ardalis/cleanarchitecture

Analysis updated 2026-05-18

★ 18,171C#Audience · developerComplexity · 3/5LicenseSetup · moderate

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
    What it does
      Organizes code layers
      Separates business logic
      Enables easy testing
    Architecture patterns
      Clean Architecture
      Domain-Driven Design
      Hexagonal architecture
    Project structure
      Core layer
      Use Cases layer
      Infrastructure layer
      Web layer
    Tech stack
      ASP.NET Core
      .NET 9
      NuGet packages
    Use cases
      Build maintainable apps
      Isolate business rules
      Swap databases easily

mindmap root((repo)) What it does Organizes code layers Separates business logic Enables easy testing Architecture patterns Clean Architecture Domain-Driven Design Hexagonal architecture Project structure Core layer Use Cases layer Infrastructure layer Web layer Tech stack ASP.NET Core .NET 9 NuGet packages Use cases Build maintainable apps Isolate business rules Swap databases easily

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What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Build a new ASP.NET Core web application with a proven, layered architecture from day one.

USE CASE 2

Swap out your database or external service without rewriting business logic.

USE CASE 3

Write unit tests that focus on domain rules without mocking the entire infrastructure.

USE CASE 4

Organize a team project so different developers can work on layers independently.

What is it built with?

C#ASP.NET Core.NET 9NuGet

How does it compare?

	ardalis/cleanarchitecture	hellzerg/optimizer	dapperlib/dapper
Stars	18,171	18,159	18,288
Language	C#	C#	C#
Setup difficulty	moderate	easy	easy
Complexity	3/5	2/5	2/5
Audience	developer	vibe coder	developer

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 30min

.NET 9 SDK must be installed, template scaffolding and initial build takes time.

Use freely for any purpose including commercial, as long as you keep the copyright notice.

In plain English

CleanArchitecture is a starter template for building web applications with ASP.NET Core (Microsoft's open-source web framework for .NET) following the Clean Architecture pattern. Clean Architecture is a way of organizing software so that the core business logic sits at the center, independent of databases, user interfaces, or external services, this makes it easier to test, maintain, and change individual parts without breaking others. The same approach goes by other names like hexagonal architecture, ports-and-adapters, and onion architecture. The template structures a project into distinct layers: a Core project holding domain entities and business rules, a Use Cases project for application-specific logic, an Infrastructure project for database access and external integrations, and a Web project for the user-facing API or web interface. It incorporates patterns such as domain events (notifications when something important happens inside the domain), and follows Domain-Driven Design (DDD) principles for organizing complex business logic. The template is installable as a .NET CLI tool via NuGet, the package manager for .NET, and comes in two variants: a full version and a minimal version. It targets .NET 9. The main branch corresponds to NuGet package version 10.x. It is created by Steve Smith (known online as "ardalis") and is open source.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1

Show me how to install the Clean Architecture template via NuGet and create a new project with it.

Prompt 2

Explain the difference between the Core, Use Cases, Infrastructure, and Web layers in this template.

Prompt 3

How do I add a new domain entity and business rule to the Core layer following this template?

Prompt 4

Walk me through how domain events work in this Clean Architecture template and when to use them.

Prompt 5

What's the minimal version of this template, and when should I use it instead of the full version?

Frequently asked questions

What is cleanarchitecture?

A starter template for building ASP.NET Core web apps using Clean Architecture, which separates business logic from databases and UI for easier testing and maintenance.

What language is cleanarchitecture written in?

Mainly C#. The stack also includes C#, ASP.NET Core, .NET 9.

What license does cleanarchitecture use?

Use freely for any purpose including commercial, as long as you keep the copyright notice.

How hard is cleanarchitecture to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated moderate, with roughly 30min to a first successful run.

Who is cleanarchitecture for?

Mainly developer.

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