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Clean Architecture

A starter template for building ASP.NET Core apps using the Clean Architecture pattern.

GitHub Download v11.1.1
Stars
18.5k
Forks
3.1k
Licence
MIT
Language
C#
Last update
2 months ago
Type
Framework

What it is

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.

  • Generate a new ASP.NET Core solution with the dotnet CLI template
  • Use the included layers as a base for a web API or web app
  • Study how the project separates domain, use cases, and infrastructure code

Great for

  • 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

Not ideal for

  • 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
Step-by-step guide: how to use Clean ArchitectureInstall, first run, examples, tips and FAQs
Clean Architecture vs Clean Architecture Solution TemplateClean Architecture vs Modular Monolith with DDDClean Architecture vs ASP.NET Boilerplate

How to get it

  1. 1

    Install with a package manager

    You'll need: .NET SDK

    Clone the repository

    git clone https://github.com/ardalis/CleanArchitecture
  2. 2

    Run it

    • Install the .NET SDK
    • Install the template or clone the repository as described in the documentation
    • Create a new solution from the template using the dotnet CLI
    • Run the web project and open it in a browser, accepting the self-signed developer certificate if prompted
  3. 3

    Get the most out of it

    • Read the official documentation site for Getting Started steps and architectural decisions
    • Review the Migration Guides when upgrading from an older template version
    • Choose between Controllers, Razor Pages, or Ardalis.ApiEndpoints as described in the README
    • Explore the Domain Events section to see how events are used in the design

Downloads

Source code (.zip)main branch · straight from GitHubRelease v11.1.1Release notes and source

Strengths

  • 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

Trade-offs

  • 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

How it compares

ProjectStarsTypeLevelUpdatedBest for
CleanArchitecture (this)18.5kFrameworkintermediate2 months agoC# developers starting a new ASP.NET Core project who want a structured layout
CleanArchitecture20.7kFrameworkintermediate4 days agoDevelopers starting a new ASP.NET Core web app or Web API who want a structured layout
eShopOnWeb10.7kAppintermediate1.8 years agoDevelopers learning ASP.NET Core MVC and clean architecture
modular-monolith-with-ddd14.1kLearning resourceadvanced2.4 years agoDevelopers learning Domain-Driven Design tactical patterns in C#
aspnetboilerplate12kFrameworkadvanced11 days agoC# developers already working in the ASP.NET Core ecosystem
domain-driven-hexagon15kLearning resourceintermediate2.4 years agoDevelopers who want to understand Domain-Driven Design and hexagonal architecture through examples

Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.