Entity Framework is ORM(Object Relational Mapping) introduced by Microsoft. It proves very useful for new developers for it’s simplicity to query against conceptual schema and also has rich feature set. Many time the question has been asked in the interview to explain differences between Entity Framework and LINQ To SQL to the developers who has work experience in Entity Framework. I have made table of differences between these two technologies.

1. Articles from Jinal Desai
LINQ To SQL Vs Entity Framework
2012-05-19 17:05:50 Jinal Desai
Entity Framework is ORM(Object Relational Mapping) introduced by Microsoft. It proves very useful for
new developers for it’s simplicity to query against conceptual schema and also has rich feature set. Many
time the question has been asked in the interview to explain differences between Entity Framework and
LINQ To SQL to the developers who has work experience in Entity Framework. I have made table of
differences between these two technologies.
Parameter LINQ To SQL Entity Framework
LINQ To SQL supports only
Microsoft SQL Server 2000 With Entity Framework you can plug any DB Server i.e.
DB Server and later version and even IBM DB2, Sybase SqlAnyWhere, Oracle, SQL Azure, and
SQL Server 2000 has some lot more.
limitations.
In LINQ To SQL inheritance In Entity Framework inheritance is simple to apply. It
is difficult to apply. It supports supports Table Per Class Hierarchy(TPH) and Table Per
Inheritance
Table Per Class Type(TPT). It also provides limited support of Table Per
Hierarchy(TPH). Concrete Class(TPC).
Complex
Type(Non
scalar property
LINQ To SQL does not
of an entity
support the creation of Entity Framework support the creation of complex types.
type that does
complex types.
not have a key
property)
Support
LINQ To SQL is easier to Entity Framework is more complex compared to LINQ To
Complexity
use. SQL.
Entity Framework enable decoupling DB
LINQ To SQL provides one-
Server(Database Schema) and Entity Representaion in
Model to-one mapping of tables to
terms of Model(Conceptual Schema). You can map one
classes.
table to multiple entities or multiple table to one entity.
LINQ To SQL is simple to
learn and implement for Entity Framework has more features which will take time
Development
Rapid Application to learn and implement, but it will work in complex
Time
Development, but it will not applications.
work in complex applications.
In LINQ To SQL each table is
mapped to single class. Join
table must be represented as
Mapping Type a class. Also, complex types In Entity Framework a class can map to multiple tables.
cannot be easily represented
without creating separate
table.
It uses Database Markup
Language(DBML) file that Entity Framework uses four files EDMX, CSDL, SSDL
File Type
contains XML mappings of and MSL. The later three are generated at runtime.
entities to tables.
With the Entity Framework, we can query database using
LINQ To Entities through the ObjectContext object and
LINQ To SQL has
ESQL(provides SQL like query language). In addition,
Query DataContext object through
Entity Framework has ObjectQuery class(used with

2. Entity Framework has ObjectQuery class(used with
Capability which we can query the
Object Services for dynamically constructing queries at
database.
runtime) and EntityClient provider(runs query against
conceptual model).
LINQ To SQL is slow for the
Entity Framework is also slow for the first run, but after
first time run. After first run
Performance first run provides slightly better performance compared to
provides acceptable
LINQ To SQL.
performance.
Microsoft intended to
obsolete LINQ To SQL after
Future the Entity Framework
Entity Framework has future enhacements.
Enhancement releases. So it will not
receive any future
enhancements.
Generate It has no capability to
Entity Framework supports generation of database from
Database from generate database from
Model.
Model Model.
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