{"id":10081,"date":"2018-06-13T13:57:14","date_gmt":"2018-06-13T10:57:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/?p=10081"},"modified":"2023-06-14T19:47:07","modified_gmt":"2023-06-14T16:47:07","slug":"python-vs-ruby-vs-node-js-which-platform-is-a-fit-for-your-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/python-vs-ruby-vs-node-js-which-platform-is-a-fit-for-your-project\/","title":{"rendered":"Python vs. Ruby vs. Node.js &#8211; Which Platform Is a Fit for Your Project?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"intro-text\">It\u2019s always tricky to choose a tech stack for your web app project. To help with that, we decided to compare two renowned programming languages and a worth-while runtime environment in one go. In the end, you\u2019re likely to figure out which of Python vs. Ruby vs. Node.js fits best to your startup.<\/p>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10143\" src=\"https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/vs2-illustration.jpg\" alt=\"Python vs Ruby vs Node.js\" width=\"2400\" height=\"1260\" srcset=\"https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/vs2-illustration.jpg 2400w, https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/vs2-illustration-360x189.jpg 360w, https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/vs2-illustration-768x403.jpg 768w, https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/vs2-illustration-1024x538.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px\" \/>\n<h2>Coaches and fighters<\/h2>\nThe web is overfilled with miscellaneous reviews and comparisons like Ruby on Rails vs. Node.js, Python vs. Ruby, Django vs. Rails, etc. However, we are not going to offer some ridiculous and SEO-based collation but focus on tools for building projects, namely web applications. The technologies we mentioned in the introduction are the primary means of building web apps. The development process benefits most from their mainstream solutions. It is like the coach and fighter where the first one does not participate in the fight directly. Nevertheless, his expertise and experience given to the fighter are essential. So, we\u2019ve got three platform-coaches, Python, Ruby, and Node.js, represented by three framework-fighters, Django vs. Ruby on Rails vs. Express. The journey promises to be tough.\n<h2>Coach #1 &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.python.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Python<\/a><\/h2>\nThis fully-fledged scripting language came out in 1991 and gradually began winning developers\u2019 love. Python is characterized by high functionality and comprehensive library support. Building apps for servers, desktops, and mobile devices is not this language\u2019s only niche. It is also a common language for machine learning and data science.\n\n<style>\n   table {<br \/>\n    width: 100%;<br \/>\n    background: white;<br \/>\n    color: black;<br \/>\n    border-spacing: 1px;<br \/>\n   }<br \/>\n   th {<br \/>\n    background: skyblue;<br \/>\n    padding: 5px;<br \/>\n   }<br \/>\n  <\/style>\n<table border=\"5\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Advantages<\/th>\n<th>Disadvantages<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"50%\">\n<ul style=\"margin: 1px;\">\n \t<li>Readable and dynamically-typed language<\/li>\n \t<li>High functionality<\/li>\n \t<li>Rich native library support<\/li>\n \t<li>Shorter code compared to similar object-oriented languages<\/li>\n \t<li>Fast development due to concise and simple syntax<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"50%\">\n<ul style=\"margin: 1px;\">\n \t<li>Steep learning curve<\/li>\n \t<li>Unsuitable for memory intensive tasks<\/li>\n \t<li>Poor support in browsers and mobile computing<\/li>\n \t<li>Runtime speed is slow compared to alternative languages<\/li>\n \t<li>No DSL support<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/ssl.gstatic.com\/trends_nrtr\/1754_RC01\/embed_loader.js\"><\/script> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> trends.embed.renderExploreWidget(\"TIMESERIES\", {\"comparisonItem\":[{\"keyword\":\"\/m\/05z1_\",\"geo\":\"US\",\"time\":\"2009-05-27 2019-04-12\"}],\"category\":0,\"property\":\"\"}, {\"exploreQuery\":\"date=2009-05-27%202019-04-12&geo=US&q=%2Fm%2F05z1_\",\"guestPath\":\"https:\/\/trends.google.com:443\/trends\/embed\/\"}); <\/script>\n\nFor the last ten years, the search interest in Python has experienced gradual progression with some peak levels as of the end of 2018. Obviously such a demand is a result of AI and ML startup boom. We stick to the trend and share our expertise in this programming language via blog posts about Python for machine learning: <a href=\"https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/python-for-machine-learning-pandas-axis-explained\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pandas Axis<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/indexing-and-slicing-for-lists-tuples-strings-sequential-types\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Indexing and Slicing for Lists<\/a>.\n\nAfter a short warm up-introduction to Python, we are ready to come over to its web development framework&#8230;the \u2018One Unchained\u2019.