Microsoft .NET Framework vs NGINX Plus comparison

Microsoft and F5 are both solutions in the Application Infrastructure category. Microsoft is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.4, while F5 is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.3. Microsoft holds a 5.8% mindshare in AIS, compared to F5’s 11.4% mindshare. Additionally, 93% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of F5 users who would recommend it.

Microsoft .NET Framework

Read 53 Microsoft .NET Framework reviews

1,775 Views
1,048 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

NGINX Plus

Read 31 NGINX Plus reviews

2,093 Views
1,787 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

Microsoft .NET Framework

NGINX Plus

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 5, 2025

Microsoft .NET Framework and NGINX Plus compete in IT infrastructure and application development. Microsoft .NET Framework seems to have the upper hand in software development tools and integration capabilities, while NGINX Plus excels in managing web traffic efficiently.

Features: Microsoft .NET Framework offers extensive library support, seamless integration with Microsoft products, and flexibility in application development, which aids in rapid deployment and effective resource management. It integrates well with Visual Studio, enhancing productivity. NGINX Plus is recognized for its strong load-balancing capabilities, reverse proxy features, and performance efficiency, making it ideal for handling high web traffic.

Room for Improvement: Microsoft .NET Framework could improve its cross-platform performance and integration with non-Windows environments. Users suggest better open-source collaboration and cost-effective cloud solutions. NGINX Plus could benefit from a more user-friendly GUI, better enterprise integration, and enhanced memory management. Its pricing for scaling is also considered high.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft .NET Framework is mostly used in on-premises environments and offers extensive support and community resources, though response times can vary. NGINX Plus is valued for its flexibility in hybrid and cloud deployments and offers excellent support, with advantages in deployment due to its open-source origins.

Pricing and ROI: Microsoft .NET Framework is generally free, especially for community editions, though enterprise versions may incur costs. Its integration with Microsoft products often results in a strong ROI due to productivity gains. NGINX Plus, offering a paid version with advanced load-balancing features, can be costly when scaled, yet it provides significant value for demanding environments where advanced functions are needed. ROI depends on specific organizational needs and deployment scale.

To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft .NET Framework vs. NGINX Plus Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft .NET Framework vs. NGINX Plus

April 2025

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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

Microsoft .NET Framework

Ranking in Application Infrastructure

4th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

NGINX Plus

Ranking in Application Infrastructure

2nd

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) (6th)

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Application Infrastructure category, the mindshare of Microsoft .NET Framework is 5.8%, down from 6.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NGINX Plus is 11.4%, down from 11.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Infrastructure

Featured Reviews

Pavan Kodur

Application Architect at The Manitowoc Company, Inc.

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.

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Ritesh-Bakhru

Major Account Manager at Check Point Software

Quick installation and very easy to manage while doing orchestration or automation

NGINX cannot be a replacement for your traditional load balancer with what we use in the network today. However, with applications going toward microservices, NGINX is definitely a way forward. F5 has many traditional load balancing features, so they still need to bring some of those features to NGINX. NGINX is a very basic load balancer and cannot do as many customizations as F5. I think F5 is trying to implement those features in NGINX so they can improve the balancing on NGINX, but I think that will take some time. With the traditional F5 set up, the same OS can do load balancing, firewalls, and even policy enforcement. If we are able to bring some of those capabilities to NGINX, I think it would become a versatile solution and usage would definitely increase.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Firstly, I appreciate the decision to use Microsoft .NET Framework. I find it to be an excellent language, with a history rooted in providing an alternative to Java, albeit with initial challenges. It is gaining popularity and may be voted the most desirable programming language. What I particularly like about .NET is its language efficiency. While C# is the primary language, the platform also supports others, catering to those inclined towards functional programming. Although I started with Shell, I'm still grasping the concept of functional programming. Despite initial reservations about object-oriented programming, I acknowledge its advantages. .NET is a safer option, and despite criticisms, it has evolved over the years. One notable aspect is .NET's transition to an open platform in recent years, distancing itself from being exclusive to Microsoft engineers. I appreciate the versatility of .NET, enabling code production for a wide range of platforms, presenting a strong competition to Java. It allows targeting practically any physical platform, showcasing its flexibility. These qualities contribute to my positive view of .NET, totaling thirteen aspects that I find appealing."

"The most valuable feature is customization."

"In my opinion, the best thing about Microsoft .NET is the fully featured framework. It provides most of the things which a normal developer requires of any application out of the box."

