Difference between Managed and Unmanaged code in .NET Last Updated : 19 Aug, 2024 Summarize Comments Improve Suggest changes Share Like Article Like Report Managed code is the code which is managed by the CLR(Common Language Runtime) in .NET Framework. Whereas the Unmanaged code is the code which is directly executed by the operating system. Below are some important differences between the Managed code and Unmanaged code: Managed CodeUnmanaged CodeIt is executed by managed runtime environment or managed by the CLR.It is executed directly by the operating system.It provides security to the application written in .NET Framework.It does not provide any security to the application.Memory buffer overflow does not occur.Memory buffer overflow may occur.It provide runtime services like Garbage Collection, exception handling, etc.It does not provide runtime services like Garbage Collection, exception handling, etc.The source code is compiled in the intermediate language known as IL or MSIL or CIL.The source code directly compiles into native languages.It does not provide low-level access to the programmer.It provide low-level access to the programmer.Memory is managed by CLR's Garbage Collector.Memory is managed by the programmer.Performance is Slightly slower due to the overhead of memory management and JIT compilation.Performance is Faster due to direct access to system resources and compiled machine-specific code.Debugging is easier due to the availability of CLR's debugging tools.Debugging is harder due to lack of debugging tools.Managed code requires installation of CLR on the target machineUnmanaged code Can be distributed as a standalone executable or DLL file.Interoperates well with other .NET languages and libraries.Limited interoperability with .NET languages .Runs on any platform that has CLR installed.Runs only on the specific platform for which it is compiled. Comment More infoAdvertise with us Next Article Difference between Managed and Unmanaged code in .NET A ankita_saini Follow Improve Article Tags : Difference Between C# Dot-NET Similar Reads Managed and Unmanaged Code in .NET In .NET, the terms "Managed Code" and "Unmanaged Code" refer to how the code is executed and managed by the system. Managed code runs under the control of the CLR(Common Language Runtime), while unmanaged code runs directly on the operating system. Each type of code has its own advantages and is use 3 min read Differences Between .NET Core and .NET Framework .NET Core is a free open source, a general-purpose development platform for developing modern cloud-based software applications on Windows, Linux, and macOS operating systems. It operates across several platforms and has been revamped to make .NET fast, scalable, and modern. .NET Core is one of Micr 4 min read Difference between General Management and Project Management With an emphasis on long-term strategy and organizational objectives, general management includes the overall administration and coordination of an organization's resources and operations. Project management, on the other hand, is focused on organizing, carrying out, and concluding individual projec 4 min read Difference Between VB.NET and C# Visual Basic .NET is a high-level programming language that was initially developed in 1991. It was the first programming language that directly supported programming graphical user interfaces using language-supplied objects. It supports all the concepts of an object-oriented such as object, class, 2 min read Difference Between Java and .NET Java and .NET are both popular and widely used platforms for developers. These are used to create robust and scalable applications, which can be web or system applications. But both Java and .NET have some different features and are used for various functionalities and purposes. The main difference 3 min read Like