Node vs React: Which Framework To Choose For Your JS Project?

JavaScript technology is around three-decade old that’s leveraged for interactive and dynamic web app development due to its support for versatility, universality, and extensibility. Its ability to improve the quality and speed of machine language has made it popular worldwide.

According to Stack Overflow Developer Survey, JavaScript was marked as the most commonly used language for the 10th year in a row, with 65.36% of people opting for it.

Realizing the popularity and power of JS technology, various JS frameworks are built to enhance web app development entirely. Angular, Vue.JS, React.JS, Meteor.JS, Backbone.JS, and Node.JS are well-famous JS frameworks. Out of all these JS frameworks, we will discuss the most used JS frameworks- React.JS has a 40.14% share and Node.JS has 33.91%.

Both technologies serve different purposes for web app development and are leveraged at scale. React is a frontend library that’s leveraged for building user interfaces and Node is a runtime environment that’s known for building robust backends.

As an entrepreneur, the head-to-head comparison of ReactJS and NodeJS clears up the confusion fairly especially if you are unsure about the selecting a better framework between the two for your next web development project. In this blog, we will understand Node.JS and React.JS in brief followed by a side-by-side comparison of the two JS frameworks.

Everything you should know about Node.JS

Node.JS is an open-source, runtime environment that’s leveraged for backend development. It helps in building a data access layer that’s responsible for all the functionality behind the scene. Its capability to execute the code outside the web browser makes it a good fit for dynamic page development. When you hire Node.JS developers with experience and expertise you can be sure to get the best solution built for your business.

A single programming language enables frontend and backend development thereby unifying web development. The range of Node.JS frameworks is also used to accelerate application development speed.

As Node.JS can handle HTTPS requests, non-blocking I/O operations, and its asynchronous nature makes it a good fit for various industry verticals. Netflix, PayPal, eBay, and Walmart are the well-famous businesses that have used Node.JS for web development. Additionally, leveraging Node.JS is beneficial for start-ups in detail.
Let’s have a look at the advantages of using NodeJS for web development

Full-stack development

The technology facilitates both frontend development and backend development thereby eliminating the need to hire frontend developers and backend developers separately. This capability makes Node.JS- a full-stack development framework.

High performance

Node.JS is built on the top of Google V8 engine that directly compiles JS code into machine code, which boosts app performance. Also, the ability to run multiple processes concurrently without blocking I/O operations enable to efficiently build high-performant application.

Scalability

Node.JS allows scaling the app in terms of functionality and design with horizontal scaling and vertical scaling by adding notes and resources respectively.

Learning curve

Championing the concept of event-driven programming would allow JS developers to learn and start coding for Node.JS project development. Documentation and installation of Node.JS are easy.

 Unit testing

Node.JS framework is highly extensible that can easily integrate with third-party tools. The seamless integration with Jasmine facilitates unit-based testing easily.

Everything you should know about React.JS

React.JS- the framework built by Facebook to build a web application interface. It’s a brilliant response to all the UI frustrations. Packed with web requests, routing, and state management tools, React.JS enable interactive, dynamic, and high-performant apps using Virtual DOM. The range of features has made React.JS to be used by popular websites such as Twitter, New York Times, and others.

Plus, React.JS serves as a base for cross-platform app development React Native. It helps in building prototypes and apps for both mobile and web at speed. Just like on size doesn’t fit all, knowing when to use React and which web development project is it best suitable for holds the key.

ReactJS follows a component-based architecture, where the UI is divided into reusable components that manage their own state and can be composed to create complex user interfaces. To unlock the true potential of React’s magic for your web app development journey, it is wise to hire React.JS developers who possess the coveted knowledge and experience to bring forth enchanting UI creations.
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Let’s find out the main features that makes ReactJS more efficient:

Custom component

React.JS facilitates a range of custom component creation using JSX that businesses can use according to their project needs. Whether you are an enterprise or a startup, looking for a stable, mature framework for UI engineering, opting for React.JS development is a wise decision.

SEO-friendliness

React.JS enable building applications that perform at speed and load content faster, which makes the app user-friendly. It’s one of the Google Core Web Vitals that boost SERP.

Stability

React.JS has a downward data flow, which allows adding new features without affecting the source code. Thereby React.JS app remains stable.

Performance

React.JS has virtual DOM that makes the web app perform faster. Thus, React is a name that’s associated with speed.

Easy maintenance

The ability to reuse system components in the application when required and the resolution of issues related to React updates make app maintenance easier.

Node JS vs. React JS Comparison- which is good?

Node.JS and React.JS are the two popular JS technologies with different architectures that are used to serve different purposes. Let’s take a look at the comparison between the two which helps in knowing which suits best to your web development project.

Architecture

The event-driven architecture of Node.JS facilitates processing multiple client requests on the server side without blocking the main thread. That’s why it’s also referred to have single-thread architecture. Using a single-thread event loop, Node.JS can handle multiple requests and allocate them to various functions. What’s more? Node.JS execute the code outside the web browser, so handling requests from the client-side application.

