ASP.NET Zero

ASP.NET Zero is a premium application starter kit for ASP.NET Core.

It provides a complete foundation for building enterprise-grade web applications and SaaS products.

Think of it like a "head start" for your development process.

Instead of coding everything from scratch, you get a fully-functional base application with tons of common features already implemented.

Some key things ASP.NET Zero gives you:

• Clean, modular architecture based on domain-driven design
• Multi-tenant infrastructure for SaaS apps
• User, role and permission management
• Localization and language management
• Pre-built UI with responsive design

The core value proposition is simple:

Start with ASP.NET Zero as your foundation. Then customize and extend it to build your own application on top.

How Does It Work?

When you purchase ASP.NET Zero, you get access to the full source code on GitHub.

This includes:

• Backend API built with ASP.NET Core
• Frontend UI built with Angular (or ASP.NET Core MVC)
• Core application modules and services
• Database migrations and seed data
• Documentation and samples

To use it, you simply clone the repo and start customizing the code to fit your needs.

It's all based on standard Microsoft and .NET technologies:

• ASP.NET Core
• Entity Framework Core
• Angular (for SPA version)
• ASP.NET Core MVC (for MVC version)
• SQL Server (or other databases via EF Core)

So if you're already familiar with the .NET ecosystem, the learning curve is minimal.

Key Features of ASP.NET Zero

Now let's look at some of the most important features that make ASP.NET Zero stand out.

1. Multi-Tenancy

ASP.NET Zero comes with built-in multi-tenancy support.

This is crucial if you're building a SaaS application that needs to serve multiple customers (tenants) from a single codebase.

Key multi-tenant features include:

• Tenant management UI
• Per-tenant themes and branding
• Tenant-specific settings and configurations
• Support for single database, database-per-tenant, and hybrid approaches

So you can easily build an app that serves thousands of customers, each with their own isolated data and customized experience.

2. Authentication & Authorization

User management is a pain to build from scratch.

Luckily, ASP.NET Zero handles all the tedious work for you.

You get a complete identity system built on ASP.NET Identity, including:

• User registration and login
• Email confirmation
• Password reset
• Two-factor authentication
• Social login (Facebook, Google, Microsoft, etc)
• LDAP/Active Directory integration
• JWT authentication for APIs

Plus a flexible role-based permission system to control access to different parts of your app.

3. Modular Architecture

ASP.NET Zero is built on a clean, layered architecture.

This makes it easy to maintain and extend as your application grows.

Key architectural features:

• Separation of concerns (presentation, business logic, data access)
• Dependency injection
• Domain-driven design patterns
• Modular structure for easy customization

So you're not locked into a rigid framework. You can easily add new features or swap out components as needed.

4. Pre-Built Application Modules

One of the biggest time-savers in ASP.NET Zero is the library of pre-built application modules.

These handle common requirements so you don't have to code them yourself:

• User, role, and permission management
• Tenant and edition management
• Language and localization
• Audit logging
• Setting management
• Background jobs
• Real-time notifications
• Dynamic dashboard

Each module comes with its own API, business logic, and UI components.

So you can use them as-is or customize them to fit your specific needs.

5. API-First Design

In today's world, your web app needs to support multiple clients - web, mobile, desktop, etc.

ASP.NET Zero is built API-first to enable this.

All functionality is exposed through a RESTful API built on ASP.NET Core.

This means you can:

• Build multiple front-ends using the same backend
• Easily integrate with mobile apps
• Enable third-party integrations
• Use the included Angular UI or build your own

You even get Swagger integration for easy API documentation and testing.

6. Rapid Application Development

Here's where ASP.NET Zero really shines:

It includes tools to dramatically speed up your development process.

The standout feature is the "Power Tools" extension for Visual Studio.

This lets you automatically generate a full CRUD module - from database to UI - just by defining an entity.

So you can scaffold out new features in minutes instead of hours.

Other RAD features include:

• Code generation templates
• Pre-built UI components
• Sample pages and layouts

The result? You can build and iterate on your app much faster than starting from scratch.

Pros of ASP.NET Zero

1. Saves massive development time
2. Clean, maintainable architecture
3. Built-in support for complex enterprise features
4. Regular updates and long-term support
5. Full source code access for customization
6. Based on latest .NET technologies

Cons of ASP.NET Zero

1. Significant upfront cost
2. Learning curve to understand the full architecture
3. May be overkill for very simple applications
4. Tied to specific tech stack (.NET Core, Angular, etc.)

Who is ASP.NET Zero Best For?

ASP.NET Zero is an excellent fit for:

1. Development teams building enterprise-grade web applications
2. SaaS startups that need a scalable multi-tenant foundation
3. Agencies or consultants who build multiple .NET projects
4. Companies modernizing legacy .NET applications

It's probably overkill if you're:

• Building a simple brochure website
• Working on a small personal project
• Not using .NET as your primary tech stack