Spring Boot vs Node.js – Which One Should You Choose

This article explores the comparison between the two most popular backend technologies that exist for server-side applications. In today’s world online business is a boom for services like food delivery applications or giant e-commerce applications connecting small businesses with the help of server-side tech like spring boot development or node js development to provide ease of web services.

The following article will now lead you to the individual spotlights of both tech stack Spring boot and Node JS.

What is Spring Boot?

Spring boot is one of the modules or Java framework of the biggest Spring framework that is used to provide backend web services to client or server-side tech applications. In simple terms, it helps us to speed up the process of web development.

It helps us to create, run, and configure stand-alone production-level Spring-based web applications. Spring boot allows us to create fast, robust, and auto-configured microservices that allow developers to develop, build, and deploy web services independently.

It focuses on creating enterprise-graded web applications most often by providing an easy, robust, and secure way to create independent production-ready applications and extend microservice regarding that.

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What is Node JS?

We all know Javascript was earlier a client-side scripting language also known as browser language, and the JavaScript engine had to convert Javascript code into machine code to be executed by the browser; such as JavaScript engines like SpiderMonkey or V8.

The extension of the robust V8 engine creates a runtime environment that can run Javascript code on machines as well in addition to browsers is NodeJS.

NodeJS is a runtime environment that enables server side scripting, that is, it allows us to run Javascript code on server-side applications. NodeJS has several modules like HTTP, and a package NPM called Node Package Manager that helps developers to run Javascript code on server side helping developers to build server-side web applications independently.

The both tech stack works dynamic in their respective fields but the following topic will take your turn to the factors that can be considered in taking this difficult decision of choosing one tech stack or technology between them.

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Spring Boot vs Node.js

It is important to understand the comparison between Spring boot based on certain factors required during software development. Certain factors are crucial to decide the backend tech stack out of two for building any kind of web application.

Factors	Spring Boot	Node JS
Language and Runtime	Used to make backend applications by developers that use Java or Kotlin programming language where Java provides JRE ( Java Runtime Environment ) to run java programs.	Used to make backend related applications by developers that use JavaScript programming language and JavaScript Runtime Environment to execute the program by browser.
Architecture	Spring boot is a 3 layered architecture consisting of: Presentation , Service and Data Access layer . The layers communicate with each other in hierarchical order to provide backend development support and micro services.	Node JS is an event-driven and Input – Output non-blocking architecture that uses event loop and async operations to handle input output operations.
Concurrency Model	Used to create microservice which requires higher concurrency and separate thread for every separate request to achieve concurrency.	Open source javascript environment to create backend applications where the CPU will use OS at its full load to service the thread request before attempting the execution of the next thread due to single threaded and async processing feature.
Multithreading	As Java is a multithreaded programming language, Spring boot provides heavy support on complex tasks and multiprocessor requirements as well as in building software products.	Single threaded programming language as well and faster in execution than Java Spring boot framework in the development of software products.
Performance	Follows a subtle performance matrix as compared to Node JS and works best for enterprise level applications that require robust scalability and maintainability.	Works with a high performance matrix and efficient speed for real time applications.
Ecosystem and Libraries	Is a Java framework that heavily relies on automatic configurations consisting of and XML annotations that simplifies the development and configures the dependencies on its own . Microservices are executed by the Spring boot framework in relation to the product development.	Is an event driven , single threaded and non blocking backend framework that works asynchronously effectively with low memory usage and an ecosystem of package modules and npm ( node package manager ) to execute the packages efficiently.
Scalability	Offers extensible Scalability due to large community support and reliability or knowledge of domain among developers for the next versions of the software product.	Less scalable than Spring boot due to less in number of developers knowledge
Community Support	Based on Java Programming language with a supportive and long-term extension of community support in making scalable enterprise-graded standalone web applications back earlier and now.	Highly scalable Javascript runtime environment for backend development that smoothly handles efficiently the traffic and high load of users if the application requires it.
Development Speed	Java is a multithreaded language which makes its resource extensive and lowers the Spring latencies and development speed useful in enterprise and repetitive long operations.	JavaScript is a single threaded language that executes one task at a time in a single process while delegating Input and Output operations to separate threads resulting in faster development speed.
Deployment	The most traditional and best way of deploying spring boot applications is using Tomcat server that involves three steps: Creating a Spring boot application followed by creation of Spring boot WAR and finally deploying it to the Tomcat server.	There are several ways to deploy Node JS applications depending on the tradeoff between cost, complexity and scalability. We can use a platform as a service like Heroku, Infrastructure as a service like AWS, Backend as a service like Firebase or hosting the app on your own server.
Security	Spring boot is more secure than NodeJS application because of its powerful and authentic security and access control framework already defined and configured in its 3 layer architecture.	The Node JS application is inherently secure due to the usage of third party open source packages via npm or node package manager that handles all packages and modules of Node JS.

