Legacy Article Notice: Both .NET Core 3.1 and .NET 5 have reached End of Life (EOL) and no longer receive security updates. For new projects or migrations, please target .NET 8 LTS (supported until Nov 2026) or .NET 10 LTS (supported until Nov 2028). See our updated migration guides for current versions.
Historical Reference: Upgrading from .NET Core 3.1 to .NET 5
This article is preserved for reference purposes for customers maintaining legacy applications.
Recommended Migration Path Today
If you are still on .NET Core 3.1 or .NET 5, we strongly recommend migrating directly to a supported LTS version:
- .NET 8 LTS - Supported until November 2026
- .NET 10 LTS - Supported until November 2028
See our articles: Getting Started with .NET 8 on Windows Hosting, Getting Started with .NET 10 on Windows Hosting, and Migrating from ASP.NET Framework to .NET 10.
Original Article (Legacy Reference)
To Upgrade ASP.NET Core Web 3.1 app to ASP.NET Core 5, follow these steps.
- Download and install .NET 5 from the Microsoft .NET download page.
- Update Visual Studio 2019 to 16.8 or later.
- Update Project Target Framework to .NET 5 by editing the project file.
- Build the project and resolve any errors.
- Update NuGet packages to their .NET 5 compatible versions.
- Test your application thoroughly before deploying.
