AJAX Toolkit vs. Default Controls vs. RadControls
The Microsoft ASP.NET AJAX platform ships with built-in, default controls, and it makes additional controls available through the open source AJAX Toolkit. These controls are useful, but they have many limits that reduce developer productivity. RadControls for ASP.NET AJAX from Telerik provide a richer set of out-of-the-box features and maximize ASP.NET developer productivity.
| Feature | RadControls for ASP.NET AJAX | Default ASP.NET Controls | AJAX Toolkit Controls |
| Toolset | More than 70 controls | Approx. 30 controls | Approx. 40 controls & extenders |
| Free | Some | Yes | Yes |
| 24-hour support | Yes | Yes | No |
| Built on ASP.NET AJAX | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cross-browser support | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rich client-side functionality | Yes | No | Some |
| HTML5-ready | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Extensive documentation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Live online demos | Yes | No | Yes |
| Public roadmap | Yes | No | No |
| Frequent updates | Yes | No | No |
| Professional themes | Yes | No | No |
| Theme customizer | Yes | No | No |
| Visual Studio configuration wizards | Yes | No | No |
Some controls offer more functionality than others, such as Grids and TreeViews. The following charts compare out-of-the-box features in the Telerik RadControls to the default ASP.NET AJAX control equivalents.
RadGrid vs. Default ASP.NET GridView
| Feature | Telerik RadGrid | Default ASP.NET GridView |
| Column templates | Yes (TemplateColumn) | Yes
(TemplateField)
(custom code) |
| Basic paging | Yes | Yes |
| Custom paging | Yes | No |
| Item templates (row) | Yes | No |
| Built-in Filter control | Yes | No |
| Binding: server-side | Yes | Yes |
| Binding: client-side | Yes | No |
| Binding: WebService | Yes (markup) | Yes
(code-behind) |
| Frozen columns | Yes | No |
| Virtual scrolling | Yes | No |
| Automatic CRUD operations | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-row edit | Yes (simple property) | No |
| Context menu | Yes (property) | No |
| Grouping | Yes | No |
| Exporting to PDF/Excel/Word | Yes | No |
| Client-side API | Yes | No |
See more than 90 online examples of RadGrid for ASP.NET AJAX
RadTreeView vs. default ASP.NET TreeView
| Feature | Telerik RadTreeView | Default ASP.NET TreeView |
| Design wizard | Yes | Yes |
| Checkbox support | Yes | Yes |
| Extensive client-side functionality | Yes | No |
| Node templates | Yes | No |
| Singular Node templates | Yes | No |
| Load-on-demand: server-side | Yes (defined on a node-by-node basis) | No |
| Load-on-demand: client-side | Yes | Yes (via runat=”server” script) |
| Load-on-demand: WebService | Yes | No |
| Drag-and-drop | Yes | No |
| Editable nodes | Yes | No |
| Context menu support | Yes | No |
See more than 30 online examples of RadTreeView for ASP.NET AJAX
RadComboBox vs. default ASP.NET DropDownList vs. AJAX Toolkit ComboBox
| Feature | Telerik RadComboBox | Default ASP.NET DropDownList | AJAX Toolkit ComboBox |
| AutoComplete | Yes | No | Yes |
| Load-on-demand: server-side | Yes | No | Yes(via usage of the
AutoCompleteExtender) |
| Load-on-demand: Web Service | Yes | No | Yes(via usage of the
AutoCompleteExtender) |
| Load-on-demand: Page Methods | Yes | No | Yes(via usage of the
AutoCompleteExtender) |
| Item templating | Yes | No | No |
| Built-in animation configuring | Yes | No | No |
| Extensive client-side API | Yes | No | No |
| Right-to-left support | Yes | No | No |
See more than 30 online examples of RadComboBox for ASP.NET AJAX
Understanding the Options
ASP.NET developers have three options for improving productivity:
1. Using the Default Controls
The ASP.NET framework includes approximately 30 web server controls that provide basic web application functionality. For example, ASP.NET includes a default GridView control that works well for simple presentations of grid data, but lacks common features like filtering and grouping. The default controls can be extended, but the process is time consuming and counter-productive for most projects. The default controls are best for learning ASP.NET or simple projects that do not require rich functionality.