Use Case of Node.js and SpringBoot

• NodeJS is a typical runtime environment that needs additional frameworks like express or TypeScript for high-end execution suitable for high-traffic web applications but not applicable much enough for CPU-intensive tasking applications or high-load applications. It is used to build small-scale web applications.
• Spring boot has a rich set of data, security and cloud integrations with enterprise-level software and complex web applications with supportive components like ERP, Human Resources, Engineering, Purchasing, Project Management, CRM, Data Services, Access control etc.
• For an application that requires extensive Input Output operations or data processing to achieve certain tasks, nodeJS is the desirable scalable choice but if the application requires heavy computing or multithreading in context to multi-processors, Spring Boot fits the best case.

Such use cases are the brownie points one must consider while collecting the left over context of both technologies considering the already made projects that is been there present and running for the user consumption in both Spring boot and Node JS.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Node.js

Node JS is always an open source Javascript platform that helps us to develop real time web applications or creating full fledged Node JS applications while keeping the eye on pros and cons of Node JS itself.

Advantages:

• Lightweight JavaScript runtime environment in comparison to other traditional frameworks for server side web development.
• Extensive and best choice in integrating data and data processing than other slow traditional frameworks if required.
• Memory consumption is less than Spring boot framework making applications faster to process and access.
• The package manager is a boom with its high level packages and modules in managing and configuring software applications at ease.

Disadvantages:

• Not mature enough to solve bugs due to its low maintainability for next versions and less community support.
• Offers an unstable connection with API execution and makes it hard for developers to work with API calls over and over resulting in extra money and time cost.
• not ideal for CPU intensive tasks due to async nature of Javascript.
• Is new in the technical market but it still has inexperienced developers to work for under this particular domain.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Spring Boot

Spring boot is always behind the scenes of Java Programming language providing great support and features to applications created from that while keeping in mind the pros and cons of Spring boot itself.

Advantages:

• Is a matured and grown traditional framework for big business models like fintech or banking applications.
• The high-end community support for Spring boot framework makes it easy for developers to resolve bug issues and provides good maintainability.
• Provides good resource supply to already made enterprise-level applications handling the updated and next versions accordingly at ease.next versions accordingly at ease.

Disadvantages:

• Higher memory consumption due to its heavy computing task requirement and processor usage is the biggest disadvantage of Spring boot over Node JS
• Debugging is quite a task in the spring boot framework due to its high maintainability and large scalable enterprise-level versions.
• Provides a systematic and auto supply of resources to create backend applications that eventually takes out a lot of control from developers’ hands to curate the application differently.

Projects – SpringBoot and NodeJS

These are the two versatile tech stacks trending in today’s market of programming , used in different and a variety of projects in the category of learning or fulfilling certain business models or software requirement .

• The projects that include Spring boot as hero material are Web Application with Spring boot starter web, Employee Management System, Complex Form Handling using Spring boot.
• The projects that can be created using Node JS include real time chat application, Multiplayer Gaming Applications , Rich UI and dynamic Web applications like ecommerce, video player etc. Remember Node JS works best in the case of beginner friendly web development projects while learning any technology.

The examples that were presented in the context of projects are never limited to certain categories as the technology is full of advancement and features to fit in every complex real time software development.

Conclusion

NodeJS is the recent tech stack in the market where Spring Boot is of quiet age in the programming marketplace with some mature experience in hand. The fit of your business model or software requirement can make you choose between NodeJS and Spring Boot better.

Which technology to use and which not entirely and solely depends on the developer and user software product alignment as the tech stack to choose between Node JS and Spring boot is one of the only factors amongst a lot of things that is needed to decide in development of a goalpost web application or complex and dynamic software product.