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IIS vs Microsoft .NET Framework comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 5, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

IIS
Ranking in Application Infrastructure
1st
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
56
Ranking in other categories
Application Server (4th)
Microsoft .NET Framework
Ranking in Application Infrastructure
3rd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
53
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2025, in the Application Infrastructure category, the mindshare of IIS is 12.4%, down from 13.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft .NET Framework is 5.8%, down from 7.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Application Infrastructure
 

Featured Reviews

VikramSingh6 - PeerSpot reviewer
A simple and easy-to-use solution but not recommended for public apps
I would rate the overall solution a six out of ten. We have around five to six developers and engineers for the solution’s deployment and maintenance. You can use the solution if your website is not too big or complicated. However, if it is big and complicated, then you need to use Apache or Red Hat. This tool can be used for internal purposes. But if you plan to host a public app, then I wouldn’t recommend the tool.
Pavan Kodur - PeerSpot reviewer
Intuitive, easier to develop, maintain, and migrate from the old framework to newer versions
There are a few areas where they could compete better with products like React or Angular – the popular SPA (Single Page Application) frameworks. Microsoft has its own product called Blazor, but I don't think it's quite as powerful yet as React or Angular. I think that's an area for improvement. For example, HR asked me to build something that worked offline and online. Microsoft products don't really support that well, as I'd have to rely on browser databases. React and Angular are better for that. If I need something faster, I'd definitely use React. So, I see Microsoft lagging a bit in that area.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The initial setup of IIS is easy. The process takes only five minutes."
"The solution is very easy to use and offers a quick deployment."
"The solution has been reliable."
"The initial setup is simple."
"Stability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten...Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten."
"The graphical user interface makes it easy for users to configure the sites."
"We use Windows Server only for Eggplant Manager."
"The solution is easy to use, easy to maintain and isn't too technical."
"It facilitates running Windows business applications and leveraging enterprise application development."
"Initial setup is straightforward. All the components are readily available."
"For us, it is better to remain under the umbrella of Microsoft."
"The tool offers a lot of support, and there is a lot of knowledge material available, along with a lot of community groups."
"I like that ASP.NET is used for the framework and the core web services."
"The .NET Framework simplified operations dealing with the allocation and deallocation of memory spaces and the additional processing resources."
"Pre-programmed functions for .NET Framework are widely available."
"When we talk about .NET development, we use Visual Studio IDE to create these things. In recent years, there have been a lot of improvements in Visual Studio 2022. It would be a daunting task to list all of the features that have benefited us, as it would require a lot of time and effort. However, there are definitely many improvements year after year in .NET development."
 

Cons

"The customer service and support team can be improved."
"The security must be improved."
"We'd like future versions to be more stable."
"Scalability issues and security concerns need attention from Microsoft."
"It would be beneficial if you could automate security certificate monitoring with IIS."
"Finding different settings can be difficult if you don't know where to look."
"The price of the solution could be less to improve."
"The product could be more compatible with Linux and macOS, particularly when applying user configuration policies."
"It would be nice if the framework were able to work with additional environments and systems like Linux."
"They should have more training materials available that are specific to .NET. We spend a lot of money training our engineers."
"They should try to improve their Blazor WebAssembly."
"The solution has difficulty integrating with other products. There are no such difficulties if you have the same platform, hardware, and operating system."
"If Microsoft would provide a monthly subscription at a cost that a developer can afford then it would be really helpful."
"The runtime environment for ASP.NET needs improvement to make it more universal."
"Needs stronger security with respect to cloud issues."
"This solution is best used with some training."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We purchased a Microsoft Windows license and the license for IIS came in the package."
"The product's price is not high."
"IIS comes along with an OS license from Microsoft. Others can opt for a perpetual-based licensing model to be able to use the system."
"They offer a one-time payment model for the product license, and we pay annually for support."
"We pay a yearly licensing fee for the solution."
"The tool's pricing is on a yearly basis."
"The price of the cloud system is a bit high."
"There is no license needed to use the solution."
"The product is not expensive."
"In the interim, there's no need to purchase videos for viewing. Microsoft has made significant moves in the .NET space, starting with their response in Visual Studio Code and now providing Visual Studio entirely for free. This is a notable shift from the past when we used to pay substantial amounts for technical subscriptions. Previously, a group of ten developers could cost several thousand dollars annually for licensing. However, the current trend is to offer these tools for free to maintain their dominance in the developer market. The market dynamics have changed, and now developers can freely download Visual Studio, making it a preferred choice over other paid options."
"The support is an extra cost when purchasing the license. The price of the solution is overall reasonable and paid annually or every three years. Additionally, they have a monthly license. The cost is approximately $1,000 per user."
"Do your homework. Consider the partnership program."
"Microsoft .NET Framework is very cost-effective for corporate users."
"I rate the solution's pricing a two out of ten because .NET is an open-source framework. You don't have to pay for a license."
"The solution is free but you need to pay for a license for the hosting service."
"It's an expensive solution"
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
16%
Financial Services Firm
15%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
7%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Computer Software Company
11%
Construction Company
11%
Real Estate/Law Firm
10%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

Which is better - IIS or NGINX Plus?
IIS is a flexible, secure, and manageable web server to host anything on the web. IIS’s scalable and open architecture can handle the most demanding tasks. From media streaming to web applications,...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IIS?
If you have a Windows license, there is no additional cost for IIS. However, you may need to pay for SSL publishing at times.
What do you like most about Microsoft .NET Framework?
Microsoft .NET Framework continually innovates, particularly in Visual Studio, which focuses on improving languages, debugging, and .NET functionality.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft .NET Framework?
The company is not paying anything for the license. I am not familiar with this area. For us, it's free.
What needs improvement with Microsoft .NET Framework?
There may be some topics regarding connectivity and management of certificates that require attention. We are currently facing some issues.
 

Also Known As

Windows Server IIS
MS .NET Framework
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Erste Bank Group, NJVC, Samsung Electronics, Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, Tata Steel Europe, Urban Software Institute
Curtin University, Rockwell Automation, Aruba Networks, Insurity Inc., City of Barcelona, Pennsylvania DCNR, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, A1 Telekom Austria AG, Eastman Chemical Company
Find out what your peers are saying about IIS vs. Microsoft .NET Framework and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
842,296 professionals have used our research since 2012.