\n<h2>Fighter #1 &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.djangoproject.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Django<\/a><\/h2>\nThe framework named after the famous jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt is written in Python and came out in 2005. Its initial purpose was to accelerate news website development. Today, developers enjoy a \u201cbatteries included\u201d solution packed with templates, libraries, plugins, admin UI, session management, and other tools. Django is open source and provides plenty of information sources like free eBooks and tutorials that significantly reduce its learning curve.\n<h3>Popularity<\/h3>\nDjango enjoys popularity with such prominent names as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/railsware\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Instagram<\/a>, Udemy, Pinterest, Disqus and many others who opt for it as a web app tool. Since this Python framework came from publishing, there is no surprise that you will find the framework used for The Washington Post and Smithsonian Magazine. However, in terms of search interest, Django has demonstrated general stability from the outset (initial release in July 2005). The spike on the curve was due to the release of Django 1.5 beta 1 in November 2012.\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/ssl.gstatic.com\/trends_nrtr\/1754_RC01\/embed_loader.js\"><\/script> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> trends.embed.renderExploreWidget(\"TIMESERIES\", {\"comparisonItem\":[{\"keyword\":\"\/m\/06y_qx\",\"geo\":\"US\",\"time\":\"2005-07-21 2019-04-12\"}],\"category\":0,\"property\":\"\"}, {\"exploreQuery\":\"date=2005-07-21%202019-04-12&geo=US&q=%2Fm%2F06y_qx\",\"guestPath\":\"https:\/\/trends.google.com:443\/trends\/embed\/\"}); <\/script>\n\nTalking in figures, Django\u2019s GitHub rate has risen beyond 40K stars having 1.7K contributors. So far, the community of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.djangoproject.com\/community\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">web framework for perfectionists with deadlines<\/a> includes 11728 people from 167 countries.\n<h3>Reasons to use<\/h3>\nAmid numerous reasons to choose Django for your project, we have selected the most valuable ones to weigh the scales of your decision.\n<ul>\n \t<li>The app building process with the framework requires minimal costs of upgrades, changes, and additions.<\/li>\n \t<li>Any size project is a fit due to the tool\u2019s scalability. Startups, as well as web apps with huge traffic, will benefit from opting for Django.<\/li>\n \t<li>Python being Django\u2019s basis is an undisputed reason to engage it for your project. Both the language and the framework are open source, i.e., a supportive community is always ready to help with any probable blockages or troubles.<\/li>\n \t<li>Django is a toolkit of components required for the app building process. Besides, if there is a lack of something, you will always find a missing element among numerous plugins. So, adding google maps, creating complex permissions, connecting to stripe for payment processing and other tasks are no longer a challenge.<\/li>\n \t<li>The DRY principle followed by the framework foresees less time to get the code working, less code to break and change if re-orientation is needed.<\/li>\n \t<li>Great documentation. You may forget about spending hours for fixing errors since all necessary docs and code examples are available with any new release.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Pros<\/h3>\n<ul>\n \t<li><strong>Speed and cost efficiency<\/strong>\nDjango\u2019s major advantage is expressed via its motto \u2013 the web framework for perfectionists with deadlines. Indeed, the development process with the framework is known for fewer time expenses due to less coding. As we know, less time means less budget that is an essential pro in modern market terms.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Low learning curve<\/strong>\nDjango is supported with ample of eBooks and documentation. Besides, Domain knowledge of the framework is not necessary due to a low learning curve.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Large set of features and functionalities<\/strong>\nThe framework is often referred to as the \u201cbatteries included\u201d tool following the same principles as Python. It means that developers have plenty of features and functionalities in their possession. These include multi-language support, user authentication, MVC layout, sitemaps, free API, content administration, URL routing, RSS feeds, easy database migrations, etc.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Front-end integration<\/strong>\nDepending on your project\u2019s size, Django offers different solutions to build your front-end strategy. These include a common method of storing everything in a static folder, as well as using a front-end building system (Gulp, Grunt) or a third-party Django library (django-compressor, django-pipeline).<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Security<\/strong>\nUsing this technology, you obtain the protection against cross-site scripting attacks, cross-site request forgery, SQL injections, clickjacking, and others. Django ensures elimination of common mistakes related to security.