ASP.NET Web API is a framework for building HTTP services that can be consumed by a wide range of clients, including web browsers, mobile devices, and desktop applications. It’s designed to be lightweight and simple to use, with a focus on RESTful principles and JSON serialization.

Web API is typically used for building modern web applications that require flexible and scalable APIs.

WCF, on the other hand, is a more general-purpose framework for building distributed systems in .NET. It supports a wide range of communication protocols, including HTTP, TCP, and MSMQ, and provides a wide range of features for building robust and secure services. WCF is typically used for building enterprise-level applications that require a high degree of reliability and security.

ASP.NET Web API and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) are both frameworks for building distributed systems in the .NET framework.

Difference between ASP.NET Web API and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF)

Protocol support: Web API supports HTTP only, while WCF supports a wide range of protocols such as HTTP, TCP, MSMQ, and more.

Data formats: Web API uses JSON and XML for data serialization, while WCF supports a wider range of formats including binary and SOAP.

Ease of use: Web API is simpler to use and has a lower learning curve than WCF, which can be more complex and feature-rich.

Hosting: Web API can be hosted within an ASP.NET application or as a standalone service using OWIN, while WCF requires IIS or Windows Activation Services (WAS) for hosting.

Areas Used : Web API is designed for building HTTP services that can be consumed by a wide range of clients, including web browsers, mobile devices, and desktop applications,while WCF is designed for building enterprise-level applications that require a high degree of reliability and security.

Framework: Web API is part of the ASP.NET Core framework, which is a cross-platform, open-source framework for building modern web applications,while WCF is part of the .NET framework, which is a more general-purpose framework for building distributed systems in .NET.

Summary

ASP.NET Web API is a lightweight, flexible framework for building HTTP services, while WCF is a more general-purpose framework for building distributed systems in .NET that supports a wider range of protocols and data formats. The choice between these two technologies depends on the specific requirements of your application.