: clear roles and reports, designs or reference screens supplied, and a single person approving changes quickly.
When comparing quotes, line up scope first. A lower figure that leaves out reports, deployment or data migration is not cheaper; it is incomplete.
Who you work with when you hire .NET developers from us, and our limits
You work with three named people, not a rotating pool. One of us builds the application end to end, another of us handles SQL Server and Azure or AWS hosting, data and security checks, and the third of us plans milestones, runs weekly demos and automates routine work.
Because three of us read the same solution, a holiday or illness does not stall your project. Everything lives in your repository, and decisions are written down in the issue tracker or the README rather than in one person’s head.
Our limits are real. We do not supply developers to sit in your office. We do not handle servers, networks or hardware physically. We are not a fit for programmes that need ten or twenty .NET engineers in parallel. And we do not claim Microsoft partner status or certifications. What we offer is a small, accountable team for builds, upgrades and upkeep with a clear scope.
How long does it take to hire a .NET developer and launch?
Hiring us takes days: a call, an itemised quote in about two working days, and a start once you approve in writing. A new .NET business app then typically takes 6 to 12 weeks, released in stages.
A typical rhythm for a portal: week one sets up the solution, database, login and roles on a staging site you can open. Weeks two to five build the main workflows, one per week, each shown in a demo. The following weeks cover reports, integrations, data import and testing with a few real users. Launch includes deployment, backups, monitoring and a handover session.
Legacy work runs differently. The first week is spent getting the solution to build, reading the code and listing risks. Only then do we fix things, in the order that protects your business most.
Code, database and Azure ownership when you hire a .NET developer
Everything should belong to you from the first commit: the Git repository, the Azure tenant or server, the SQL database, domain and any third-party API keys. We work as invited users whose access you control.
This protects you from the most painful failure in outsourcing: a vendor who holds the source code or the cloud subscription and charges to release them. It also means you can bring in another developer later without asking our permission.
A .NET handover from us includes the solution with build instructions for Visual Studio and the dotnet CLI, EF Core migration history, a list of app settings and where each secret lives, a diagram of integrations, and a short video walkthrough of deployment. General terms are on our terms page.
Red flags when you hire a .NET developer
Most .NET hiring mistakes are visible in the first week if you know what to watch. Treat these as reasons to slow down.
- Recommends a complete rewrite of a working Web Forms app without an audit or a business reason
- Stores connection strings and API keys in Web.config or appsettings.json committed to Git
- Builds the Azure resources in their own subscription “for convenience”
- Cannot say which .NET version your app runs on or when its support ends
- Deploys by copying files from their laptop to production
- Uses Blazor for a public, search-dependent site without discussing load time and SEO
- No staging environment, so testing happens on live data
None of these needs technical knowledge to spot. Ask, and write down the answers.
Hire a .NET developer across India, remotely
We work with businesses in every state over WhatsApp, video calls and shared repositories, so the city you are in does not limit your choice of .NET developer.
Manufacturers in Ludhiana, Rajkot and Faridabad often run older Windows-based order and dispatch systems. Education and healthcare groups in Lucknow, Bhopal and Kochi ask for admissions and patient portals. Trading and textile businesses in Surat and Jaipur want dealer portals linked to their accounting data. Port and logistics firms around Visakhapatnam need tracking and document tools.
Since we never visit, we ask for secure remote access to a staging copy of your system, and we test on low-end Android phones and slower connections because that is how many of your dealers and staff will open the portal. Indian clients receive GST invoices where applicable and pay by UPI or bank transfer.
Worked example: a dealer portal replacing emailed Excel orders
This is a hypothetical scenario, not a client story. Imagine a bicycle-parts manufacturer in Ludhiana with 180 dealers who email Excel order sheets. Office staff retype them into a ten-year-old Web Forms app on SQL Server 2014 that also handles dispatch and invoicing.
The owner wants dealers to order directly and see their ledger. A tempting plan is to rewrite everything in Blazor. A safer plan keeps the Web Forms app for office staff and adds a new ASP.NET Core MVC dealer portal on .NET 10, reading and writing the same SQL Server database through a shared class library for pricing and stock rules.
Phase one, about five weeks: dealer login, catalogue with dealer-specific prices, order placement and ledger view, tested with ten dealers. Phase two: order status updates on WhatsApp through the official API, and a small Web API so a future mobile app can reuse everything. Phase three, only if the business wants it: move office screens from Web Forms to Blazor module by module.
Each phase is quoted separately. The owner can stop after phase one with a working portal and a system that is no worse than before.
Checklist: what to send when you hire a .NET developer
Send these details with your first message and you will get a more accurate quote, faster.
- What you want built or fixed, and by when
- .NET Framework or modern .NET, and the version if known
- Web Forms, MVC 5, ASP.NET Core MVC, Razor Pages, Blazor or API
- Database: SQL Server version, size, and whether a sanitised copy is possible
- Hosting: Azure, AWS, your own Windows server, or undecided
- Integrations: Tally, ERP, SMS, email, WhatsApp, payment
- Number of users by role, now and expected
- Who approves work and how fast
- Any audit, data-retention or access-log requirements
You can send it through our contact page or straight to WhatsApp.
AI features, search visibility and .NET apps
A .NET app can call AI models through their HTTP APIs or official SDKs, and Microsoft’s Semantic Kernel library helps structure that work in C#. The hard part is choosing which data may be sent and checking the output, not the call itself.
Practical uses in business tools include reading supplier invoices into structured fields, drafting replies to customer tickets for staff to approve, and answering questions from policy documents. AI automation projects start at ₹40,000, and we agree data handling rules before any build.
Search visibility matters only for public pages. If your .NET portal has a public catalogue or dealer locator, server-rendered MVC pages with clean URLs, a sitemap and structured data give Google and AI search engines readable content. Logged-in areas should stay blocked from indexing. Our SEO services can support the public side, and nobody can honestly guarantee rankings.