Minimal API vs MVC Controllers in .NET 10

Which One Should You Choose?

With the evolution of ASP.NET Core, Microsoft has continued to push simplicity, performance, and developer productivity. In .NET 10, both Minimal APIs and MVC Controllers are first-class citizens—but they serve different purposes.

This article breaks down when to use which, with real-world examples, performance considerations, and best practices.

What Is a Minimal API?

Minimal APIs were introduced to reduce boilerplate and enable developers to define HTTP endpoints with minimal ceremony.

Example: Minimal API (.NET 10)

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
var app = builder.Build();

app.MapGet("/api/customers/{id:int}", (int id) =>
{
    return Results.Ok(new { Id = id, Name = "John Doe" });
});

app.Run();

Key Characteristics

• No controllers

• No attributes

• No base classes

• Everything is defined in Program.cs (or extensions)

What Are MVC Controllers?

MVC Controllers are the traditional, structured approach used in enterprise-grade applications.

Example: MVC Controller (.NET 10)

[ApiController]
[Route("api/[controller]")]
public class CustomersController : ControllerBase
{
    [HttpGet("{id:int}")]
    public IActionResult GetCustomer(int id)
    {
        return Ok(new { Id = id, Name = "John Doe" });
    }
}

Key Characteristics

• Attribute routing

• Filters, model binding, validation

• Clear separation of concerns

• Familiar to enterprise teams

Feature	Minimal API	MVC Controller
Boilerplate	⭐ Very Low	❌ Higher
Learning Curve	⭐ Easy	⚠ Moderate
Performance	⭐ Slightly Faster	✅ Very Fast
Validation	Manual / Endpoints Filters	Built-in
Filters / Middleware	Limited	Powerful
Versioning	Manual	Built-in support
Best for	Microservices, simple APIs	Enterprise, large systems

Performance in .NET 10

In .NET 10:

• Minimal APIs have slightly lower overhead

• MVC Controllers have negligible performance difference for real-world workloads

Reality Check

For banking, ERP, SME, e-commerce systems, database access time dominates performance—not routing style.

👉 Performance should NOT be your main deciding factor

5. Validation & Filters

MVC Controller (Built-in Validation)

public IActionResult Create(CustomerDto dto)
{
    if (!ModelState.IsValid)
        return BadRequest(ModelState);

    return Ok();
}

Minimal API (Manual / Endpoint Filters)

app.MapPost("/customers", (CustomerDto dto) =>
{
    if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(dto.Name))
        return Results.BadRequest("Name is required");

    return Results.Ok();
});

✔ MVC is cleaner and safer for complex validation rules.

Maintainability & Team Size

Minimal API is best when:

• Small team

• Microservices

• Proof of concept

• Internal tools

• High-performance edge APIs

MVC Controllers are best when:

• Large codebase

• Banking / CBS / ERP systems

• Many developers

• Long-term maintenance

• Heavy validation & authorization

Versioning & Documentation

MVC Controllers

• Native support for:

  • API Versioning

  • Swagger grouping

  • Authorization policies

  • Filters (logging, audit, security)

Minimal APIs

• Require manual setup

• More configuration effort as complexity grows

Real-World Recommendation (.NET 10)

Use Minimal API if:

• Building microservices

• Writing simple CRUD APIs

• Performance-critical endpoints

• Serverless or cloud-native APIs

Use MVC Controllers if:

• Building banking software

• Using Blazor + API

• Heavy validation & business rules

• Team-based enterprise development

Hybrid Approach (Best of Both Worlds)

Yes—you can mix them 👇

app.MapGet("/health", () => "OK"); // Minimal API

app.MapControllers(); // MVC Controllers

Scenario	Recommendation
Microservice	Minimal API
Enterprise / Banking	MVC Controller
Long-term maintenance	MVC Controller
Simple APIs	Minimal API
Blazor + Backend	MVC Controller

TL;DR

Minimal APIs optimize speed of writing code.

MVC Controllers optimize speed of maintaining code.