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Scalability<\/strong>\nAnother essential benefit ensured by the framework is the traffic handling capacity of above 400 million users. This allows you to increase scalability and decrease web hosting expenses.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Loose coupling<\/strong>\nAccording to Django\u2019s loose coupling philosophy individual components are kept separate. This allows integrating the tools that are most appropriate for a specific problem, as well as those an engineer is familiar with.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Community<\/strong>\nIt is difficult to imagine a powerful web development tool without a supportive community. In our comparison of Python vs. Ruby vs. Node, all technologies can boast a great number of active supporters. Open-source technology can lack financial resources. However, Django and its vibrant community can count on DSF (Django Software Foundation), which was created to promote, support, and advance the project. DSF\u2019s corporate members include Instagram, JetBrains, Sentry, Zapier, etc.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Cons<\/h3>\n<ul>\n \t<li><strong>Monolithic architecture<\/strong>\nSome developers may not see this as a disadvantage. Still, if you prefer dealing with customizable design patterns and architecture, you won&#8217;t be satisfied with the framework\u2019s monolithic nature.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Regular expressions to specify URL<\/strong>\nThe code gets larger and is overgrown with complicated syntaxes because of Django\u2019s usage of regular expressions to specify URL routing patterns.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Small projects are not a fit<\/strong>\nIn fact, Django is a complex solution for web app development. On that account, using it for small projects means dragging a heavy structure and vast functionality without actual implementation of them.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Hosting<\/strong>\n\u201cCan you recommend a decent Django hosting provider?\u201d was a frequent question within the community. However, troubles associated with hosting Django apps are gradually vanishing with such services as DigitalOcean or Heroku offering almost one-click installation solutions.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Runtime speed<\/strong>\nIt\u2019s not a drastic drawback but Django is actually slower than web frameworks based on Java, Scala, C, and C++.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>For whom is it the right choice?<\/h3>\nDjango is a fully featured framework that handles much of the web development hassle. It enables modeling your domain and code classes and provides an ORM. Despite numerous controversial opinions regarding the best applicability of the framework, complex and dynamic apps are the Django\u2019s niche. For example, you can entirely unlock the tool\u2019s potential when building a powerful CRM app. Django is a perfect fit for different startups since it eliminates the necessity to handle versatile concerns apart from the app you are building.\n<h2>Coach #2 &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ruby-lang.org\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Ruby<\/a><\/h2>\nRuby is four years younger than Python. Both languages have much in common: object-oriented nature, interactive shell, standard libraries, etc. At the same time, Ruby is all about elegance and magic that make it a popular choice for startups. Engineers admit simple and intuitive code. Besides, software development is faster and cost-effective, compared to other technologies.\n\n<style>\n   table {<br \/>\n    width: 100%;<br \/>\n    background: white;<br \/>\n    color: black;<br \/>\n    border-spacing: 1px;<br \/>\n   }<br \/>\n   td, th {<br \/>\n    background: maroon<br \/>\n    padding: 5px;<br \/>\n   }<br \/>\n  <\/style>\n<table border=\"5\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Advantages<\/th>\n<th>Disadvantages<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"50%\">\n<ul style=\"margin: 1px;\">\n \t<li>Metaprogramming as a technique to reduce code length and save the engineers\u2019 time<\/li>\n \t<li>Rapid development cycle<\/li>\n \t<li>Everything is represented as an object<\/li>\n \t<li>Multi-platform language<\/li>\n \t<li>Expressiveness and conciseness<\/li>\n \t<li>Huge, active, and motivated community, which drives a lot of gems ready to use<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"50%\">\n<ul style=\"margin: 1px;\">\n \t<li>Runtime speed is slow compared to alternative languages though Ruby may be faster than Python<\/li>\n \t<li>High memory usage<\/li>\n \t<li>Unsuitable for memory-intensive tasks<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/ssl.gstatic.com\/trends_nrtr\/1754_RC01\/embed_loader.js\"><\/script> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> trends.embed.renderExploreWidget(\"TIMESERIES\", {\"comparisonItem\":[{\"keyword\":\"\/m\/06ff5\",\"geo\":\"US\",\"time\":\"2009-08-04 2019-04-08\"}],\"category\":0,\"property\":\"\"}, {\"exploreQuery\":\"date=2009-08-04%202019-04-08&geo=US&q=%2Fm%2F06ff5\",\"guestPath\":\"https:\/\/trends.google.com:443\/trends\/embed\/\"}); <\/script>\n\nSearch interest in Ruby has decreased two times since 2009 when it has been at the top. Nevertheless, the language remains a technology in demand, and we often introduced it in our comparisons like <a href=\"https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/ruby-vs-java-elegance-contra-ubiquity\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ruby vs. Java<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/ruby-vs-php-in-quest-of-the-most-suitable-programming-language-for-your-startup\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ruby vs. PHP<\/a>.