What is Entity Framework Core and how does it differ from Entity Framework 6?
4 minbeginnerEF-CoreORMdatabase
Quick Answer
EF Core is Microsoft's lightweight, cross-platform, open-source ORM and a ground-up rewrite of Entity Framework 6. Compared to EF6 it runs on .NET Core/.NET 5+, is cross-platform, and adds features like `Include` filtering, batching, shadow properties, owned types, and better performance — but historically lacked some EF6 features (e.g., complex EDMX designer, certain mappings). EF Core is the modern, actively developed version.
Detailed Answer
Entity Framework Core (EF Core) is a lightweight, extensible, open-source, and cross-platform version of Entity Framework, Microsoft's Object-Relational Mapper (ORM) for .NET.
Key Differences:
| Aspect | EF Core | EF 6 |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Cross-platform (.NET Core, .NET 5+) | Windows only (.NET Framework) |
| Performance | Faster, more efficient | Slower |
| Features | Modern, lightweight | Feature-rich, mature |
| LINQ Translation | Improved client/server evaluation | Limited |
| Batching | Better batch operations | Limited batching |
| Global Query Filters | Supported | Not supported |
| Shadow Properties | Enhanced support | Limited |
| Owned Entities | Better support | Limited |
| Database Providers | More providers available | Fewer providers |
What EF Core doesn't have (from EF6):
- Lazy loading by default (needs configuration)
- Automatic migrations
- ObjectContext API
- Entity splitting
- Some inheritance strategies