Coder Life

Choosing the right data access strategy is a critical architectural decision in any .NET application. Two of the most widely used options are Dapper and Entity Framework Core (EF Core) . This article provides a detailed comparison covering performance, architecture, scalability, maintainability, and real-world usage scenarios. Understanding the Core Difference The primary difference between Dapper and EF Core lies in the level of abstraction they provide. Dapper is a micro ORM that offers minimal abstraction and maximum control. EF Core is a full ORM focused on developer productivity and maintainability. This distinction impacts performance, development speed, and long-term scalability. What is Dapper? Dapper is a lightweight object mapper that works directly with raw SQL queries. It extends IDbConnection and maps query results to C# objects with very little overhead. How Dapper Works Executes raw SQL No change tracking No state management ...