\n\nWhen talking about web development, you can&#8217;t not mention <a href=\"https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/ruby-on-rails-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ruby on Rails<\/a>.\n<h2>Fighter #2 &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/rubyonrails.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ruby on Rails<\/a><\/h2>\nOur next contender in this Ruby vs. Python vs. Node.js comparison has numerous names including Rails and RoR. Regardless of the way you name it, it is a web app framework written in the Ruby language. The framework\u2019s core principle is convention-over-configuration. According to this doctrine, your working environment provides certain logical situations (conventions) by default. Consequently, an engineer doesn&#8217;t need to create own rules each time because the existing ones can be adapted. In practice, following the established conventions reduces the code size, as well as time expenses for programming your Rails app.\n<h3>Popularity<\/h3>\nRuby on Rails is a powerful toolkit providing everything needed to build database-backed web apps according to the MVC pattern. It was launched later than Django (initial release in December 2005) but managed to come into its own and allure such prominent names as GitHub, Dribbble, Airbnb, Twitter, and others. In our blog posts, you can learn versatile <a href=\"https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/famous-web-apps-built-with-ruby-on-rails\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">famous web apps built with ROR<\/a>, as well as <a href=\"https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/ruby-on-rails-websites\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">modern Ruby on Rails websites<\/a>. Search interest in the framework is mostly stable with recurrent fluctuations. Besides, you should keep in mind that RoR is inseparable from Ruby. Hence, the trends associated with the language may affect the framework and vice versa.\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/ssl.gstatic.com\/trends_nrtr\/1754_RC01\/embed_loader.js\"><\/script> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> trends.embed.renderExploreWidget(\"TIMESERIES\", {\"comparisonItem\":[{\"keyword\":\"\/m\/0505cl\",\"geo\":\"US\",\"time\":\"2005-12-15 2019-04-11\"}],\"category\":0,\"property\":\"\"}, {\"exploreQuery\":\"date=2005-12-15%202019-04-11&geo=US&q=%2Fm%2F0505cl\",\"guestPath\":\"https:\/\/trends.google.com:443\/trends\/embed\/\"}); <\/script>\n\nThe popularity of the framework is proved by over 3.8K contributors and more than 42K stars on GitHub.\n<h3>Reasons to use<\/h3>\nRecently, Railsware offered its thoughts on <a href=\"https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/why-use-ruby-on-rails-for-your-product\/\">why to use RoR for your product<\/a>. Here is a small summary of the core reasons:\n<h4>Free<\/h4>\nConventional web development tools might cost a fortune, and your company would have to scrape the bottom of the barrel to afford licensing costs. In such conditions, Rails seems a magic solution since it is free to use for both individuals and companies. Moreover, if you combine the framework with other free and open-source databases, servers, and operating systems and miscellaneous tools, you will get an outstanding development package.\n<h4>Fast<\/h4>\nWhen you decide on Ruby on Rails, you get a robust infrastructure, which spares you many concerns related to configuring files for set up. In other words, you accelerate your development process.\n<h4>Abundant documentation<\/h4>\nEngineers often disagree about the learning curve of one dev tool or another. It all depends on personal attitude. However, Rails is rightly considered one of the easiest frameworks because of the availability of proper documentation, exhaustive tutorials and convention-over-configuration principle. An expressive language and rich syntax sugar are the framework\u2019s major attributes. It is really easy to read the framework code involved in the app code.\n<h4>Good development principles<\/h4>\nRuby on Rails associates with such development principles as MVC, conventions-over-configurations, and DRY that rightfully improve the app building process and encourage software engineers to generate refined code.\n<h3>Pros<\/h3>\n<ul>\n \t<li><strong>Code Quality<\/strong>\nAn object-oriented and user-friendly programming language provides a high level of readability. Ruby allows you to significantly increase the productivity of the development process and eliminate any hurdles.