"The solution's technical support is very good...The product's initial setup phase was easy."

"It facilitates running Windows business applications and leveraging enterprise application development."

"Basically, .NET is simply is the easiest programming language to use, based on my experience."

"The new .NET Core has those middlewares, which are awesome from a security standpoint. With the old Framework or the newer Framework, middleware is basically an event pipeline. You configure and register it, and it handles things centrally. A simple example is logging. With the old Framework, you needed to try/catch blocks everywhere. Here, you configure the logging handler once, and it captures exceptions across the application. I really like the middleware pattern."

"The solution is easy to use if the user is a developer or some technical person."

More Microsoft .NET Framework pros

"The product is resilient."

"Using NGINX Plus for web traffic distribution is fantastic. It offers performance similar to physical load balancers but with added flexibility."

"The robust software architecture allows for it to be scalable and very stable."

"The best solution, by far, for web traffic control for things in production and just around the house."

"When you use NGINX, you have more options and power."

"The load balancing module, which is equivalent to LTM, is the focus of the PSE. So far, the features of both are identical. I believe NGINX has more features for securing these services, but in terms of load balancing, both are massive solutions."

"I need to highlight that the number one thing about NGINX is that it is free."

"Its versatility and capabilities make it invaluable for implementing patches and fixes when necessary."

More NGINX Plus pros

Cons

"Microsoft could improve .NET Framework by providing more resources to help users understand the solution."

"Microsoft .NET Framework has a steep learning curve, which could be improved."

"One thing that could be improved is the tooling and IDE for .NET in non-Windows environments like Mac."

"The product's price is an area of concern, making it an area where improvements are required."

"The integration capability of the product with AI is an area with certain shortcomings, where improvements are required."

"The runtime environment for ASP.NET needs improvement to make it more universal."

"Better integration with other tools to make the operation faster would be an improvement."

"Difficult to scale this product for large organizations."

More Microsoft .NET Framework cons

"It would be good if NGINX provided a graphical user interface."

"NGINX is a very basic load balancer and cannot do as many customizations as F5."

"The scaling should be built into the software rather than configured from an outside source."

"One area of improvement could be that NGINX could provide a means to generate self-signed SSL certificates."

"The drawback is that you must obtain a license for everything."

"One area of improvement could be that NGINX could provide a means to generate self-signed SSL certificates."

"The KPI should be more focused on load balancing and the latency in application calling from the end system."

"There is room for improvement in the pricing model."

More NGINX Plus cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"If you want to develop an enterprise-level application, you have to purchase the enterprise-level development license."

"Microsoft .NET Framework is a free, open-source solution."

"Do your homework. Consider the partnership program."

"Considering the bigger picture, opting for the Microsoft ecosystem can be beneficial and it is priced well. When relying on entirely open-source solutions, you may encounter challenges associated with dealing with multiple vendors and potentially compromised security measures. However, it is important to note that Microsoft could enhance its performance when it comes to addressing critical security concerns."

"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."

"Microsoft .NET Framework is very cost-effective for corporate users."

"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 Microsoft .NET Framework is free of charge, without licensing cost."

More Microsoft .NET Framework pricing and cost advice

"Compared to other similar solutions on the market, I think it's over-priced."

"The solution is free, but you can spend a lot of money with a complex solution."

"It's an open source solution, so it's free."

"NGINX Plus is worth it, if you need it. If you do not need the features or support, the free and open source package is more than capable. "

"The price is the cost to contract support with a specialized company, usually during consulting hours."

"I am not so happy with their pricing policy, but this is not the worse thing in my life. I can tolerate it."

"I use the solution's community edition which is free of cost."

"You pay for each feature that you want."

More NGINX Plus pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

11%

Construction Company

11%

Real Estate/Law Firm

11%

Computer Software Company

11%

Computer Software Company

18%

Financial Services Firm

17%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

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.

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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.

See all answers

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.

See all answers

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,...

See all answers

What do you like most about NGINX Plus?

It performs very well. That's one of the primary reasons we use NGINX.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for NGINX Plus?

My use case involves using the free and open-source version of NGINX, making it cost-effective as I haven't incurred any costs.

