Hands-On Guide: Top 20 .NET Core Libraries You Can't-Miss

Apr 17, 2024 Kiran Beladiya

Quick Summary

This hands-on guide provides a comprehensive overview of the top 20 essential ASP.NET Core libraries that developers shouldn't overlook. It will equip developers with the knowledge and resources needed to leverage these libraries effectively in their .NET Core projects.

Introduction

Staying abreast of the latest tools and libraries is important when it comes to crafting efficient, scalable, and robust applications. For developers leveraging the .NET Core framework, the abundance of libraries available can be both a blessing and a challenge to navigate. Whether you're building web applications, microservices, or mobile apps, having the right libraries at your disposal can significantly streamline development and enhance the functionality of your projects.

From simplifying common tasks to extending the capabilities of the framework, these libraries encompass a diverse range of functionalities, catering to various development needs and scenarios.

So, without further ado, let's dive into the world of top .NET Core libraries and take the full potential of your development endeavors.

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Top 20 Useful .Net Core Libraries Developers Need to Know

#1 AutoMapper

The Automapper library simplifies the process of mapping data between objects, reducing boilerplate code and enhancing productivity. It automates the mapping process, allowing developers to focus on core application logic rather than manual object-to-object mapping.

Features:

Object-to-object mapping
Convention-based configuration
Fluent API for customization
Automatic type conversion
Support for complex mappings

GitHub – AutoMapper

License – MIT License

Stars – 9.7k

#2 Swashbuckle

For creating interactive API documentation for ASP.NET Core Web APIs, Swashbuckle is an effective tool. It easily interacts with Swagger UI, giving developers an intuitive interface to investigate and test API endpoints, enhancing stakeholder and development team communication.

Features:

Automatic generation of Swagger documentation
Interactive API exploration with Swagger UI
Customizable API metadata
Support for OpenAPI specification
Integration with ASP.NET Core Web APIs

GitHub – Swashbuckle

License – MIT License

Stars – 5.1k

#3 SignalR

In .NET Core, SignalR facilitates real-time communication between server and client applications. It makes it easier to add features like live updates, chat apps, and notifications, which improves user experience and engagement with web applications.

Features:

Real-time bi-directional communication
Support for WebSockets, Server-Sent Events (SSE), and other transports
Simplified hub-based architecture
Scalability and load balancing
Cross-platform compatibility

GitHub – SignalR

License – Apache 2.0 License

Stars – 9.1k

#4 Dapper

For .NET Core, Dapper is a small, powerful micro ORM (Object-Relational Mapper). By running plain SQL queries and mapping query results to .NET objects, it offers effective data access without the expense of fully functional ORMs. This is a quick and dependable method of doing database operations.

Features:

High-performance micro ORM
Lightweight and efficient
Raw SQL query execution
Object mapping with minimal overhead
Support for parameterized queries

GitHub – Dapper

License – Apache 2.0 License

Stars – 17k

#5 NLog

NLog is an adaptable and expandable logging library as it supports a wide range of logging targets—such as files, databases, and email—developers may quickly set up and control logging behavior to satisfy application requirements and debugging demands.

Features:

Flexible logging configuration
Extensible logging targets (files, databases, email, etc.)
Rich logging message formatting
Asynchronous logging support
Log-level filtering and routing

GitHub – NLog

License – BSD 3-Clause

Stars – 6.1k

#6 CacheManager

A flexible caching framework for .NET Core that offers a common interface to deal with various caching providers, including distributed, in-memory, and Redis caches. By using effective data caching techniques, it lowers database load and latency and enhances application performance.

Features:

Unified caching API
Support for various caching providers (in-memory, distributed, Redis, etc.)
Cache expiration and eviction policies
Cache dependencies and invalidation
Seamless integration with .NET Core applications

GitHub – CacheManager

License – Apache 2.0 License

Stars – 2.3k

#7 SaasKit

The development of multi-tenant SaaS applications in .NET Core is made easier using SaasKit. It gives developers the necessary tools to easily create scalable and secure SaaS products by offering features for tenant management, isolation, and customization.

Features:

Multi-tenancy support
Tenant isolation and customization
Centralized tenant management
Scalable architecture for SaaS applications

Integration with ASP.NET Core middleware pipeline

GitHub – SaasKit

License – MIT License

Stars – 1.1k

#8 Polly

For .NET Core applications, Polly is a transient-fault-handling library which enhances the app resilience and fault tolerance by enabling developers to design and put into practice solutions for handling transient problems like network outages and timeouts.

Features:

Resilience policies for transient fault handling
Retry, circuit breaker, and fallback strategies
Fluent API for policy configuration
Asynchronous and parallel execution support
Integration with .NET Core applications

GitHub – Polly

License – BSD 3-Clause

Stars – 12.9k

#8 Ocelot

Ocelot is a lightweight package for .NET Core API gateways that makes it easier to load balance, route, and authenticate HTTP requests in microservices systems. Scalability and security are improved while microservices-based system administration are made easier.

Features:

Lightweight API gateway for microservices architectures
Dynamic routing and load balancing

Authentication and authorization middleware
Request aggregation and transformation
Extensibility through middleware pipeline

GitHub – Ocelot

License – MIT License

Stars – 8.1k

#10 LiteDB

For .NET Core apps, LiteDB is a straightforward and lightweight NoSQL database option. Without the complexity of conventional RDBMS systems, developers may integrate document-oriented databases into their applications thanks to its MongoDB-like API for data store and retrieval.