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>MVC principle<\/strong>\nBeing a Model-View-Controller framework, Ruby on Rails promotes modularity and extensibility of the final product. In other words, if you need to enhance your app with new features or business logic, you won\u2019t face any impassable barriers to overcome.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Convention over configuration<\/strong>\nThe aforementioned paradigm facilitates navigation between different RoR projects because of implementing common conventions.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Ecosystem<\/strong>\nIn the Rubyists\u2019 community, a gem denotes a software package containing a Ruby app or library. You can use gems to improve and modify functionality like task automation or work acceleration in your apps.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>REST architecture<\/strong>\nRails app architecture is based on the client\/server relationship that allows for creating logic around apps.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Flexibility<\/strong>\nThe framework is highly flexible. It means that engineers can deploy multiple tools\/technologies\/frameworks accompanying Ruby on Rails for their projects.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Community<\/strong>\nA vivid developer community is a decent reason to opt for RoR. Rubyists are always ready to lend a helping hand to brush up your code or resolve any issue. You can find them on forums, chat rooms, websites, and other online collaboration sources, as well as annual conferences like RailsConf or RubyC. As for the financial support, Rails can count for Basecamp.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Cons<\/h3>\n<ul>\n \t<li><strong>Runtime speed<\/strong>\nComparing to apps built with Node.js, which by nature are capable to handle more traffic due to event-driven architecture and I\/O handling, Rails products may seem slower. However, it does not mean that your RoR app will face significant bottlenecks in performance.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Complexity<\/strong>\nWhat is the core reason that makes Rails so attractive? This framework offers simplicity in development. However, it is actually a false sense. In practice, convenient interfaces conceal decent complexity. The RoR code is not simple but easy to write. And the lack of separation of concerns increases coupling and damages the project.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>ActiveCoupling<\/strong>\nLoose-coupling and component-oriented design are not the approaches followed when creating Rails. The framework\u2019s philosophy lies in putting everything in ActiveRecord with no concerns about tight coupling between domain logic and persistence. If your purpose is to avoid this type of coupling, be prepared to invest tremendous efforts and lose much of the built-in functionality.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>For whom is it the right choice?<\/h3>\nRuby on Rails is hands-down one of the most powerful web app development tools you can choose. It is a decent solution for those limited in production time and budget. At the same time, the framework is rather opinionated and that can be an obstacle to building I\/O-heavy real-time apps. Railswarians opted for this technology long ago, as is evident from our company\u2019s name. The choice of Rails does not rest on its popularity but on significant improvement of the development process, which you obtain when working with the framework.\n<h2>Coach #3 &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/nodejs.org\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Node.js<\/a><\/h2>\nIn the battle of Ruby vs. Python vs. Node.js, the latter is not a programming language but a runtime environment to build server-side apps using JavaScript. Therefore many engineers laugh at any attempts to bring into line these technologies. Nevertheless, Node.js offering the event-driven, non-blocking I\/O paradigm is a perfect tool for building data-intensive real-time apps.\n\n<style>\n   table {<br \/>\n    width: 100%;<br \/>\n    background: white;<br \/>\n    color: black;<br \/>\n    border-spacing: 1px;<br \/>\n   }<br \/>\n   td, th {<br \/>\n    background: maroon<br \/>\n    padding: 5px;<br \/>\n   }<br \/>\n  <\/style>\n<table border=\"5\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Advantages<\/th>\n<th>Disadvantages<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"50%\">\n<ul style=\"margin: 1px;\">\n \t<li>Full stack JS back-end development<\/li>\n \t<li>Event-based<\/li>\n \t<li>Cross-platform support<\/li>\n \t<li>Great for microservices<\/li>\n \t<li>Ample ecosystem<\/li>\n \t<li>Corporate support<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"50%\">\n<ul style=\"margin: 1px;\">\n \t<li>Insufficiency with heavy computations<\/li>\n \t<li>Callback hell (a callback ends up with tons of nested callbacks)<\/li>\n \t<li>Security issues caused by lots of transitive dependencies from NPM<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/ssl.gstatic.com\/trends_nrtr\/1754_RC01\/embed_loader.js\"><\/script> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> trends.embed.renderExploreWidget(\"TIMESERIES\", {\"comparisonItem\":[{\"keyword\":\"\/m\/0bbxf89\",\"geo\":\"US\",\"time\":\"2009-05-27 2019-04-12\"}],\"category\":0,\"property\":\"\"}, {\"exploreQuery\":\"date=2009-05-27%202019-04-12&geo=US&q=%2Fm%2F0bbxf89\",\"guestPath\":\"https:\/\/trends.google.com:443\/trends\/embed\/\"}); <\/script>\n\nBeing the youngest technology in the comparison, Node.js has experienced impetuous growth in search interest since its early days (initial release in May 2009). The peak value was achieved in June 2017. So far, the trend slackened a bit but is still rather high compared to Ruby.