5 Advantages of Using Blazor For Your Next Web Project
Today, I want to share my insights about Blazor web development, and why I chose Blazor for a project, I’m currently developing for a customer.
As a short disclaimer, I also have a SaaS product with a React (TypeScript) frontend. Still, I currently prefer Blazor over JS frameworks in most scenarios.
Let’s talk about my five advantages of Blazor over TypeScript/JavaScript web frameworks.
1. A Single Programming Language - Use C# Everywhere
With Blazor, we can implement the client side and the server side using the same platform, programming language, and code style.
When using Blazor Server, even the API layer between the server and the client is optional.
It helps being more efficient and you don’t have to context switch when you go from backend development to frontend development.
If you work on a team, you’ll notice that it’s a lot more efficient to train your team to use modern C# than to teach them JavaScript, TypeScript, and one of the web frameworks.
2. Component-Based Architecture
I have over 7 years of experience with React as a web framework. The main thing that always convinced me to prefer React over Angular (or similar) web frameworks was its component-oriented architecture.
Having the user interface code and the behavior within the same component makes it simple to reuse components on another page and to compose complex layouts from multiple simple components.
Blazor provides us with a simple API to implement efficient state handling, provide parameters to components, and reuse components across one or multiple applications.
3. Multiple Hosting Models Provide Flexibility
Blazor combines different hosting models with their strengths and weaknesses into a single programming model.
We can use Blazor Server for internal applications, allowing for rapid development without the need to implement an API layer.
Blazor WebAssembly allows us to utilize modern web standards, such as WebAssembly, to implement modern SPAs running within the client’s web browser without writing a single line of JavaScript code.
Blazor allows us to optimize for performance, resource usage, development time, or offline capabilities depending on your project’s needs.
4. Deep Integration with the .NET Ecosystem
When talking about .NET, we have to take the ecosystem into consideration.
With ASP.NET Core, EF Core, Identity, and many more .NET libraries and utilities, we have access to one of the best development ecosystems.
There is a solution for almost any general problem out there. Often, you can choose the implementation that suits your problem best.
Besides the libraries, we have Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code, JetBrains Rider, etc. All great IDEs for modern application development.
Being part of the .NET ecosystem also means that you can share code using Class Libraries with other application types, such as desktop applications, IoT solutions, or mobile apps.
5. Future-proof and Developed By Microsoft
Another important piece of the puzzle is that Microsoft develops Blazor and actively uses it in their own company for their products.
Blazor has historically rapidly developed since its introduction in early 2020, and with every .NET iteration, we get substantial new features and improvements.
Microsoft is one of the most valuable companies on the planet and has almost unlimited resources to improve the performance and security of Blazor and the whole .NET platform.
Last but not least, Blazor Hybrid allows using Blazor components for desktop application development (using .NET MAUI) and opens the door to cross-platform development opportunities beyond the web.
If you want to get started with Blazor, there is still a .NET 5-based Blazor Crash Course on YouTube that I recorded a few years ago to get you started with Blazor for free.
You can also take a look at other Blazor videos that show the different features of modern Blazor development.
PREMIUM CONTENT
