Does MediatR Even Make Sense Anymore in .NET?

About this Video

• Video Title: Does MediatR Even Make Sense Anymore in .NET?
• Channel: Nick Chapsas
• Speakers: Nick Chapsas, Jimmy Boger (mentioned)
• Duration: 00:05:47

Introduction

This video discusses the relevance of the MediatR pattern in .NET projects. Nick Chapsas explores whether MediatR is overly complex for simple applications and examines performance implications, comparing it to alternatives like directly calling services or using libraries such as FastEndpoints.

Key Takeaways

• MediatR is overkill for small projects: For applications with a small number of endpoints (e.g., under 20), MediatR adds unnecessary complexity and performance overhead. Simpler approaches are more efficient.
• Performance considerations: Benchmarks show MediatR is slower than directly calling services. The added abstraction layer introduces performance penalties.
• Alternatives exist: Libraries like FastEndpoints provide similar functionality to MediatR without the extra overhead. FastEndpoints is recommended as a high-performing alternative.
• Modern .NET features reduce the need for MediatR: Features like middleware and minimal APIs, along with decorators, provide capabilities previously requiring MediatR, making it less essential.
• Debugging challenges: MediatR's indirect method invocation through a dictionary makes debugging more difficult compared to directly calling services.