\n\nNode.js allows you to build any JS app with I\/O access. Do not be skeptical about the technology if a server app is not your goal. We do encourage you to read about <a href=\"https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/what-is-node-js-used-for\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">what is Node.js used for<\/a>. Besides, it provides a bunch of tools to improve your dev process. So, amid numerous web app frameworks including Meteor, Koa, Sail.js, and others, we decided to introduce Express.js as the most flexible and refined solution for your project.\n<h2>Fighter #3 &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/expressjs.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Express.js<\/a><\/h2>\nExpress is the youngest tool in our comparison since it came out first in 2009. Despite the self-positioning as a minimalist web framework, Express.js is rightfully considered a powerful technology suitable for building a REST API server for simple apps, as well as creating highly scalable full stack products. Fighter #3 is a fast and unopinionated solution, which inspired and formed the basis of well known Node.js frameworks like Locomotive, Kraken, Sails, Blueprint, and others.\n<h3>Popularity<\/h3>\nStatistically, Node is a leader in our comparison with over 60K GitHub stars. However, Express.js cannot rest on the laurels of its coach and has to gain popularity by itself. Having over 2K community members, the framework is not able to compete on equal terms with Rails and Django. Express is not associated with big names like Netflix, Uber, eBay and many other <a href=\"https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/node-js-app-examples-trendsetters-and-underdogs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">apps built with Node.js<\/a>, but the framework has been chosen by TotalCast, Dial Once, Impraise, and other companies. Search interest in Express.js is not bad. For less than ten years of existence (initial release in November 2010), web popularity has increased and reached the top in 2017.\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/ssl.gstatic.com\/trends_nrtr\/1754_RC01\/embed_loader.js\"><\/script> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> trends.embed.renderExploreWidget(\"TIMESERIES\", {\"comparisonItem\":[{\"keyword\":\"\/m\/0_v2szx\",\"geo\":\"US\",\"time\":\"2010-11-16 2019-04-11\"}],\"category\":0,\"property\":\"\"}, {\"exploreQuery\":\"date=2010-11-16%202019-04-11&geo=US&q=%2Fm%2F0_v2szx\",\"guestPath\":\"https:\/\/trends.google.com:443\/trends\/embed\/\"}); <\/script>\n<h3>Reasons to use<\/h3>\nExpress.js is the simplest web app framework in the world of Node.js. In this context, it means that the app building process focuses on developer&#8217;s preference and does not require a needless learning curve. Projects without historical charge will consider this an advantage. At the same time, the framework&#8217;s stability is grounds for high popularity with other tools. Not only that, the Express framework is the best choice for beginners who want to join the Node.js app development community.\n<ul>\n \t<li>One of the reasons why engineers opt for Node.js is speed. Express is a thin layer packed with web app features including basic routing, middleware, template engine and static files serving, and others. It does not aggravate the powerful I\/O performance of the JS runtime.<\/li>\n \t<li>Express is not deprived of generators despite its unopinionated nature. With express-generator, you can create an app folder with clear hierarchy for better structuring of front-end static JS, images, stylesheet and HTML template files.<\/li>\n \t<li>With Node.js, the app development process is not only simplified but also more efficient since the same language &#8211; JavaScript &#8211; can be used for both front-end and back-end.<\/li>\n \t<li>Express.js compliments Node&#8217;s npm for dealing with numerous third-party plugins. These are a great aid to an engineer for solving issues during the production process.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Pros<\/h3>\n<ul>\n \t<li><strong>Non-blocking I\/O<\/strong>\nThe first advantage using Node.js to mention is the asynchronous data flow. It means that data is sent and received by client without interruption on the call finish. In practice, no page refresh is needed to receive new data. SPA or real-time apps are perfect products to build with Express.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Powerful routed API<\/strong>\nExpress has a powerful routed API, which allows for building REST API and routes for simple web apps.