Microsoft partnered with the open source community to provide a number of “add-on” controls for ASP.NET that build on the ASP.NET AJAX framework. The Toolkit controls add simple AJAX behaviors to ASP.NET applications, but they lack extensive configuration options. Unlike controls from Telerik, the AJAX Toolkit does not have a regular release schedule or road map, so updates are unpredictable. Further, the Toolkit is not officially supported by Microsoft. Support is available only through online communities. The Toolkit controls are best for ASP.NET WebForms projects that prefer open source and have the time to solve problems manually.
3. Using High Performance Controls from Telerik
For most development teams, choosing rich controls that provide extensive configurability and comprehensive out-of-the-box features is the best choice for maximizing productivity and profit. RadControls for ASP.NET AJAX from Telerik enable teams to focus on value generating development tasks and reduce time spent on common application functionality. Backed by industry leading support and an aggressive release cycle, RadControls minimize project risk and offer value well beyond the Microsoft provided free tools. Telerik RadControls are best for projects that need to deliver rich functionality in real world projects constrained by time and resources.
More Than Expected with Telerik
In addition to control-by-control comparisons, Telerik offers value that goes beyond the default ASP.NET controls by providing tools that help optimize and configure ASP.NET applications.
Telerik vs. Default ASP.NET Controls
- RadAjax - UpdatePanels make Ajax easy in ASP.NET, but Telerik goes further by offering RadAjax, a tool that dramatically simplifies UpdatePanel configuration and management. Stop worrying about Triggers and UpdateMode and instead focus on simple configuration. Learn More
- RadScriptManager - A superset of the default Microsoft ScriptManager, RadScriptManager adds powerful functionality to ASP.NET AJAX applications for optimizing performance. Without assistance, RadScriptManager will combine Telerik JavaScript files, making rich pages load faster. Learn More
- RadCompression - Make pages load even faster with this simple tool that automatically compresses AJAX and WebService responses. It’s a perfect complement to HTTP Compression offered by IIS7 which misses these Ajax responses by default. Learn More
- Visual Studio Extensions - Minimize your Telerik learning curve with these built-in Visual Studio helpers. The Telerik Visual Studio Extensions (VSE) can help you start a new project, upgrade existing projects, or even add code to your project for advanced RadControl scenarios. Learn More
- Semantic Rendering - RadControls for ASP.NET AJAX employ semantic HTML rendering which improves a page’s SEO with no extra effort.
Telerik vs. AJAX Toolkit
- Single Installer for .NET 3.5 and .NET 4.0 - Don’t worry about your framework version! RadControls for ASP.NET AJAX include .NET 3.5 and 4.0 versions in a single installer for simple installation. The AJAX Toolkit requires separate downloads and installers.
- Works with both RadScriptManager and ScriptManager - RadControls for ASP.NET AJAX work with both the RadScriptManager and the default ASP.NET ScriptManager, regardless of the target framework version. The AJAX Toolkit for .NET 3.5 requires a replacement ToolkitScriptManager.
- Automatic Visual Studio Integration - Get started quickly with the RadControls. The installer automatically adds Visual Studio toolbox items and item templates, requiring no manual effort. The AJAX Toolkit requires manual steps to add controls to the Visual Studio toolbox, which must be repeated for each target framework version.
- Extensive documentation & API reference - While the AJAX Toolkit does offer some documentation, API reference, and online demos, the resources are limited. RadControls for ASP.NET AJAX offer extensive documentation, API reference, knowledgebase articles, videos, and online demos for every control.
- Multi-functional controls - The AJAX Toolkit provides some very “specialized” controls that only perform a single function, like the Accordion and Modal Popup. Telerik RadControls offer all of the functionality found in the Toolkit and more through rich, multi-featured controls. For example, RadPanelBar provides Accordion behavior via a single property, and RadWindow has a single property to enable modal support.
- Support - RadControls for ASP.NET AJAX are backed by industry-leading support from Telerik. The official and active Telerik community forums also provide a wealth of knowledge and support. The AJAX Toolkit, meanwhile, only offers online community support. It is not officially supported by Microsoft due to its open source license.