Tutorials ADO.NET Core Tutorial
ADO.NET vs EF Core vs Dapper — Complete Guide
ADO.NET vs EF Core vs Dapper — Complete Guide: free step-by-step lesson with examples, common mistakes, and interview tips — part of ADO.NET Core Tutorial on Toolliyo Academy.
On this page
ADO.NET Core Tutorial · Lesson 3 of 100
ADO.NET vs EF Core vs Dapper
Foundations → SQL & safety → Production → Projects
Foundations · 1 — Connections & CRUD · ~6 min · Module 1: ADO.NET Fundamentals
What is this?
ADO.NET = full SQL control. EF Core = ORM productivity. Dapper = thin mapping over ADO.NET.
Why should you care?
ShopNest often mixes them: EF for catalog, ADO.NET for usp_CapturePayment, Dapper for hot reads.
See it live — copy this example
Use a .NET console or API project with SQL Server LocalDB. Run dotnet run after pasting.
// ADO.NET
cmd.CommandText = "SELECT Id, Name FROM Products WHERE Id=@Id";
// EF Core
var p = await db.Products.FindAsync(id);
// Dapper
var p2 = await conn.QuerySingleAsync<Product>(
"SELECT Id, Name FROM Products WHERE Id=@Id", new { id });What happened?
- Choose by job: SPs/bulk → ADO.NET; CRUD apps → EF; simple SQL maps → Dapper.
- Follow the steps below — typing the code yourself is the fastest way to learn.
Practice next
- Write the same SELECT three ways.
- Pick one ShopNest feature per tool.
- Say when EF is wrong.
- Time all three on 10k rows.
- List SPs that must stay ADO.NET.
Remember
Right tool per path. Justify the choice. Mixing is OK.
ShopNest polyglot data
Payments stay on ADO.NET SPs.
Outcome: Catalog ships faster on EF without blocking payments.
Interview prep for this lesson
Practice these questions aloud after reading—each links to a full structured answer.
Sign in to ask a question or upvote helpful answers.
No questions yet — be the first to ask!