React.JS uses a component-based architecture that allows the creation of reusable UI components which can be used across multiple applications. The component-independency in react allow using components in combination without affecting each other. Virtual DOM usage diminishes DOM manipulations.

Scalability

Only those web applications can stay in the market and stand out that can withstand traffic spikes without crashes. Node.JS takes pride in developing scalable web apps with high-performant backends. Load balancing tools such as Nginx or HAProxy allow websites to handle large traffic.

React.JS manages scalability with scalable UI components development that requires additional tools and libraries to achieve the same. However, when Redux is used in conjunction with React.JS, managing scalability with app state management becomes feasible.

Performance

Node.JS has a non-blocking I/O model that allows non-blocking calls to return without results. The asynchronous nature enables reading, writing, sending, querying, and performing other operations simultaneously. The ability to start a new process without the completion of the previous one is a plus point of Node.JS that facilitates handling multiple requests concurrently. It improves the web app performance.

React.JS features virtual DOM that minimizes the operations on real DOM and ensures the frontend responds to user inputs at speed. The faster rendering let the React.JS app perform better. Also, lazy loading and code-splitting-like tools can be used to optimize the app’s loading time.

Data handling

Node.JS aces at handling data occurring from disparate sources, including APIs and databases. Also, it provides built-in support for various data formats such as CSV, XML, and JSON makes working with various databases like- MongoDB, MySQL, and PostgreSQL. There’s a built-in file system module that allows reading and writing files.

As React.JS is highly focused on building excellent UIs and data rendering, state and props objects are common tools used for data handling.

Execution environment

Node.JS is built in a way that can handle data from various sources and execute the same on the server side. Besides, the ability to execute the code outside the web browsers enables high-performance backend system development.

React.JS- the JS-based framework renders data and executes in the browser without taking the help of additional tools or plugins. The execution environment between the two frameworks- Node.JS and React.JS creates a possibility of building full-stack applications when both are used together for web development.

Modules and packages

Node.JS boasts of having the largest repository in the world, that’s the ecosystem of modules and packages. NPM (Node package manager) with more than 35,000 nodes is used to add functionality to Node.JS web applications.

React.JS is also not behind in terms of modules and packages that are available through NPM and other sources. The ecosystem of libraries and extensions helps in extending the React.JS app’s functionality easily. Say the Redux library is leveraged for application state management.

Community

React.JS community is a vibrant community of professional developers who dedicatedly works to make the framework flawless and stable. In addition to the Facebook team, developers across the world are actively working to upgrade the technology and make it worth using. It has around 208,000 stars on GitHub.

Node.JS with 73,000 stars on GitHub has a large community of hundreds of developers that are continuously helping Node.JS developers to build flawless solutions. Despite the new technology, the Node.JS community size is big.

Use cases

Node.JS’s ability to handle multiple connections simultaneously makes it a good fit for API server development. The lightweight and fast rendering allows it to be used for microservices creation. The asynchronous nature facilitates real-time data streaming applications that can handle data upload and data streaming from various resources.

The component architecture and reusability make React.JS a good alternative for dynamic app development. the complex architecture is also beneficial in keeping track of all the interactions when the app scales.

 

React.JS vs Node.JS – Which framework would you choose?

The JS frameworks have made web development plain sailing. But when it comes to choosing one framework out of these two frameworks- Node.JS and React.JS for web development, the selection is difficult for businesses. Both frameworks have their strength and weakness. Say Node.JS is the best pick to build streaming apps or real-time chat apps and React.JS is good to opt for when a dynamic, interactive app development need arises.

However, when both technologies- React.JS and Node.JS used together for web development, the results are wonderful. Netflix, Uber, and Twitter are fabulous examples of web app development projects that have used React.JS for frontend development and Node.JS for backend development. Look at the 7 reasons to use React.JS and Node.JS for web development that helps you understand why using both technologies together results in faster and efficient web apps.

The differences between Node.JS and React.JS followed by the benefits of Node.JS, React.JS, and Node.JS and React.JS together, have made it clear for businesses to choose one framework. Businesses should come up with their web app development project requirements and compare which framework or combination of frameworks meet their need.

In case, you are unable to review React.JS and Node.JS features and benefits in sync with web development project needs, get connected with our consultants to end up the confusion and know how to use these frameworks.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Node.js and React.js?

Node.js is a server-side JavaScript runtime and widely opted for backend development, while React.js is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces majorly opted for frontend development. They serve different purposes in web development.

Can I use Node.js and React.js together?

Absolutely! Node.js can serve as the backend for a React.js frontend. This combination is often referred to as the MERN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, React.js, and Node.js) and offers a powerful full-stack JavaScript development solution.

Which framework is better for my business, Node.js or React.js?

The choice depends on your specific business needs. Node.js is suitable for building server-side applications and APIs, while React.js excels in creating interactive user interfaces. Consider your project requirements and consult with our technology expert for a tailored recommendation.