If I were choosing portfolio projects for modern C#/.NET jobs, I would pick practical business software before another todo app. A todo app can teach create, edit, and delete, but most .NET work asks for more than that: statuses, notes, filters, reporting, validation, database relationships, deployment, and readable code.
These 10 app ideas are intentionally ordinary. That is the point. Employers hire developers to build and maintain the tools businesses actually use: ticket queues, inventory screens, order workflows, invoices, directories, scheduling, CRM screens, and purchasing tools.
How to use this list
- Pick one app and finish it. A complete small business app is stronger than five abandoned ideas.
- Add the workflow details. Statuses, history, filters, notes, and validation make the project feel real.
- Use a modern .NET stack. Blazor Server or ASP.NET Core, C# services, EF Core, SQL Server, and hosted deployment.
- Show proof. Screenshots, README notes, schema diagrams, and clean commits make the work easier to trust.
The stack I'd use
For each app, I would start with .NET 10, Blazor Server or ASP.NET Core, C# services, Entity Framework Core, and SQL Server. SmarterASP is a practical hosting path for a Blazor Server portfolio app with SQL Server. Azure App Service and Azure SQL are strong stretch goals when you want cloud keywords and real deployment practice. GitHub Actions, Docker, and small AI helpers can come after the basic app works.
Index
Use this index to jump into each business app outline.