CSharp-Coder

Learn when to use records vs classes vs structs in C# with practical examples, performance tips, and best practices. Master C# types in 2026 — read now. If you've ever paused before typing class , record , or struct and wondered which one you actually need, you're not alone. The C# record vs class question is one of the most searched C# topics on Google — and for good reason. Since records arrived in C# 9 and record structs in C# 10, the language now gives you five distinct ways to declare a type: class , record class , struct , record struct , and readonly record struct . Each has different semantics for equality, copying, memory allocation, and mutability — and choosing the wrong one leads to subtle bugs, wasted allocations, or code that fights the language instead of flowing with it. In this tutorial, we'll break down exactly how records, classes, and structs differ in modern .NET (as of .NET 10 in 2026), show runnable code examples for each, and give you a simp...