Entity Framework Core (EF Core) is a modern object-database mapper for .NET. It supports LINQ queries, change tracking, updates, and schema migrations.
EF Core works with SQL Server/Azure SQL Database, SQLite, Azure Cosmos DB, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and many more databases through a database provider plugin model.
EF6
Entity Framework 6 (EF6) is an object-relational mapper designed for .NET Framework but with support for .NET Core. EF6 is a stable, supported product, but is no longer being actively developed.
Feature comparison
EF Core offers new features that won't be implemented in EF6. However, not all EF6 features are currently implemented in EF Core.
The following tables compare the features available in EF Core and EF6. This is a high-level comparison and doesn't list every feature or explain differences between the same feature in different EF versions.
The EF Core column indicates the product version in which the feature first appeared.
1 Some EF6 features will not be implemented in EF Core. These features either depend on EF6's underlying Entity Data Model (EDM) and/or are complex features with relatively low return on investment. We always welcome feedback, but while EF Core enables many things not possible in EF6, it is conversely not feasible for EF Core to support all the features of EF6.
2 EF Core database providers implemented by third-parties may be delayed in updating to new major versions of EF Core. See Database Providers for more information.
3 The SQL Server Compact and Jet providers only work on .NET Framework (not on .NET Core).
Supported platforms
EF Core 3.1 runs on .NET Core and .NET Framework, through the use of .NET Standard 2.0. However, EF Core 5.0 does not run on .NET Framework. See Platforms for more details.
EF6.4 runs on .NET Core and .NET Framework, through multi-targeting.
The source for this content can be found on GitHub, where you can also create and review issues and pull requests. For more information, see our contributor guide.
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This module guides you through the steps to create a data access project. You connect to a relational database and construct create, read, update, and delete (CRUD) queries by using Entity Framework Core (EF Core).