Clean Architecture vs Clean Architecture Solution Template
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A starter template for building ASP.NET Core apps using the Clean Architecture pattern.
Open source · MIT
A .NET project template that generates a starter ASP.NET Core app with Clean Architecture layers.
The short answer
Choose Clean Architecture if you need…
- C# developers starting a new ASP.NET Core project who want a structured layout
- Developers learning Clean Architecture or domain-driven design with a working example
- Teams that want a shared starting structure for backend services
- Developers who want to choose between a full and a minimal template
Choose Clean Architecture Solution Template if you need…
- Developers starting a new ASP.NET Core web app or Web API who want a structured layout
- Teams that want a Clean Architecture starting point with a chosen database and frontend
- .NET developers learning how layered architecture is laid out in a real project
- Developers who want SQLite by default for quick local work without Docker
Side-by-side
| Clean Architecture | Clean Architecture Solution Template | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Framework | Framework |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 18.5k | 20.7k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | C# | C# |
| Last code update | 47 days ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
Clean Architecture
This is a Visual Studio and dotnet CLI project template that gives you a pre-organized ASP.NET Core solution split into layers such as Core, Use Cases, Infrastructure and Web. It is meant as a starting point so you do not have to design that structure from scratch. The README describes it as a template for Clean Architecture, which is also called hexagonal, ports-and-adapters, or onion architecture.
Clean Architecture Solution Template
This is a solution template for the .NET CLI. It creates a new ASP.NET Core project organized into Clean Architecture layers, with an optional Angular or React frontend and a choice of SQLite, PostgreSQL, or SQL Server as the database. It is meant as a starting point so you do not have to set up the project structure yourself.
Best for
Clean Architecture
- C# developers starting a new ASP.NET Core project who want a structured layout
- Developers learning Clean Architecture or domain-driven design with a working example
- Teams that want a shared starting structure for backend services
- Developers who want to choose between a full and a minimal template
Clean Architecture Solution Template
- Developers starting a new ASP.NET Core web app or Web API who want a structured layout
- Teams that want a Clean Architecture starting point with a chosen database and frontend
- .NET developers learning how layered architecture is laid out in a real project
- Developers who want SQLite by default for quick local work without Docker
Strengths
Clean Architecture
- Widely starred and actively maintained, with recent pushes and a current .NET version
- Offers both a full and a minimal template so you can pick the level of structure you need
- Comes with an MIT license and documentation site with migration guides
Clean Architecture Solution Template
- Installs as a standard .NET template with a documented command and options
- Lets you choose frontend and database at creation time, with SQLite as the default
- Includes a published documentation site and architecture decision records
Not ideal for
Clean Architecture
- Developers who are new to C# or .NET, since the template assumes familiarity with the stack
- Projects that must use a different language or framework, since this is specific to ASP.NET Core
- Anyone looking for a finished application rather than a starting point to build on
Clean Architecture Solution Template
- Developers who do not use .NET or C#, since the template only generates ASP.NET Core solutions
- Anyone wanting a minimal single-file app, because the template generates a multi-project solution
- Teams needing a non-.NET stack; the README covers only ASP.NET Core
Trade-offs
Clean Architecture
- The README is truncated here, so detailed setup steps could not be fully verified
- Clean Architecture adds layers that may be more structure than a small project needs
- The README notes the main branch targets .NET 9 while the description references ASP.NET Core 10, so check which version matches your needs
Clean Architecture Solution Template
- Generates a sizable multi-project solution, which may be more structure than a small app needs
- Using SQL Server or PostgreSQL requires Docker or Podman, per the README
- The README is truncated here, so details beyond the setup steps are not fully verified
Getting started
Clean Architecture
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/ardalis/CleanArchitectureClean Architecture Solution Template
Install the template
dotnet new install Clean.Architecture.Solution.TemplateCreate a new solution (example: Angular with PostgreSQL)
dotnet new ca-sln -cf angular -db postgresql -o YourProjectNameFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Clean Architecture and Clean Architecture Solution Template?
Clean Architecture: A starter template for building ASP.NET Core apps using the Clean Architecture pattern. Clean Architecture Solution Template: A .NET project template that generates a starter ASP.NET Core app with Clean Architecture layers. Clean Architecture suits c# developers starting a new asp.net core project who want a structured layout, while Clean Architecture Solution Template suits developers starting a new asp.net core web app or web api who want a structured layout.
Are Clean Architecture and Clean Architecture Solution Template free?
Clean Architecture: Free and open source. Clean Architecture Solution Template: Free and open source.
Is Clean Architecture or Clean Architecture Solution Template more popular?
Clean Architecture Solution Template has more GitHub stars (20.7k) than Clean Architecture (18.5k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Clean Architecture and Clean Architecture Solution Template?
Other options people compare them with include ASP.NET Boilerplate, NativeScript, Wails.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.