Prerequisites

Ready to dive into Aspire? Before you begin, make sure your development environment is set up with a few essential tools. This guide walks you through everything you need to start building and running Aspire solutions with confidence.

1. Install your language runtime

   C#

   Aspire’s C# AppHost is built on .NET, a free, open-source, cross-platform framework for building modern apps and cloud services. You’ll need the .NET 10.0 SDK installed—no prior C# experience is required.

   Important

   The .NET 10.0 SDK is required for C# AppHosts. However, Aspire can run applications targeting .NET 8.0 or later.

   Follow the installation instructions for your operating system (Windows, macOS, or Linux) to complete the setup.

   TypeScript

   Aspire’s TypeScript AppHost requires Node.js 20 or later (LTS recommended) and a compatible package manager. The following package managers are supported: npm (included with Node.js), pnpm, Yarn, and Bun. The Aspire CLI auto-detects the active toolchain from your package.json packageManager field or from lockfiles in your project directory or parent directories.

   Follow the Node.js installation instructions for your operating system (Windows, macOS, or Linux) to complete the setup. If you use an alternative package manager, install it separately:

   • pnpm
   • Yarn
   • Bun

2. Install an OCI-compliant container runtime

   Choose one runtime for local container support. Docker Desktop is the recommended default for most Aspire developers.

   Docker Desktop

   Recommended default Install Docker Desktop

   A familiar and widely supported environment for building and running containers.

   Podman

   Supported alternative Install Podman

   An open-source, daemonless runtime for building and running Open Container Initiative (OCI) containers.

   Use Podman with Aspire

   After installing Podman, set ASPIRE_CONTAINER_RUNTIME to podman.

   Bash

   Set Podman runtime

   export ASPIRE_CONTAINER_RUNTIME=podman

   PowerShell

   Set Podman runtime

   [System.Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable(
       "ASPIRE_CONTAINER_RUNTIME",
       "podman",
       "User"
   )

   Rancher Desktop

   Community reported Learn about Rancher Desktop

   Reported by users as a successful alternative, especially when configured to use the Docker CLI. Rancher Desktop is not an officially supported or regularly tested Aspire scenario.

   Choose one runtime

   Install one option from the tabs above. For most users, choose Docker Desktop; don’t install Podman or Rancher Desktop unless you specifically want to use one of them instead.

3. Install an integrated development environment (IDE)

   Aspire supports multiple IDEs and code editors. You can choose the one that best fits your workflow:

   Visual Studio Code

   We recommend Visual Studio Code for the best experience—a lightweight, cross-platform code editor with excellent Aspire support. Install the following extensions to get started:

   Aspire extension for Aspire-specific commands and features.

   C#

   Additionally, install the C# extension for C# language support.

   Aspire also works well with:

   • Visual Studio: A full-featured IDE for C# development with debugging, IntelliSense, and Git support.
   • JetBrains Rider: A powerful, cross-platform C# IDE with advanced features like code analysis, refactoring, and debugging.
   TypeScript

   Visual Studio Code with the Aspire extension is the recommended environment for TypeScript AppHosts.

Consider alternatives to local installation (Optional)

If you prefer not to install the prerequisites on your local machine, you can develop Aspire solutions using cloud-based options like GitHub Codespaces or Dev Containers. These options allow you to work in a cloud-based environment, eliminating the need for local installations, but may not provide the same performance as local installations.

The Aspire team maintains a GitHub Codespaces (with preconfigured Dev Container) configuration to help you get started quickly: