ABP vs ASP.NET Zero: which should you choose in 2026?
Both come from the same company and both give you a head start on business applications. They differ in how you own the code, how you upgrade and how far each can grow with you.
Read the articleHome / ABP Framework development
ABP Framework development and upgrades.
We build new ABP products, upgrade older versions, migrate from ASP.NET Zero and add AI-native features, as engineers who work with ABP every day.
What is ABP? ABP is an open-source framework for building business applications. It gives a new project the parts every business application needs, like sign-in, permissions, multi-tenancy, audit logs and background jobs, inside a layered, domain-driven structure.
Why it matters to you. Your team spends its time on the features customers pay for instead of rebuilding infrastructure. The structure stays consistent as the product and the team grow, so new developers become productive faster.
Why ABP
What ABP gives you out of the box
Every ABP application has these five layers. Click one to see what is ready-made and what we build for you.
User interface
- What lives here
- Pages, forms and dashboards your users see, plus the theme and navigation.
- What ABP gives you
- Themes, account pages, user and role management screens, and generated API clients for the front end.
- What we build
- Your product screens, design system and the flows that make the product easy to use.
HTTP API
- What lives here
- The endpoints your web app, mobile app and integrations call.
- What ABP gives you
- Auto API controllers from application services, Swagger documentation and versioning support.
- What we build
- Public APIs and webhooks for partners, with authentication and rate limits.
Application
- What lives here
- Use cases such as
CreateInvoiceorAssignLead, input validation and authorisation checks. - What ABP gives you
- Application service base classes, unit of work, validation, permission checks and object mapping.
- What we build
- Each feature's workflow, the AI orchestration calls and the rules for who can do what.
Domain
- What lives here
- Entities, aggregates and the business rules that must always hold true.
- What ABP gives you
- Aggregate root and entity base classes, domain events, repositories and multi-tenant data filters.
- What we build
- Your domain model. This is where most of the product's real value sits.
Infrastructure
- What lives here
- EF Core mappings, migrations, caching, queues and connections to outside services.
- What ABP gives you
- EF Core and MongoDB integration, distributed cache, event bus and background job abstractions.
- What we build
- Database design and performance, Azure deployment, and integrations such as payments, WhatsApp or AI services.
CapabilityFrom scratchWith ABP
Sign-in, users and OpenID ConnectDesign and secure it yourselfIdentity and OpenIddict modules, configured
Multi-tenancyCustom data filters and tenant resolutionBuilt in, shared or separate databases
Roles and permissionsCustom tables, checks and admin screensPermission system with management UI
Audit loggingHand-written logging per featureAutomatic, per request and entity change
Settings and feature flagsUsually postponedPer tenant, per user, per edition
Background jobs and eventsPick and wire librariesAbstractions for jobs and distributed events
LocalizationRetrofitted lateBuilt in from the first screen
Services
What we do with ABP
Whether you are starting fresh or running a product on an older version, we pick up from where you are.
New ABP applications and SaaS
Solution design, module boundaries and a working first release. We choose between a modular monolith and microservices based on your team and traffic, not fashion.
Fixed scopeVersion upgrades
Step-by-step upgrades through each major ABP release, with breaking changes fixed, tests run and a staging deployment at every step.
Audit, then phasesASP.NET Zero and legacy migration
We port ASP.NET Zero, ASP.NET Boilerplate and other legacy applications to ABP module by module, so the product keeps running during the move.
Audit, then phasesCustom modules
Reusable ABP modules for your domain, packaged so other solutions in your company can install them.
Fixed scopeAI features on ABP
Assistants that answer from your data, document extraction and agent workflows with Azure OpenAI and Semantic Kernel, respecting each tenant's data and permissions.
2–4 week sprintsDedicated ABP developers
Senior engineers who join your stand-ups and repository. Agencies can also use us as a white-label ABP team for their own clients. How hiring works.