Features:

Embedded NoSQL database for .NET Core
MongoDB-like API for document storage
ACID transactions support
Simple file-based data storage
Cross-platform compatibility

GitHub – LiteDB

License – MIT License

Stars – 8.2k

#11 Smidge

It is a small and effective asset management library widely used by .Net developers across the world. By bundling, minifying, and caching assets, it optimizes the delivery of CSS and JavaScript files, lowering page load times and bandwidth consumption for better performance.

Features:

Asset bundling and minification
Efficient delivery of CSS and JavaScript files
Caching of bundled assets
Dependency management for web assets
Integration with ASP.NET Core applications

GitHub – Smidge

License – MIT License

Stars – 352

#12 MailKit

Developers highly prefer using MailKit as it is a cross-platform email tool that provides robust support for email message creation, sending, and retrieval. It offers features such as MIME parsing, SMTP, POP3, and IMAP support, making it a versatile choice for implementing email functionality in .NET Core applications.

Features:

Cross-platform email library for .NET Core
MIME message parsing and generation
SMTP, POP3, and IMAP protocol support
Secure email transmission (SSL/TLS)
Attachment handling and inline image embedding

GitHub – MailKit

License – MIT License

Stars – 5.9k

#13 Diagnostics.HealthChecks

Diagnostics.HealthChecks is a library for implementing health checks in .NET Core applications. It enables developers to monitor the health and status of application components, dependencies, and external services, facilitating proactive detection and resolution of potential issues before they impact users.

Features:

Health monitoring and reporting for .NET Core applications
Built-in health checks for common dependencies (database, cache, etc.)
Custom health check implementations
Integration with health monitoring systems (e.g., Azure Monitor)
Endpoint for exposing health status to monitoring tools

GitHub – Diagnostics.HealthChecks

License – Apache 2.0 License

Stars – 3.9k

#14 Bcrypt.net

This library is widely used for securely hashing passwords using the bcrypt hashing algorithm in .NET Core applications. It offers strong cryptographic protection against brute-force attacks and password cracking, enhancing security and privacy for user authentication mechanisms.

Features:

Password hashing with bcrypt algorithm
Strong cryptographic protection against brute-force attacks
Salt generation for enhanced security
Cross-platform compatibility
Integration with .NET Core authentication systems

GitHub – Bcrypt.net

License – MIT License

Stars – 775

#15 FluentMail

FluentMail is an API for sending email messages in .NET Core applications. Email functionality can be easily integrated into .NET Core apps with its short and expressive syntax for creating and delivering emails with attachments, HTML content, and custom headers.

Features:

Fluent API for email composition and sending
Support for HTML and plain text email content
Attachment handling
Custom headers and message options
Integration with SMTP servers and email providers

GitHub – FluentMail

License – MIT License

Stars – 2.9k

#16 Unit Conversion

A library called Unit Conversion is used to carry out unit conversions in .NET programs. Its broad range of supported units and conversion types improves flexibility and usability in applications by enabling developers to convert between various measurement units with ease.

Features:

Comprehensive unit conversion library for .NET Core
Support for various measurement units (length, mass, volume, etc.)
Conversion between different unit systems (metric, imperial, etc.)
Custom unit definitions and conversions
Flexible API for unit manipulation and calculation

GitHub – UnitConversion

License – MIT License

Stars – 130

#17 AppMetrics

AppMetrics is one of the best ASP.Net core a library for monitoring and measuring performance metrics. It enables developers to collect and analyze various application metrics, including CPU usage, memory usage, request latency, and throughput, empowering informed decision-making and performance optimization.

Features:

Performance monitoring and metrics collection
CPU, memory, and disk usage tracking
Request latency and throughput measurement
Integration with logging and monitoring systems
Custom metric definitions and aggregation

GitHub – AppMetrics

License – Apache 2.0 License

Stars – 2.2k

#18 FastReport

FastReport is a feature-rich reporting tool that offers the ability to create and manage dynamic documents and reports. With support for many report formats, data sources, and visualization choices, it's a flexible alternative for producing expert reports for .NET Core applications.

Features:

Feature-rich reporting tool for .NET Core
Design and generation of dynamic reports and documents
Support for various report formats (PDF, Excel, etc.)
Data visualization and charting capabilities
Integration with data sources and ORM frameworks

GitHub – FastReport

License – MIT License

Stars – 2.5k

#19 AutoComplete

AutoComplete is a library for implementing auto-complete functionality that simplifies the integration of auto-complete features in text input fields. This enhances the user experience and productivity by providing real-time suggestions and predictions based on user input.

Features:

Auto-complete functionality for text input fields
Real-time suggestions based on user input
Customizable auto-complete behavior
Support for large datasets

Integration with front-end frameworks and libraries

GitHub – AutoComplete

License – MIT License

Stars – 3.6k

#20 SharpCompress

SharpCompress is a compression library for .NET Core, offering support for various archive formats such as ZIP, RAR, TAR, and 7z. It enables developers to compress, decompress, and manipulate archive files programmatically, facilitating efficient data storage, transmission, and archival in .NET Core applications.

Features:

Compression and decompression library for .NET Core
Support for multiple archive formats (ZIP, RAR, TAR, etc.)
Efficient file compression and extraction
Streaming and asynchronous APIs
Cross-platform compatibility

GitHub – SharpCompress

License – MIT License

Stars – 2.2k

Final Thoughts

This hands-on guide has shed light on the indispensable role of the top 20 .NET Core libraries in modern software development. From simplifying data mapping and enhancing API documentation to facilitating real-time communication and optimizing performance monitoring, these libraries offer a wealth of functionalities to empower developers in their quest to build exceptional applications.

Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting your journey with .NET Core, incorporating these libraries into your toolkit will surely boost your development endeavors and enable you to tackle complex challenges with confidence.