NodeJS vs Golang - A detailed comparison

An Introduction to NodeJS
Ryan Dahl created Node.js and the first release of this open-source JavaScript-based
runtime environment was in 2009. Dahl built this cross-platform runtime environment on
the V8 JavaScript engine of Chrome.
Node.js is dynamically-typed as you would expect since it’s built on JavaScript. This
runtime environment helps to undertake an entire web app development project with a
single programming language.
Node.js also offers high throughput and scalability. Its event-driven architecture and
asynchronous I/O help you to create real-time web applications easily.
Since its first release, multiple developments took place around Node.js. At the time of
writing, its last stable release is 14.4.0, which came in June 2020.
https://devathon.com/blog/node-js-vs-or-and-golang/

What is NodeJS used for?
When you think of what is Node.js used for, creating fast network applications easily
emerges as a key reason. Node.js applications can scale sufficiently well. This
JavaScript-based cross-platform runtime environment helps to create server-side as
well as networking applications.
If you are planning to create a real-time web application with two-way connections, then
Node.js is a good choice. In this kind of application, you would need a server that doesn’t
wait for an API to return data.
Node.js-based servers can meet this requirement. Since Node.js enables asynchronous
programming, the Node.js APIs are non-blocking. A Node.js server will call one API, and
then it will call another API instead of waiting for the results from the earlier call.

An Introduction to Golang
A team of software engineers at Google developed Go, and this programming language
is also known as Golang. Robert Griesemer, Rob Pike, and Ken Thompson played a key
part in designing this open-source programming language. This team first released Go in
2009.
The team that designed and developed Go studied the C language closely. They
wanted to retain several strengths of C in the new programming language they were
designing. Go features many similarities with C as far as the syntax is concerned. Golang
is a statically-typed and compiled programming language.

What is Golang used for?
Go is a versatile language and you can use it for several purposes. To be more specific
though, you can use Go whenever you need to build a highly modular application
system with high security and high speed.
You can use it for system programming and network programming. The language also
has prominent usage in web app development, alternatively, you can use Go in
applications involving big data or machine learning.
You can use Go to create command-line apps or scripts. If you are building a large,
distributed system, then you can use Go. Finally, you can use Go to build highly-scalable
network servers. Go has a lot of flexibility.

Pros of NodeJS
Node.js helps you to create scalable web applications. When you think of what is Node.js used for, this
emerges as a key use case.
Node.js is based on JavaScript, which many developers know. For a large number of developers, learning
Node.js is quite easy.
With Node.js, you only use one runtime environment to code both the front-end and back-end of your
proposed web application. You are hiring full-stack developers when you hire Node.js programmers.
Node.js helps you to create highly performant apps, as we have mentioned earlier.
Node.js makes caching individual modules easier.
This runtime environment is a good choice for creating streaming apps.

Cons of NodeJS
As we have mentioned, Node.js supports asynchronous programming. While that helps it to offer key
advantages, it can pose a challenge to developers that aren’t familiar with asynchronous programming. You
need to hire developers with appropriate expertise.
Node.js is based on JavaScript, which is dynamically typed. It’s also weakly typed. Making coding errors
related to variable types is common when you use this kind of language. If you have relatively inexperienced
programmers, they could find it hard to debug such errors. You need to hire sufficiently experienced
programmers that know what they are doing concerning variable types.
Many APIs used in Node.js undergo changes frequently, which can confuse many developers.

Pros of Go
The ease of use: Programmers can understand Go easily, which results in several advantages for
organizations. The language features an easy-to-use syntax, therefore, new developers can learn it easily. If
you use Go, then your maintenance becomes easier.
You can do more with less, thanks to the library of Go. Go comes with a powerful yet simple standard library.
Programmers can achieve a lot without creating complex pieces of code, thanks to this library! Developers
coding in Go don’t need to import secondary libraries.
Security-friendly language: Since Go is a statically-typed language, the chances of error reduce. That’s an
advantage over dynamically-typed languages with a large number of variable types and higher chances of
complex coding errors. Also, code written in Go is simpler and easier to debug. The combination of these
factors reduces application security vulnerabilities.
Excellent documentation: Not only does Go have excellent documentation, but it goes a step further.
Developers that didn’t document their code sufficiently get alerts to put in place the required
documentation. This adds to the maintainability of code written in Go.

Less versatile: While the simplicity of Go offers many advantages, however, it also keeps some powerful
high-level functionalities away. This makes the language less versatile when you compare it to more
complex languages like Swift. E.g., Go doesn’t support generics.
It’s still early days for Go! Compare Go to Java, and you see what we mean! Despite all its promises, Go can’t
match the library support that some of the leading programming languages enjoy. Also, a few other aspects
need improvement, e.g., manual memory management, runtime safety, error-handling, etc. Go is still a young
language, and it might take a while for it to match the capabilities of its illustrious competitors!
Consumes more computational resource: Since there’s no virtual machine for this language, the Go files can
be far larger than some of the market-leading programming languages. This makes Go consume more RAM.
Building a large ecosystem for Go will take time: Unlike some of the leading programming languages, Go
hasn’t made itself indispensable in any area. As a result, adoption will take longer. Naturally, it will take longer
to build a large ecosystem.
Cons of Go

Finding developers: Since Node.js is based on JavaScript and many developers already know it, you can find
developers quite easily. You will need more time and effort to find Go developers.
Learning curve: Node.js involves less learning curve since JavaScript already enjoys massive popularity.
Programmers typically have steeper learning with Golang. In the Node.js vs Golang comparison, Node.js is a
better choice as far as the learning curve is concerned.
Maturity: Go undergoes developments and enhancements, however, these follow a systematic pattern. On
the other hand, several Node.js APIs undergo frequent changes. This demonstrates a lack of maturity on the
part of Node.js. Golang has attained a greater degree of maturity.
Performance: Go delivers higher performance than Node.js.
Scalability: While both Node.js and Golang help you to create scalable apps, Golang supports concurrency
better. This makes it a better choice to code scalable apps.
NodeJs & Golang : A comparison

The lead time to hire Go vs Node.js application developers: If you can’t afford a high lead time to hire
developers, then you should choose Node.js. You will find it easier to hire Node.js developers than Golang
programmers.
You want one language only: Node.js development effectively means JavaScript for both the front-end and
backend. Node.js offers sufficient tools and frameworks for both front-end and back-end development. In
comparison, Go doesn’t have a GUI library and you need to use 3rd party libraries. If you want one set of
languages-and-frameworks only for your entire web application development, then you should use Node.js.
You want a highly performant and scalable application: When you consider what is Golang used for,
scalability and performance come to mind. In this Go vs Node.js comparison, Go does better in this regard
than Node.js.
You have stringent security requirements: Go eliminates many common programming errors, therefore, it
reduces the application security vulnerabilities. Its robust memory management and garbage collection
capabilities make it a better choice than Node.js when you have stringent security requirements.
When to use NodeJS & Golang?

Node.js and Go both of them have distinct advantages and few limitations. We have compared Node.js vs
Golang and discussed the various scenarios where you should use one over the other. Analyze your project
and business requirements carefully before you make a choice between Go vs Node.js.
Are you looking to get your App built? Contact us at hello@devathon.com or visit our website Devathon to
find out how we can breathe life into your vision with beautiful designs, quality development, and continuous
testing.
Conclusion

NodeJS vs Golang - A detailed comparison

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