Difference of Opinion on Node vs Go

Node vs Go

 

Before going to start the debate lets go through the basics.

Node.js in simple words

Node.js is a server-side open-source runtime environment that appeared in 2009. Node.js was engendered with a Google Chrome V8 JavaScript engine for building cross-platform applications. It has an async input/output model and is intended for the development of scalable server-side applications with the JavaScript language.

The Node.js engine compiles JavaScript to machine code, so developers can utilize the same programming language for backend and frontend. It illustrates the “JavaScript everywhere” paradigm, and in short, it is a separate language predicated on Javascript with modifications.

Node.js has an abundance of open-source libraries for convenient web application development and can integrate with third-party libraries as well. It is fortified by such operating systems as Microsoft Windows, Linux, and macOS.

Golang in simple words

Golang or just Go is an open-source compiled multithreaded programming language. Google conceived its concept in 2007 and introduced it to programmers in 2009. It embodies the best characteristics of other programming languages, for example, the performance and security of C/C++ and the haste of Python. So, it can be utilized for concurrent programming, providing recollection safety and dynamical interfaces.

Go works with the most popular operating systems like Microsoft, macOS, Linux, DragonFly, and others. As experience shows, Go is the best technology for cloud interfaces, networking applications, and microservices.

Both provide a very good structure for backend development. But if we operate to ascertain which one is best then we require solid scenarios for comparison. Because without battle we can’t verbalize anything.

Here we go.

1. Performance

Golang is an incipient and innovative solution that is statically inscribed and an open-source programming language. It is built to outperform the other programming languages, especially Node.js, a JS derivative, and a runtime environment that is utilized to develop web-servers.

Node.js is more gradual than Golang in performing CPU-bound tasks. The reason why node.js cannot match the haste of Golang. It incapacitates the replication time as well as the loading of a page. So, when you’re dealing with Node.js, you require to analyze all the Cons of Node.js like this one.

Whereas Golang is lightweight, scalable, and expeditious in responding to its users. Moreover, it is an indisputable fact that if there is network communication, then both languages can distribute kindred performance.

2. Efficient In Error-Handling

When verbalizing about the error-handling, Node.js is one step ahead in distributing an efficient solution for all the errors. Node.js 10 Features corroborates this fact.

It utilizes the throw-catch error detection technique, which resolves the errors on time, and restricts the developers to not perform further actions, until and unless the errors get resolved.

On the other hand, the Golang developers face difficulties while detecting errors because this incipient programming language has an explicit error detection mechanism.

There are two types of errors that are handled discretely; run time & compile time. It drains an abundance of time of programmers, and that’s the reason, Golang is not liable to be utilized for error handling.

3. Concurrency

Concurrency is indirectly connected with the performance of an application. If you are probing for a programming language that doesn’t let your app crash and runs the heftily ponderous load without hanging the contrivances, then Golang would be the right fit for your requisite.

It sanctions professional experts to leverage multiple threads without encumbering RAM. The Golang uses Go-routines, which can run multiple programs simultaneously. Additionally, the channels are responsible for smooth and facile interactions between Go-routines.

While in the node the runtime environment is a single-threaded and utilizes an event-callback mechanism. Due to which it is unable to function multiple programs concurrently.

4. Scalability

Goroutines play a paramount role in offering multiple threads for functioning numerous tasks concurrently. It can be utilized for enterprise-level applications that are more astronomically immense and have many tasks to perform parallelly.

As visually perceived earlier, Go outperforms Node.js in concurrency. similarly, it additionally wins another battle, i.e., scalability. Here, the Node.js loses the race of parallelizability because it cannot function multiple processes together.

5. Tools Availability

Implements availability is one of the several factors where Node.js has won the battle of Golang vs Node.js. The node.js has a micro-accommodation architecture that divides an application into the standardized set so that you can either excellently build or integrate incipient components to it.

Supplementally, it has node.js package manager (npm) that has over 800K implements (building blocks) that can be utilized for sundry uses.

These implements can be leveraged at the time of developing the components which are divided utilizing a micro-accommodation architecture. Withal, Node.js has a wide community that is active and keen to learn and distribute efficacious solutions. That’s why people are utilizing Node.js In Web App projects.

On the contrary, Go is a puerile programming language that has stepped into the app development industry. It has very few implements as compared to the Node.js but has feature-opulent libraries that independently support the development.

Go lacks in providing front-end support, whereas Node.js avails you build enticing front-end. Adscititiously, the Go doesn’t have GUI-library, but it has a plethora of salubrious implements, i.e., Godoc, Go run, Gopherjs, Gofmit, and GoMetaLiner.

6. Community

Javascript is an open-source programming language that has a wide community across the globe. Being open-source, a sizably voluminous group of developers brainstorm and curate efficacious solutions for the quandary arising ecumenically.

Node.js has immensely colossal organizations as its active members, which include Joyent, Microsoft, Bitnami, Paypal, Groupon, npm, SAP, and the list goes on.

