Summary: From this blog, you will know which is the best and go-to technology from Node.js vs Python for your web application’s back end in 2020 and beyond. We will discuss and give you a clear idea of these technologies and suggest to choose one that best meets the needs of your project. Shall we get started?
“Make it work, make it right, make it fast.” - Kent Beck
Kent Beck said well that we need to make things work, make them right, and the most important one is, make them fast. This same goes for our web application development project. If we want to make our project work, then we have to make the right choice in technology so that we make our application run faster and smoother.
As we all know that every single web app development project has its own demands and requirements; however, it is important to choose the right technology to code it. When it comes to choosing the right technology, the two most demanding and talk of the town technologies that come in our mind are Node.js vs Python.
Do you know which of these technologies is right for your project? How will you select one to make your project successful? Bit confused? Well, don’t worry because we are going to compare both these technologies and help you to choose one. But before we compare both these technologies in detail, let’s get to know the basics of Node.js and Python to give a clear idea.
What is Node.js?
In a simple language, Node.js is an open-source server environment that is developed on Google Chrome’s JavaScript Engine. Developed by Ryan Dahl in the year 2009, it helps developers to build highly scalable, fast, and feature-rich web applications.
The latest version of this technology is v0.10.36, and it makes use of the non-blocking I/O model that helps developers to build lightweight, technologically advanced, and efficient apps that run on multiple devices.
The best thing about this technology is, it offers a complete library of different JavaScript modules that ease the development of web apps. We hope that you have got a basic understanding of Node.js. Now, let’s understand what Python is and how it is useful.
What is Python?
Talking about the most popular programming language of the time, Python is a general-purpose programming language that can be used to develop a variety of applications for web and mobile. Comes with high-level data structures, excellent binding, dynamic typing, Python is a perfect option for complex app development projects.
First introduced in the year 1991, Python is considered as an interpreted, interactive, and object-oriented programming language whereas Node.js is not a programming language, it is a runtime environment for JavaScript. Supports different modules and packages, Python motivates program modularity as well as reusing code.
One of the best things about this programming language is its wide collection of the standard library that is available in source form for all the major platforms. It can be distributed freely. So, we went through the basics of both these technologies, and now, we will compare both technologies and decide which one is the best for the web app’s back end development.
Shall we begin?
Node.js vs Python - A Comparative Analysis
1. Speed and Performance
The first point that we are going to consider and compare in both these technologies is speed and performance.
Node.js
The speed and performance of the Node.js are excellent because the JavaScript code in Node.js is interpreted with the V8 engine that is the same engine used in the Chrome web browser. A large number of developers are devoted to Google to make V8 as fast as possible.
Another point is that Node.js has great and advanced tuning capabilities to boost the good performance and take it to the next level.
Comes with an event-driven non-blocking architecture, Node.js is powerful compared to Python to process different requests so developers are getting huge help at the time of accelerating the code execution.
To develop a faster, smoother, and rich performance giver application, Node.js is the best option because it utilizes a single mobile caching.
Python
It is said that Python is quite slower in terms of speed executive when it is compared to Node.js. It will not be the right choice for app development projects that demand complex calculations.
However, it is also not suitable for the project that requires speed and good performance because Python is a single flow programming language that processes requests much more slowly.
The performance is not really up-to-the-mark when compared to Node.js as it requires more hardware resources to work at the desired speed.
So, if you are planning to develop a web application that demands speed, rich performance, and complex calculations, then don’t opt for Python. In this case, Node.js wins the situation.
2. Error (Exceptions) Handling Capability
Another point that we are going to consider and compare in both Python and Node.js is the error handling capability.
Node.js
Generally, Node.js and Python both are considered good in dealing with errors and catching exceptions, but Node.js programming tools to area units are economical in handling errors.
Node.js is not that bad in error management. In fact, it has excellent command in knowing exceptions that occur while writing the application code.
Python
In simple terms, Python is more powerful in troubleshooting the problems, errors, and bugs in the applications.
Python takes less time in solving the issues than Node.js as it has an upper hand in it.
So, error handling won’t be a problem when choosing Python for your web application development project.
3. Flexibility and Scalability
The third point that we should consider is flexibility and the scalability of the technology. Scalability and flexibility are the abilities of an application to suffice the number of requests without compromising the performance and speed. These things play an important role when it comes to content-heavy apps and applications that have a number of users.
Node.js
Using Node.js for the backend of the web application, scalability can be achieved because this technology develops asynchronous architecture in a single thread.
The JavaScript-based technology, Node.js, feature ensures that smooth and seamless scalability and flexibility are achieved in the apps.
Python
To develop a flexible yet scalable application in Python, you need to enable multithreading. However, the Python language does not support multithreading as it makes use of the Global Interpreter Lock.
As said Python has to utilize GIL even though it is badly affecting the performance because this programming language’s memory management is not thread-safe.
Another point is Python is a dynamically-typed programming language that is not a good option for the big projects that have an expanding development team.
In this case, Nodejs wins that situation as it is more flexible and scalable when it comes to developing the backend of the web application.
4. Libraries
The fourth point that we need to consider in the mind is the number of libraries that these technologies offer.
Node.js
Discussing the Node.js libraries or we can say Node.js modules, they are simple or complex functionalities that are organized in a single or multiple JavaScript files to resume throughout the Node.js apps.
Node.js libraries and packages are mainly handled by the Node Package Manager (NPM). it is considered as the most popular repository of software libraries. It is fast, easy-to-use, well-documented, and instant to access for developers.
Python
Python is popular for its wide collection of libraries with different functions and methods, allowing users to perform multiple actions without writing their own code.
The Python libraries, modules, and packages are managed by “Pip install Python”. Its abbreviation is Pip that is quite fast, reliable, and instant to access. Thus, it is easy for developers to learn and use the libraries for app development.
Comparing both the technologies for libraries and modules, Node.js and Python both stand equal as both the technologies have their own libraries with top features and functionalities.
Here, we went through the general comparison of Node.js vs Python, explaining to you which technology is best when it comes to developing web app’s backend. Still, if you have some general queries in mind related to Node.js vs Python, then continue reading the frequently asked questions that we have answered here.
FAQs
1. Which is the faster Node.js vs Python?
Answer: When comparing both the technologies in terms of speed and performance, then Node.js is fast and more powerful than Python because it is based on Chrome’s V8 engine. In fact. Node.js is one of the fastest server-side solutions on the web.
2. What are some of the best features of Node.js?
Answer: Here are some of the exclusive features of Node.js that make it a perfect option for web application development.
- Asynchronous and Event-Driven
- Single-Threaded, but Highly Efficient and Scalable
- Library and Module Rich
- Better Performance
- Support for HTTP/2 and N-API
3. When to use Node.js?
Answer: Node.js is mainly used for non-blocking and event-driven servers because it is a single-threaded nature. Therefore, it is used for traditional websites and backend API services.
4. When to use Python?
Answer: Python is generally used for developing desktop GUI applications, websites, and web applications; however, it is not recommended for developing complex apps that demand calculations such as trading.
Conclusion
In this blog post, we discussed almost all the important points related to Node.js and Python from its basic information to comparison and answering general questions. Now, you can easily decide which technology is the best for your web application’s backend in 2020 and beyond it.
However, if you have any feedback or comments, you can share it in the comment section below. Till then, you can subscribe to our newsletter and get such informative blog posts directly into your inbox.
Top comments (1)
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Node.js is batter than python?