When would you choose controllers, and when would you choose minimal APIs?

Controllers vs minimal APIs in ASP.NET Core

Compare endpoint styles in real services, including organization, conventions, testing, filters, and OpenAPI behavior.

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TL;DR

Controllers group actions into classes and use MVC conventions, attributes, filters, and action results. Minimal APIs map endpoints directly with route mappings and can be concise. I use controllers when a large resource-oriented API benefits from structure and conventions. I use minimal APIs for small services, focused endpoint groups, or internal APIs where directness improves readability.

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endpoint style judgment, maintainability, API size, cross-cutting behavior, and team conventions

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Why this matters
Controllers and minimal APIs share the same ASP.NET Core host but offer different organization and extension models. The useful choice is the one that keeps a service's endpoint contracts consistent as it grows.
Controllers group actions into classes and use MVC conventions, attributes, filters, and action results. Minimal APIs map endpoints directly with route mappings and can be concise. I use controllers when a large resource-oriented API benefits from structure and conventions. I use minimal APIs for small services, focused endpoint groups, or internal APIs where directness improves readability.
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Controllers fit well when a service benefits from MVC conventions, action filters, formatter behavior, established versioning patterns, and resource-oriented grouping. Minimal APIs fit focused services or vertical slices where route groups, typed results, endpoint filters, and direct dependency parameters keep the flow easy to follow. Both styles support authorization, OpenAPI, validation, and thin transport handlers. I would not mix them randomly per developer preference; the team needs one default plus clear exceptions so error handling and metadata do not drift.

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Saying controllers are obsolete
Saying minimal APIs are only demos
Putting all minimal handlers in one file
Creating huge controller actions
Mixing endpoint styles without conventions

When would you choose controllers, and when would you choose minimal APIs?

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