Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

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
4th
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 May 2025, in the Application Infrastructure category, the mindshare of IIS is 12.0%, down from 13.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft .NET Framework is 6.0%, down from 6.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Application Infrastructure
 

Featured Reviews

DanielWildermuth - PeerSpot reviewer
Provides integration with Eggplant but problems with stability
We use Windows Server only for Eggplant Manager. Otherwise, I'm not using it   At the moment, we have big problems with stability, and I'm not very happy at the moment. So, the stability could be improved. I have been using it for a few years.  The initial setup is complex.  We have an…
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 is flexible."
"IIS is easy to configure in terms of websites and other solutions."
"It's good and offers good usability."
"The solution is highly reliable."
"The solution is easy to use."
"The solution is simple and very easy to manage compared to Linux."
"The interface, simplicity, and ease of management are all good features that make this user-friendly."
"IIS is scalable."
"The .NET Framework is a very good framework. It does what I need it to do."
"The .NET Framework is easier to use because it provides a wide range of libraries."
"Given that it's cross-platform right now, where you can use it on Windows and Mac, that is the single most significant feature that has resulted in wider adoption of .NET."
"Basically, .NET is simply is the easiest programming language to use, based on my experience."
"I'd rate the solution as highly stable."
"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."
"Proven solution with valuable customization."
"The APIs are completely effective."
 

Cons

"The documentation isn't very good and the options are very complex."
"The only issue I've encountered is with certificates not working fine sometimes. It's influenced by the server's service performance."
"The security must be improved."
"IIS has some stability issues and needs restarting."
"The platform's stability could be better."
"The price of the solution could be less to improve."
"IIS could improve by having some features related to ASR and HTTPS certificate generation."
"The user interface could be improved."
"The solution is difficult to learn if someone is learning it for the first time."
"They do provide the .NET library, however, for me, the most important capability we want to investigate in the future is the integration with Copilot. This would help speed up the development of the code and also the testing and documentation of the requirement."
"The product’s reliability needs improvement."
"There may be some topics regarding connectivity and management of certificates that require attention."
"Needs stronger security with respect to cloud issues."
"This solution should include Power BI so that we don't have to use any third-party tools."
"One thing that could be improved is the tooling and IDE for .NET in non-Windows environments like Mac."
"The product could have a better framework for application development."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There is an annual license to use this solution and the price could be better."
"There is a license needed for the solution."
"I give the price of the solution a five out of ten."
"The product's price is not high."
"It is licensed with your Windows installation which makes it relatively cheap if you already have a Windows Server sitting around."
"The licensing cost is dependent on the usage."
"They offer a one-time payment model for the product license, and we pay annually for support."
"The price of Windows Server IIS is expensive. They have a large user base, and they charge a little bit too much."
"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."
"It's an expensive solution"
"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."
"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 solution is free but you need to pay for a license for the hosting service."
"The product and support for this solution are free for everyone."
"Microsoft .NET Framework is free of cost."
"Microsoft .NET Framework is licensed under the Windows License."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Application Infrastructure solutions are best for your needs.
849,686 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
17%
Financial Services Firm
14%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
7%
Construction Company
11%
Real Estate/Law Firm
11%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Computer Software Company
11%
 

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: April 2025.
849,686 professionals have used our research since 2012.