Dapr
Dapr (Distributed Application Runtime) is an open-source, portable runtime that simplifies building microservices and distributed applications. It provides building blocks for common challenges like service-to-service communication, state management, publish/subscribe messaging, secrets management, and observability. Instead of writing complex infrastructure code or choosing and integrating multiple libraries, developers use Dapr's consistent APIs. For non-technical readers, think of Dapr as a standardised toolkit for building applications made of many small, connected services. Just as a car provides a standard interface (steering wheel, pedals) regardless of what engine it uses, Dapr provides standard interfaces for distributed systems regardless of what databases, message queues, or cloud services sit behind them. This makes applications more portable and developers more productive. Dapr is a Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) project with strong backing from Microsoft and a growing community. It runs as a sidecar process alongside your application, which means it works with any programming language and doesn't require changing how your code is written.
Official WebsiteWhen to use Dapr
Use Dapr when building microservices or distributed applications that need to communicate reliably, manage state, or integrate with various infrastructure components. It's particularly valuable when you want to avoid vendor lock-in: Dapr abstracts away the specifics of databases, message brokers, and cloud services, making it easier to switch providers or run in multiple environments.
Dapr is also helpful for teams adopting microservices for the first time, as it provides proven patterns and reduces the amount of infrastructure code to write and maintain.
Why choose Dapr?
Teams choose Dapr to accelerate development of distributed systems without sacrificing flexibility. Its building blocks handle cross-cutting concerns consistently, reducing boilerplate code and the risk of subtle bugs. The abstraction layer means applications aren't tightly coupled to specific infrastructure choices, which simplifies migrations and multi-cloud deployments. Strong community support and CNCF governance provide confidence in the project's longevity.