See all answers

Comparisons

IIS vs Microsoft .NET Framework

Compared 20% of the time

Apache Web Server vs Microsoft .NET Framework

Compared 17% of the time

JBoss Enterprise Application Platform vs Microsoft .NET Framework

Compared 16% of the time

Magic xpa Application Platform vs Microsoft .NET Framework

Compared 15% of the time

IBM DataPower Gateway vs Microsoft .NET Framework

Compared 6% of the time

More Microsoft .NET Framework Competitors

IIS vs NGINX Plus

Compared 17% of the time

HAProxy vs NGINX Plus

Compared 16% of the time

Kemp LoadMaster vs NGINX Plus

Compared 11% of the time

NetScaler vs NGINX Plus

Compared 10% of the time

More NGINX Plus Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft .NET Framework

March 2025

Download Microsoft .NET Framework product report

Buyer's Guide

NGINX Plus

March 2025

Download NGINX Plus product report

Also Known As

MS .NET Framework

NGINX

Overview

Microsoft .NET Framework is a software development framework for building and running applications for Windows, Windows Phone, Windows servers, XML Web services, and Microsoft Azure. The software is made up of two major components: Common Language Runtime (CLR) and the .NET Framework Class Library. The CLR is the execution engine that handles running apps and the Class Library is a library of tested, reusable code that developers can call from their own apps.

Microsoft .NET Framework Features

Microsoft .NET Framework has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:

Memory management: With Microsoft .NET Framework apps, the CLR allocates and releases memory and handles object lifetimes in many programming languages, so programmers are not responsible to do it.

Multitargeting: Microsoft .NET Framework targets .NET Standard, allowing developers to create class libraries that work on multiple Microsoft .NET Framework platforms.

A common type system: When using Microsoft .NET Framework, basic types are defined by the .NET Framework type system and are common to all languages that target Microsoft .NET Framework as opposed to traditional programming languages where basic types are defined by the compiler.

Side-by-side execution: By allowing multiple versions of the common language runtime to exist on the same computer, Microsoft .NET Framework helps resolve version conflicts. In addition, an app can run on the version of Microsoft .NET Framework with which it was built and multiple versions of apps can coexist.

Development frameworks and technologies: Microsoft .NET Framework provides libraries for specific areas of app development, such as ASP.NET for web apps, ADO.NET for data access, Windows Communication Foundation for service-oriented apps, and Windows Presentation Foundation for Windows desktop apps.

Microsoft .NET Framework Benefits

There are many benefits to implementing Microsoft .NET Framework. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:

Language interoperability: With this Microsoft .NET Framework feature, routines written in one language are accessible to other languages, enabling programmers to focus on creating apps in their preferred languages.

Version compatibility: Microsoft .NET Framework offers version compatibility for rare occasions when apps that are developed by using a particular version of Microsoft .NET Framework happen to run without modification on a later version.

Extensive class library: With Microsoft .NET Framework, programmers have the ability to use a readily accessible Microsoft .NET Framework class library instead of having to write vast amounts of code to handle common low-level programming operations.

Reviews from Real Users

Below are some reviews and helpful feedback written by PeerSpot users currently using the Microsoft .NET Framework solution.

PeerSpot user, Syed A., Principal System Developer at a government, says the solution is a “Great all in one framework with extensive stack for web applications, windows applications and mobile applications.”

A QA Supervisor at a manufacturing company mentions, “It comes with many features that you can interact with and has all of the libraries readily available, which is not available in the RPA platforms. You can create your own SSIS package. You can integrate with all of the Windows objects, which is not available in Automation Anywhere, and you need to rely on their Object Cloning technologies to interact with them.”

Brennan G., IS Technical Architect at Avara Foods Holdings Limited, comments, “It is easy to use, and it runs on a Windows platform. The .NET Framework is a very good framework. It does what I need it to do.”

Microsoft

NGINX Plus is a versatile solution that offers load balancing, caching, proxying, and API deployment capabilities. It can be deployed on private or public clouds and is ideal for building CDN solutions. The solution can also be used to secure web applications and replace web services like Apache.

NGINX has helped organizations improve functioning, reduce downtimes, and offer a DevOps-friendly solution. Its community support and documentation are highly regarded, and its configuration is more straightforward, making it a recommended choice over HAProxy.

Sample Customers

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

Locaweb, AppNexus, Wix, Reliam, Montana Interactive, MuleSoft, Warpwire, Discovery Education, InkaBinka, WordPress.com, Gogo, GOV.UK, NASA

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft .NET Framework vs. NGINX Plus

April 2025

Free Report: Microsoft .NET Framework vs. NGINX Plus

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