 Every year the community arranges a NodeJS event where developers across the globe come under one roof. The agenda of such an event is to apportion conceptions, updates, ameliorations, and promulgations.

As per a recent study, around 67.8% of the developers’ community prefer Node.js over Go, which has 8.2% of the developers’ support that has gradually spiked up in the precedent year.

Moreover, if you optically discern the Go community, it is a horde of ebullient and alacritous to learn experts. It has an effulgent future, which is ever-growing and ever-evolving.

7. Learning Curve

If you have just stepped into the app development industry and operate to kickstart your vocation but are perplexed about which programming language to dive deep into between Node.js vs Golang, then here is the answer to your query.

Node.js, a derivative of JavaScript, has many online and offline resources that will avail any neophyte to cope up with the runtime environment. One can additionally Build a CLI App With Node.js.

There are many articles, videos, informative blogs, and elongated support of the community. It acts as an availing hand for juveniles.

Apart from the Node.js, Golang is an adolescent, incipient, and modern programming language that has relatively lesser resources. The developers are expected to learn and understand its concepts, processes, inditing, coroutines, and many more things.

In a nutshell, Node.js surpasses Golang in understandability and material availability.

8. Client-Side & Server-Side Development

Node.js is a potent runtime environment that excellently builds both the front-end and backend of the application. You don’t have to worry about the quality and size of the application. Node.js can beauteously craft your conception utilizing the latest technologies.

Whereas, People prefer to Go for building the backend of the application. But, if you prefer to leverage this puerile programming language for front-end development, then it can run Go code utilizing gopher.js in the browser and build a client-side interface.

Here, if you go by the predilections of the developers, then Node.js clearly wins the battle.

9. Blockchain Buzz

Golang is the most preferred while developing blockchain as it simplifies the process and initiates swift development, whereas Node.js makes the task maladroit. So, it is advisable to leverage Go for trending technology.

10. Maturity

Golang wins the ultimate battle of Golang vs Node.js. The same company, i.e. Google, which introduced Golang, additionally brought Node.js in 2002. Node.JS still has shortcomings in API development. It has constant modifications, and that’s the reason developers prefer Golang over Node.js.

11. Availability Of Developers

As we can optically discern, Node.js is very popular with developers, and a plethora of programmers cull this technique for their work. So, this is not an issue to find experts in Node.js for your software development projects.

Nodejs being in the backend web development industry for a longer run than Google’s Go takes the privilege of more developers.

Though Go is more incipient in the market with fewer developers it does have an effulgent future ahead of it.

It can be problematic to find an expert in Golang, but, in the meantime, Go is one of the most prospective programming languages and magnetizes the interest of developers. So, the situation can transmute in the near future.

So, when it comes to comparison between Nodejs and Google’s Go, Nodejs is again the triumpher.

12. Real-Life Performance

When we verbalize about authentic-life performance, in particular, network communication or database connection, Node.js and Go have identically tantamount results and demonstrate the same celerity.

13. Raw Performance

The reason for the Go appearance is that Google was disappointed with already subsisting programming languages. Go is expeditious and lightweight because it is predicated on C and C++, so it can show high raw performance and established computation processes.  

JavaScript works more gradually than other programming languages. That is why statical Node.js, as its derivative, withal can’t give high-speed results and high raw performance of work with CPU and recollection. So, the victor is GO.

14. Benchmark task performance

Go has high performance, and it was proven in different issues and tests of computer languages and algorithms. They demonstrate that Go operations take less time, CPU load, and recollection in contrast to Node.js.

Takeaways

Both Node.js and Go have vigorous and impotent points. This is the reason to utilize them for different sorts of projects. So, Node.js, in contrast to other backend technologies, presents an open-source environment with all the needed implements for prosperous development, it is well-kenned and facile to learn.

The Go language is actively gaining popularity and provides high genuine-life performance and sanctions engendering puissant multithreaded projects.  

So, let’s consider which companies picked these backend languages for their desiderata. They require no exordium.

Node.js	Golang
Netflix	BBC
Linkedin	Uber
Trello	Google
PayPal	Basecamp
Medium	Intel
eBay	Docker
NASA	Heroku
Walmart	Medium

 

No, there is no mistake in the above table; Medium uses both Node.js and Go for better results.

Some companies transmute their technology stack and adopt Golang to achieve higher performance and scalability.

For example, Uber, at the commencement of its work, used Node.js, but in 2016 superseded it with Go. This solution significantly incremented the performance of the application work, as Uber developers verbalize.

Node.js and Golang are the leading backend technologies. Though they have different characteristics, they are kindred in some ways. As there can be no correct cull for everyone, developers decide which language to utilize predicated on the project's goals.

Conclusion

We have witnessed a high-level battle between the two most potential and reliable languages. Culling the best out of the two would be an onerous task.

Indubitably both the programming languages have their own advantages and disadvantages, so it would be inequitable to verbalize that a particular language is best suited for web app development. It depends solely on the user’s requisite as to which type of web app he/she wants to develop.