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Difference between WCF and Web API

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Windows Communication Foundation (WCF):
WCF is used to create a distributed and interoperable Applications. It provides a framework which is used for building service-oriented-connected applications for the transmission of the data as an asynchronous, from one service-point to other service-point. Previously known as Indigo and is a framework for building, configuring, and deploying network-distributed services.

Web Application Programming Interface (Web API):
To create web applications ASP.NET provide the 3 development styles which are ASP.NET Web Pages, ASP.NET MVC, Web Forms.It is like a webservice or WCF service but the exception is that it only supports HTTP protocol.

Difference between WCF and Web API:

SR.NO. WCF WEB API
1 WCF ships with .NET framework to create secure, reliable, and high profile development solutions. While, WEB API is a open source and also ships with .NET framework.
2 WCF offers supports for limited RESTFUL service. WEB API is ideal for building RESTFUL services.
3 WCF used the web.config and attributes to configure a HttpConfiguration class Web API can be configured using web.config service.
4 It depend on the attributes based programming model. WEB API maps http verbs to methods
5 WCF does not provide any support for MVC features like controllers, routing, filter, auction results, etc. ASP.NET Web API supports MVC features like routing, controllers, results, filter, action, etc.
6 It is not open source software. It is shipped with.Net framework.It is also available as an independent download.
7 It rely on IIS hosting, Self-hosting & works activation services. It rely on Self-hosting & IIS hosting.


Last Updated : 13 Feb, 2020
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