.NET 10

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Adoption, startups & hiring

  • Many report smooth upgrades since .NET 5 with notable CPU/RAM reductions and even downsizing cloud instances.
  • Several startups and SMBs are fully on .NET (often on Linux/Azure/AWS/GCP), but commenters say .NET remains underused in “SV-style” startups versus JS/TS/Python.
  • Hiring experiences differ: some find .NET talent plentiful and successful at scale; others say applicant volume is high but depth (algorithms, DBs, “why” behind tools) is weaker than in Python roles.

Developer experience & tooling

  • Strong praise for JetBrains Rider: better performance, integrated ReSharper, smaller footprint, and cross‑platform support; many prefer it to Visual Studio.
  • VS Code is widely used and “good enough,” though some dislike the C# Dev Kit licensing and missing features vs full VS/Rider.
  • Cross‑platform .NET dev on Mac/Linux (often with Docker, Kubernetes, Postgres) is described as stable and pleasant, though some interviewers still expect Windows + Visual Studio + SQL Server.

.NET vs other stacks

  • TypeScript full‑stack is often preferred in startups for shared types/code and hiring ease; some say it maximizes product velocity, and .NET is “ignored” despite no strong technical reason.
  • Counterarguments: OpenAPI/GraphQL + codegen and Blazor/TS clients can narrow the gap; Java/Go/Kotlin and .NET are cited as more coherent, performant backends than Node.
  • Java vs .NET: several feel C#/.NET offers better ergonomics (LINQ, object initializers, collections, async) and cleaner libraries; others argue modern Java/JVM have caught up and excel in runtime and GC.

Performance, containers & AOT

  • Many note recurring per‑release performance wins (Kestrel, GC, collections) and substantial real‑world savings.
  • Debate over suitability in large‑scale containerized microservices: critics point to heavier images and CLR overhead vs native Go/Rust; defenders note multi‑threaded scalability, Native AOT, and that most startups don’t hit the scale where this dominates.

Libraries, licensing & JSON

  • Concern about recent license changes/bait‑and‑switches (e.g. prominent .NET libraries going commercial or adding telemetry), making some wary of betting a startup on .NET.
  • Others say they rarely need paid libraries except for PDFs or niche components, and NuGet’s OSS ecosystem plus “batteries‑included” BCL is usually sufficient.
  • System.Text.Json is now widely seen as the default JSON serializer; the historical Newtonsoft.Json gap has narrowed, though attribute duplication and migration friction remain complaints.

F# and functional style

  • F# receives strong praise for expressiveness and code quality (esp. in small, senior teams); some suggest startups consider it as a “force multiplier,” others worry about niche hiring.
  • C#’s growing functional features (records, pattern matching) are seen as influenced by F#, but not a replacement; some fear C# bloat, others welcome the expressiveness.

Web frameworks & front‑end

  • ASP.NET (MVC/Web API, Minimal APIs) is viewed as robust and productive; EF Core is often called one of the best ORMs, though some prefer Dapper for critical hotspots.
  • Blazor divides opinion: good for internal tools and all‑C# stacks, but criticized for payload size, DX vs modern JS toolchains, and uncertainty about long‑term direction.
  • Many still pair .NET backends with React/Angular/TS frontends via REST/OpenAPI rather than commit to C#‑based UI.

Language evolution & ecosystem concerns

  • Mixed feelings about rapid C# evolution: some love features like field‑backed properties and top‑level/file‑based programs; others feel cognitive load and “style fragmentation” are rising.
  • Complaints include historical churn (.NET Framework → Core → .NET, ASP.NET MVC changes), occasional breaking changes (Span/MemoryMarshal behavior), and uneven docs around new features.
  • Overall sentiment: .NET 10 is seen as a strong, performant, mature release; enthusiasm is high among existing .NET users, but skepticism persists around culture (“enterprisey” image), Microsoft control, and long‑term platform bets for greenfield startups.