MVC vs Razor Pages

What is MVC?

MVC (Model-View-Controller) is a pattern with three components:

• Model: Data and business logic
• View: User interface
• Controller: Handles requests and coordinates

What are Razor Pages?

Razor Pages is a page-based programming model that makes building web UIs easier. Each page has its own model and view.

Comparison

MVC

// Controllers/HomeController.cs
public class HomeController : Controller
{
    public IActionResult Index()
    {
        return View();
    }
}

// Views/Home/Index.cshtml
<h1>Welcome</h1>

Razor Pages

// Pages/Index.cshtml.cs
public class IndexModel : PageModel
{
    public void OnGet() { }
}

// Pages/Index.cshtml
@page
<h1>Welcome</h1>

When to Use What

Use MVC When:

• Building complex web applications
• Need full control over views
• Working with large teams
• Building REST APIs

Use Razor Pages When:

• Building page-focused applications
• Need simpler structure
• Working on smaller projects
• Teaching or learning ASP.NET Core