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IIS vs Microsoft .NET Framework comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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
7.1
Number of Reviews
55
Ranking in other categories
Application Server (4th)
Microsoft .NET Framework
Ranking in Application Infrastructure
4th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
50
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2025, in the Application Infrastructure category, the mindshare of IIS is 12.7%, down from 13.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft .NET Framework is 5.9%, 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 product's initial setup phase is straightforward."
"The graphical user interface makes it easy for users to configure the sites."
"It helps scan and mitigates our vulnerabilities using the best protocols to secure our environment."
"The initial setup of IIS is easy. The process takes only five minutes."
"The most valuable feature of IIS is the database it provides."
"We use Windows Server only for Eggplant Manager."
"It's good and offers good usability."
"IIS's best features are its management console and stability."
"The .NET Framework simplified operations dealing with the allocation and deallocation of memory spaces and the additional processing resources."
"The solution is not limited in storage, is customizable and simple to use."
"The most valuable feature of Microsoft .NET Framework is debugging."
"The product has a good interface and easy-to-use programming language."
"The .NET Framework is a very good framework. It does what I need it to do."
"Ease of use, the richness of the libraries and basically very good development tools."
"The most valuable features for us are web frameworks like MVC, Web API, and WCS."
"Initial setup is straightforward. All the components are readily available."
 

Cons

"The solution is slow and could have better performance."
"Sometimes, we encounter difficult issues, and getting support from Microsoft to resolve those issues is not easy."
"The price of the solution could be less to improve."
"The documentation is not very detailed. They need to improve it and add to it. They should ensure there are lots of visuals to help users better understand the solution."
"The security must be improved."
"The scalability depends on how you have set it up. If you're running IIS on a single server, it might not be as capable as if you are on many in a cluster or with load balancing and so on."
"The documentation isn't very good and the options are very complex."
"The solution's scalability needs improvement."
"The product's price is an area of concern, making it an area where improvements are required."
"This solution should include Power BI so that we don't have to use any third-party tools."
"There is room for Microsoft .NET Framework to improve cloud platform capabilities."
"If Microsoft would provide a monthly subscription at a cost that a developer can afford then it would be really helpful."
"I would like to see more pre-built features in the MVC framework because as it is now, it's very open and you have to develop your own controls in order to use it."
"Microsoft could improve .NET Framework by providing more resources to help users understand the solution."
"The pricing is a bit expensive."
"There are performance constraints when multiple users are accessing the application and that consumes CPU resources."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"IIS's pricing is not expensive."
"There is no license required for the product as it is role-based. Whenever you go for a Windows platform server, the role has to be installed directly from the server manager. There is no additional cost that has to be paid for that. It is free to use."
"This solution comes included with Windows Server."
"The yearly licensing cost is very high. The solution is very expensive."
"I think it's part of the Windows Server, so you won't have any other costs to add in order to use the IIS service."
"The tool is included with Windows."
"The price of Windows Server IIS is expensive. They have a large user base, and they charge a little bit too much."
"IIS's pricing is reasonable."
"For the moment I can only give the product a rating of five out of ten since only some of the customers will be satisfied, those that have the financial resources for hosting a platform on Windows Server."
"The product’s pricing is a bit high."
"The pricing could be cheaper."
"We have an annual license, and we pay extra for extended support."
"There is a Community Edition that can be used free of charge, but the licensing cost for the Enterprise version is quite high."
"Do your homework. Consider the partnership program."
"Microsoft .NET Framework is licensed under the Windows License."
"It's an expensive solution"
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
15%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Computer Software Company
13%
Construction Company
10%
Government
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?
They offer a one-time payment model for the product license, and we pay annually for support. I rate the pricing an eight out of ten.
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 pricing is rated six out of ten. It provides value for the cost.
What needs improvement with Microsoft .NET Framework?
There is room for Microsoft .NET Framework to improve cloud platform capabilities. They have already made improvements in their new version by making it multi-platform and upgrading it for cloud pl...
 

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: January 2025.
831,158 professionals have used our research since 2012.