Monthly
Free tool
On an older ABP version? See your upgrade path
Choose where your application is today. We upgrade one major version at a time and ship each step to staging before moving on.
Your application runs on
From ASP.NET Zero or Boilerplate
- Audit
We map your entities, permissions, tenants and custom code, and agree which modules move first.
- Foundation
A new ABP 10 solution with identity on OpenIddict, tenants and your permission structure.
- Port
Entities and application services move module by module. Most business logic carries over with small changes.
- Switch
Data migration, a parallel run against the old system, then cut-over.
From ABP 4 or 5
- ABP 6
OpenIddict replaces IdentityServer as the default auth server. Clients, scopes and token settings move across.
- ABP 7
New runtime version. Package updates and a review of deprecated APIs.
- ABP 8
Moves to a long-term support runtime. A good point to refresh the build pipeline.
- ABP 9
New runtime version. Package updates and framework changes listed in ABP's migration guide.
- ABP 10
Moves to the current long-term support runtime, with the newest ABP modules available.
From ABP 6 or 7
- ABP 8
Moves to a long-term support runtime. A good point to refresh the build pipeline.
- ABP 9
New runtime version. Package updates and framework changes listed in ABP's migration guide.
- ABP 10
Moves to the current long-term support runtime, with the newest ABP modules available.
From ABP 8
- ABP 9
New runtime version. Package updates and framework changes listed in ABP's migration guide.
- ABP 10
Moves to the current long-term support runtime, with the newest ABP modules available.
From ABP 9
- ABP 10
Moves to the current long-term support runtime, with the newest ABP modules available.
Get the full upgrade checklist. A general guide based on ABP's major releases. The exact work depends on your modules and customisations, so every upgrade starts with a short code audit.
Proof
A legacy healthcare system moved to ABP
The situation
A legacy case evaluation system where every change touched the whole codebase and identity was handled in custom code.
What we did
Migrated it to ABP with modular domain-driven design, OpenIddict for OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect, and a multi-tenant Angular front end.
What changed
New features now ship as separate modules, sign-in follows open standards, and several organisations can use one deployment with isolated data.
Clients
Who we work with
Product companies on ABP
You already run on ABP and need more senior capacity, an upgrade, or AI features your customers keep asking for. We join your team and work in your repository.
Agencies selling ABP projects
You win ABP work but your team is full. We deliver under your brand with your processes, and your client relationship stays yours.
FAQ
ABP Framework questions
What is the ABP Framework used for?
Building business web applications, especially multi-tenant SaaS products and modular enterprise systems. It provides sign-in, permissions, tenants, audit logs and a layered structure out of the box.
Is ABP free?
The ABP Framework is open source. Volosoft also sells commercial licenses with extra modules, themes and tools. We help you decide whether you need one, and you buy it directly from them.
Is ABP a good choice for SaaS?
Yes. Multi-tenancy, per-tenant settings and feature flags are built in, which are the parts SaaS teams usually spend months on.
Can you upgrade our application to the latest ABP version?
Yes. We audit the code, then upgrade one major version at a time with tests and a staging release at each step, so you can stop safely at any point.
Can you migrate an ASP.NET Zero application to ABP?
Yes. We build a new ABP solution and port your modules into it step by step. Most domain logic carries over; identity, front-end structure and some infrastructure code change.
Can you add AI features to an existing ABP application?
Yes. We add assistants, document processing or agent workflows as separate modules, using Azure OpenAI and Semantic Kernel, and we keep each tenant's data isolated.
Do you work as a white-label partner for agencies?
Yes. We deliver ABP work under your brand and process, and we never contact your clients directly.
Who owns the code?
You do. Work happens in your repository from the first commit.
How do we start?
Send your current ABP version and goals through the contact form. We reply within one working day and suggest a short call or code audit.
Learn
All articlesRead more about ABP
Have an ABP project or an upgrade to plan?
Send us your current ABP version and what you want to build. We reply within one working day with questions or a time for a 30-minute call.
Start the conversation