title: What is the difference between the Microsoft.Azure.Storage and WindowsAzure.Storage Nuget packages?
body: <p>I've always found this very confusing:</p>
  <ul>
  <li>There is a <code>WindowsAzure.Storage</code> NuGet package authored by Microsoft which allows you to work with, for example, blob storage (creating blobs, etc.).</li>
  <li>There are also <code>Microsoft.Azure.Storage.*</code> packages which accomplish the same thing, also authored by Microsoft.</li>
  </ul>
  <p>If your project happens to have dependencies on both, you can have naming conflicts e.g. (The type 'CloudStorageAccount' exists in both 'Microsoft.Azure.Storage.Common, ... and 'Microsoft.WindowsAzure.Storage, ...).</p>
  <p>Here are links to the two alternatives:</p>
  <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20191121124602/https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/overview/azure/storage?view=azure-dotnet" rel="noreferrer">https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/overview/azure/storage?view=azure-dotnet</a></p>
  <p><a href="https://github.com/Azure/azure-storage-net/blob/master/README.md" rel="noreferrer">https://github.com/Azure/azure-storage-net/blob/master/README.md</a></p>
  <p>What is the difference and when would I be motivated to use one over the other?</p>