Autofac vs Managed Extensibility Framework

Developers should learn Autofac when building scalable meets developers should learn mef when building modular applications in . Here's our take.

Autofac

Nice Pick

Developers should learn Autofac when building scalable

Pros

• NET applications, especially in enterprise or microservices architectures, to simplify dependency management and improve code maintainability
• Related to: dependency-injection, csharp

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Managed Extensibility Framework

Developers should learn MEF when building modular applications in

Pros

• NET that require plugin architectures, such as IDEs, content management systems, or enterprise software with add-on functionality
• Related to: .net-framework, c-sharp

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. Autofac is a library while Managed Extensibility Framework is a framework. We picked Autofac based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

Autofac wins

Based on overall popularity. Autofac is more widely used, but Managed Extensibility Framework excels in its own space.