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Full stack JS back-end development<\/strong>\nWith Node.js, you get such benefits as improved performance and productivity, code reuse\/sharing, a bunch of free tools, as well as speed.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Ecosystem<\/strong>\nA package manager, npm, is a place where you can discover thousands of useful tools to broaden the Node.js ecosystem. Using them, you will be able to elicit the technology\u2019s entire potential.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Corporate support<\/strong>\nExpress is one of the most supported web app frameworks in the Node.js runtime. With the founding members represented by SAP, IBM, Microsoft, and PayPal, Node.js resembles a multimillion dollar project rather than an open source one.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Cons<\/h3>\n<ul>\n \t<li><strong>Callback hell<\/strong>\nThis lingo describes a situation where a callback ends up with tons of nested callbacks. Callback hell is a serious issue, which affects the code quality and leads to a slower process, and increased costs. Node\u2019s 7th version contains the async\/await feature to increase the code quality and forget about callback hell.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>No object-relational mapping support<\/strong>\nThough Express.js has no ORM support, you can always integrate Node.js ORM like bookshelf or sequelize with numerous databases provided in the framework\u2019s documentation.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Dependent cloud-based architecture<\/strong>\nPlenty of packages needed to deploy, scale, monitor and handle your API in the cloud-based world.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Insufficiency with heavy computations<\/strong>\nA single-threaded nature of the runtime environment is not suitable for computation-heavy systems because a CPU-intensive task can block the event loop. As a result, website users experience a prolonged delay.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>For whom is it the right choice?<\/h3>\nSmall and medium projects are the niche of middleware frameworks. Node.js, in turn, is a great choice for real-time apps, as well as projects that require handling a large number of simultaneous connections. Besides, low-latency heavy-load real-time parts of apps can benefit from the technology. If your future product is a gaming app, forum, ad server or another application requiring high speed and intense I\/O, be sure that Node.js is quite the useful thing. Moreover, you won\u2019t face any hosting issues since the technology is widely supported by numerous <a href=\"https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/best-hosting-for-node-js-app\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">hosting providers<\/a> like AWS, Heroku, DIgital Ocean, etc. However, large projects with the support of a large team of engineers might not be the case for Express.\n<h2>What to choose?<\/h2>\nSo, which of the coaches Python vs. Ruby vs. Node.js or fighters Django vs. Ruby on Rails vs. Express.js should be your choice for web development? Each technology wins or loses to its competitors in some aspects. Node beats Rails in performance and scalability. At the same time, the framework recoups when you need a solution for rapid development. Having a milder learning curve, Django is deemed a great solution for beginners. It also has considerable speed characteristics. Besides, being a \u201cbatteries included\u201d framework, it is not as opinionated as RoR. Express flexes muscles claiming that JavaScript is enough for a full stack development but chokes with CPU-intensive tasks.\n\nYour choice should depend on the project requirements including budget and type of app to build. Python is the case for CPU-heavy apps and development of IoT back-end. Ruby is also a fit for data-driven apps and the development limited in funds and time. Node.js with its framework answers the door for RTAs, SPAs, and apps with heavy I\/O operations, server requests, and data flow.\n<h3>Trends<\/h3>\nAbove, we\u2019ve introduced several charts with different curves of search interest per each technology. Now, let\u2019s take a look at them in comparison.\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/ssl.gstatic.com\/trends_nrtr\/1754_RC01\/embed_loader.js\"><\/script> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> trends.embed.renderExploreWidget(\"TIMESERIES\", {\"comparisonItem\":[{\"keyword\":\"\/m\/05z1_\",\"geo\":\"US\",\"time\":\"2014-11-04 2019-04-11\"},{\"keyword\":\"\/m\/06ff5\",\"geo\":\"US\",\"time\":\"2014-11-04 2019-04-11\"},{\"keyword\":\"\/m\/0bbxf89\",\"geo\":\"US\",\"time\":\"2014-11-04 2019-04-11\"}],\"category\":0,\"property\":\"\"}, {\"exploreQuery\":\"date=2014-11-04%202019-04-11&geo=US&q=%2Fm%2F05z1_,%2Fm%2F06ff5,%2Fm%2F0bbxf89\",\"guestPath\":\"https:\/\/trends.google.com:443\/trends\/embed\/\"}); <\/script>\n\nFor the last five years, we have a sole leader among coaches &#8211; Python. Though its curve is not stable compared to those of Ruby and Node.js, it demonstrates a high level of popularity of this programming language on the web.