SDK vs Runtime

Understanding the difference between SDK and Runtime is crucial for .NET development and deployment.

.NET SDK

• Purpose: Development
• Includes: Compilers, CLI tools, templates, build engines, and the runtime
• Size: ~500-700 MB
• When to install: On development machines

.NET Runtime

• Purpose: Running existing .NET applications
• Includes: Just the runtime environment (no compilers or tools)
• Size: ~50-100 MB
• When to install: On production servers or end-user machines

ASP.NET Core Runtime

• Purpose: Running web applications
• Includes: .NET Runtime + ASP.NET Core libraries

# Check installed SDKs
dotnet --list-sdks

# Check installed runtimes
dotnet --list-runtimes