The demand for Java developers and NodeJS developers has risen significantly in the last few years. Not just that, many companies have also adopted the two technologies to add on to their tech stacks or base their entire application in.
Companies like LinkedIn, Google, Uber, Spotify and Airbnb actively use Java in their tech stack, while many companies, including Medium, Wikipedia, Reddit, Yahoo and New Yorker, prefer using NodeJS.
But why do such prominent names, who all receive a heavy number of users every day, have different choices regarding the technology they choose for their applications?
Well, because both Java and NodeJS are considered equally efficient in developing a robust web application. But here the question is – What’s best for you?
Should you hire NodeJS developers or that of Java?
Don’t get confused; you have landed on the right article. This article will help you make a clear choice between choosing NodeJS or Java for your project.
So without any further ado, let’s dive right into the comparison.
Why is the comparison relevant?
Java is a full-fledged language, while you can call NodeJS a JavaScript-based ecosystem integrated with Google’s V8 version.
However, when we discuss Java, we consider the language and the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) and the complete infrastructure and ecosystem developer around that machine. This works as the primary reason why comparing NodeJS with Java is relevant.
As a result, both cases have an execution environment. In NodeJs case, it’s the V8 engine that runs effectively with Linux, macOS, and other operating systems, and in Java’s case, it is the JVM.
JVM vs V8:
As soon as the JS code enters the V8 engine, the Just in Time (JIT) compiles it into a byte code. Since the JIT compilation is popularly used in virtual machines, the code runs faster than in Java.
Byte code is a high-level language. Therefore, JVM is not only written in Java but also Kotlin and Scala. Developers believe that the future of V8 engines will see significant development, and it will be possible to use both JavaScript and TypeScript to write in V8.
Since the V8 is going through continuous development, the new versions of NodeJS are associated with new V8 versions. They are believed to be interrelated.
Advantages and Disadvantages of NodeJS:
Many companies and entrepreneurs prefer to hire dedicated NodeJS developers due to the popularity of the JS environment. But what drives this decision of famous companies like Yahoo and Wikipedia.
Well, here are a few reasons:
- Built on the V8 engine
- It has a set of various JavaScript-based libraries and the language itself.
- Provides speed and ease of coding
- Helps develop a light application
- Has extra points for providing a more straightforward interface and functioning (compared to Java)
- it comes with the Node Package Manager, which has various libraries that can be used in one line.
- It has a dependency tree for each library, which makes the work easier.
- Undergoes a constant development, which keeps the technology updated with the trend and advancements.
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The Disadvantages of NodeJS:
- Although NodeJS is flexible and offers rapid development, it could still pose a concern since constant monitor updates.
- Apps developed with NodeJS once faced a hard time when a developer deleted a library and several apps built with the particular library stopped working correctly.
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Java:
Advantages of Java:
- It comes with a massive set of libraries
- Most developers know how to code Java
- It offers significant speed.
Disadvantages of Java:
- Many java paradigms were created years ago; Therefore, they are not suitable for advanced methods.
- Applications built in Java experience heaviness
- Java is slowly developing.
Recently, Java is being overtaken by JavaScript and is slowly fading away from the market. Kotlin can soon replace Java, although it still uses the JVM but is a different language altogether.
Therefore, it is best to hire NodeJS developers for your application if you wish to keep up with the quickly evolving technology.
Performance and resource intensity: Java vs NodeJS:
Let’s start with the fact that Java performs better than NodeJS, and if you run basic tasks like squaring, the results can be 10x different from NodeJS.
The most fundamental difference between Java and NodeJS is that the latter is based on the single-threaded I/O model, which may be advantageous and, at the same time, disadvantageous.
Java can effectively work with threads based on the OS level. In fact, it makes the most use of the OS features. And if you wish to code a high-load application using an array of components without affecting the overall working of your app, then Java is the right deal for you.
However, the most concerning factor in developing any application with Java is that even small tasks require a great deal of memory consumption – both on operational and on disk.
In parallel, NodeJS is a lightweight environment due to the event-based architecture it follows. NodeJS is developed to function as a web server and works efficiently well with serving light tasks. For instance, a simple query like writing to a database or calculating happens in a short period. And in case there are multiple requests to handle, there is a need of scaling the system, you can always use Nginx or Apache webserver.
Conclusion:
The difference between the performance of applications built on Java and NodeJs is easily distinguishable. When it comes to the experience and feasibility of finding a developer, one can afford to choose Java. However, if you wish to develop an application with optimum performance, speed, relevance and multiple libraries, it is best to hire dedicated NodeJS developers for your application.
Although Java is considered faster, it isn’t easy to spend much memory on each element. And why should one do that when there is an option to attain performance with NodeJS using a few available tools.
Therefore, it is best to choose NodeJS when you need to develop an advanced project.