What is the difference between LINQ to SQL and Entity Framework?

LINQ to SQL and Entity Framework are both Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) frameworks that allow developers to interact with relational databases using object-oriented programming techniques.

Differences between LINQ to SQL and EF:

LINQ to SQL is a lightweight ORM that supports only SQL Server databases.
Entity Framework is a more robust ORM that supports multiple database providers, including SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL etc.

LINQ to SQL is suitable for small to medium-sized applications.
Entity Framework is suitable for large and complex applications.

ORM: Object Relation Mapping

Object-relational mapping (ORM) is a technique that connects programming code with relational databases. It uses metadata descriptors to create a layer between object-oriented program (OOP) code and the database.