Building Web APIs in .NET Core is not just about writing code that works—it’s about writing code that lasts, scales, and is easy to maintain. Choosing the right architecture plays a critical role in this. In this post, we’ll break down the most commonly used architectures in .NET Core Web API development with real-life examples to make it easier to understand.
Before we go through the Architecture in .NET Core, we need to understand Software Architecture
What Is Software Architecture?
Imagine you’re building a house. The architecture determines the layout, the placement of rooms, where the electrical wiring goes, and how everything connects.
In the same way, software architecture defines how different components of your application are structured and interact with each other.
In the .NET Core world, there are several architectural styles you can use depending on your project size, complexity, and requirements.
1. Monolithic Architecture
In Monolithic Architecture everything is in one place — all your controllers, services, and data access logic are part of a single project.
Think of a food truck that handles everything: cooking, serving, billing, and cleaning—all done by one person. Not good, right?
It is simple to develop and good for small projects. Other than that, mostly developers try to avoid it nowadays.
2. Layered (N-Tier) Architecture
As the name suggest, it breaks your code into layers: usually Presentation, Business Logic, and Data Access layers.
It is similar to a restaurant where,
- The waiter (Presentation Layer) takes the order.
- The kitchen (Business Logic) processes it.
- The inventory system (Data Layer) fetches ingredients.
It is good for mid-size projects and where separation of concerns is important.
3. Clean Architecture
It is also known as Onion Architecture. Clean Architecture emphasises dependency inversion. Core business logic doesn’t depend on external layers like databases or UI.
It is like a music band where every unit has their core responsibilities.
- The musicians (Core Logic) focus on their art.
- The manager (Infrastructure) handles logistics.
- The concert hall (Presentation) just hosts the event.
It is ideal for enterprise level applications as it is easy to maintain even if it’s a huge project.
Now finally my favourite,
4. Microservices Architecture
Here we split the application into independent services that communicate via APIs.
Think of it as a shopping mall: each shop (service) runs independently but contributes to the overall experience of the customer.
It is widely used software architecture as it is highly scale-able, ideal for large-scale projects where team can work on separate modules.
Conclusion
Choosing the right architecture depends on your project size, team skills, and future goals. Start small with a monolith or layered approach, and evolve toward Clean Architecture or Microservices as your project matures.
“Good architecture is not about complexity. It’s about organising complexity in a way that makes your life easier.”