Following in the footsteps of .NET 8, Microsoft has released the first-ever preview version of .NET 9. In their announcement, Microsoft aims toward two principal focal points: Cloud-native and intelligent app development with AI integration. Of course, it also observes improvements and performance gains in other areas, like security, productivity, and ease of use for the developers.
This is what the .NET team has to say about .NET 9 Preview 1:
Our goal is to make .NET development more productive using Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code with the C# Dev Kit, and cloud deployments easier using Azure services.
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Download .NET 9 Preview 1
Use the direct download links below to download the .NET 9 Preview 1 Runtime, SDKs, and ASP.NET Core matching your operating system and architecture. Simply click on the respective link in the “Download” column to begin the download.
Runtime
| Version | Platform | Download |
|---|---|---|
| .NET 9 Preview 1 Desktop Runtime | Windows | x64 x86 ARM64 |
| .NET 9 Preview 1 Runtime | Windows | x64 x86 ARM64 |
| .NET 9 Preview 1 Runtime | macOS | x64 ARM64 |
| .NET 9 Preview 1 Runtime Binaries | Linux | x64 ARM32 ARM64 |
| .NET 9 Preview 1 Runtime Binaries | Linux Alpine | x64 ARM32 ARM64 |
SDK
| Version | Platform | Download |
|---|---|---|
| .NET 9.0.100 SDK | Windows | x64 x86 ARM64 |
| .NET 9.0.100 SDK | macOS | x64 ARM64 |
| .NET 9.0.100 SDK Binaries | Linux | x64 ARM32 ARM64 |
| .NET 9.0.100 SDK Binaries | Linux Alpine | x64 ARM32 ARM64 |
ASP.NET Core
| Version | Platform | Download |
|---|---|---|
| .NET 9 Preview 1 ASP.NET Core Runtime | Windows | Hosting bundle x64 x86 ARM64 (Binaries) |
| .NET 9 Preview 1 ASP.NET Core Runtime Binaries | macOS | x64 ARM64 |
| .NET 9 Preview 1 ASP.NET Core Runtime Binaries | Linux | x64 ARM32 ARM64 |
| .NET 9 Preview 1 ASP.NET Core Runtime Binaries | Linux Alpine | x64 ARM32 ARM64 |
Click on this link for more .NET 9 download options.
Once downloaded, simply execute the package and proceed with the on-screen instructions to install .NET.
Once you have installed the newer .NET preview version, all your applications will run using the new build as the previous preview version will be replaced. However, if a stable version is installed and running, it will not be replaced.
When installed, you may check which .NET version is running by running the following command in Command Prompt:
wmic product get description | findstr /C:.NETWhat’s new in .NET 9 Preview 1
.NET 9 will be the regular release of .NET, as opposed to .NET 8, which was the Long Term Servicing (LTS) release. .NET 9 Preview 1 marks a new era for the .NET developers. This .NET version brings breaking changes to the technology with a primary focus on cloud integration and intelligent application development.
The following are the focus areas and new features in .NET 9 Preview 1:
Platform for Cloud-Native Developers
Microsoft is now more focused on delivering paved paths to popular production infrastructure and services. For example, running in Kubernetes and using managed databases and caching services like Redis.
These capabilities come together with .NET Aspire, which significantly reduces the cost and complexity of building cloud applications and the distance between development and production.
Microsoft has also been developing Native AOT and application trimming as key tools for optimizing production apps. Moreover, Microsoft is working on optimizing all applications for both trimming and AOT with .NET 9, which was only limited to Web API apps with .NET 8.
Tools for Cloud-Native Developers
Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code will now include new development and deployment experiences for .NET Aspire. This will include configuring components, debugging (including hot-reload) the AppHost and child processes, and fully integrating with the developer dashboard.
Developers will be able to deploy their projects to Azure Container Apps, from Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code, and Azure Developer CLI.
Artificial Intelligence in .NET 9
Microsoft already made major improvements to .NET 8 by adding AI capabilities for the developers to incorporate it into their apps. With .NET 9, Microsoft aims to take it a step further and add the ability for them to add AI to their new as well as existing applications.
We are committed to making it even easier for .NET developers to integrate artificial intelligence into their existing and new applications.
.NET team at Microsoft
The list does not end here. Microsoft is also working on other new features that will hopefully be discussed in depth soon. To read more about the new features in .NET 9, read the .NET 9 Preview 1 announcement post.
.NET 9 Release History
| Complete Version | Release Date | Significant Improvements | Announcement |
| .NET 9 Preview 2 | 12-Mar-24 | New options for serialization, performance upgrades, new CountBy and AggregateBy methods | Microsoft announces .NET 9 Preview 2 |
| .NET 9 Preview 1 | 13-Feb-24 | Improvements to AI integration for developers, focus on cloud-native and intelligent app creation. | Microsoft announces .NET 9 Preview 1 |
2 comments
Usman Khurshid
Does .NET 9 run alongside.NET and earlier versions? Is there a possibility to run the apps using specific framework?
Subhan Zafar
Hi, element in the “.exe.config” file. Here is an example:
The answer to the first part of your question is Yes. As with all .NET versions, you can install multiple .NET versions simultaneously, including .NET 9.
Moreover, when developing a .NET application, the developer can instruct the app to target a specific .NET version. But in case the user has multiple .NET versions installed, they can make a minor tweak to change the preferred .NET version to be used by the app.
This can be done by using the
<configuration> <startup> <supportedRuntime version="v2.0.50727"/> </startup> </configuration>In the example above, you can use your preferred .NET version by providing the complete version build, as long as it is supported by the .NET app.