\n\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/ssl.gstatic.com\/trends_nrtr\/1754_RC01\/embed_loader.js\"><\/script> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> trends.embed.renderExploreWidget(\"TIMESERIES\", {\"comparisonItem\":[{\"keyword\":\"\/m\/06y_qx\",\"geo\":\"US\",\"time\":\"2014-11-04 2019-04-11\"},{\"keyword\":\"\/m\/0505cl\",\"geo\":\"US\",\"time\":\"2014-11-04 2019-04-11\"},{\"keyword\":\"\/m\/0_v2szx\",\"geo\":\"US\",\"time\":\"2014-11-04 2019-04-11\"}],\"category\":0,\"property\":\"\"}, {\"exploreQuery\":\"date=2014-11-04%202019-04-11&geo=US&q=%2Fm%2F06y_qx,%2Fm%2F0505cl,%2Fm%2F0_v2szx\",\"guestPath\":\"https:\/\/trends.google.com:443\/trends\/embed\/\"}); <\/script>\n\nThe web frameworks, fighters, did not reflect the same state of things for the same period, Express.js is stable but has a low level of search interest. Ruby on Rails was a leader in 2014 but dropped to the level of Django at the end of 2017. So far, their curves mostly coincide.\n<h3>Development cost<\/h3>\nIf you were hoping to see exact figures in this section, I have to disappoint you. No developer can immediately tell you the price of your project. At the same time, different web app building technologies suit certain budgets and financial expectations. So, let\u2019s have a look from a business perspective and find out developers\u2019 rates for each technology.\n\nOne wise man said that the cost of hiring an engineer is determined by his\/her experience and expertise rather than the language he\/she knows. You may agree or disagree with this statement, but in practice, the state of affairs is a bit different. Some web sources show that an average hourly rate for Ruby and Node.js engineers is almost the same, and Python developers\u2019 rates are lower. With that in mind, Django and Rails offer the shortest amount of time to get an MVP. I.e., the Unchained wins both Ruby\u2019s framework and Express.js in terms of cost-efficiency. Node.js is deemed the most expensive solution. However, it is all relative and cannot be considered a benchmark.\n<h3>Engineers in demand<\/h3>\nAs for the demand, Python significantly exceeds Ruby and Node.js. According to the most recent market research by Indeed, Python\u2019s popularity on the market grew by about 5K job postings over the last year value (41K). JavaScript\u2019s third place did not help Node.js to enter the top 10 technologies on the market. It joined Ruby in their decrease in job postings in 2018.\n<h3>Comparison chart<\/h3>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-18\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-18\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">Web framework<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Django<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">Ruby on Rails<\/th><th class=\"column-4\">Express.js<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-striping row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Initial release <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">July 21, 2005<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">December 13, 2005<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">November 16, 2010<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Programming language<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Python<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Ruby<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">JavaScript\/Node.js runtime<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Usage<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Complex database-driven web apps<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Database-backed modern web apps<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Real-time apps with<br \/>\n intense I\/O, single page apps, server-side apps<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Development principles<br \/>\n<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Explicit is better than implicit<br \/>\nDRY<br \/>\n<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Convention over Configuration<br \/>\nDRY<br \/>\n<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Event-driven programming<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Architectural pattern<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Model-View-Template<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Model-View-Controller<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Single-Thread <br \/>\nExecutor Pattern<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Learning curve<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Low<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Middle<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Steep<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-8\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Famous apps<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">BillGuard<br \/>\nInstagram<br \/>\nPinterest<br \/>\nDisqus<br \/>\nSentry<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Basecamp<br \/>\nAirbnb<br \/>\nGitHub<br \/>\nZendesk<br \/>\nHulu<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">TotalCast<br \/>\nDial Once<br \/>\nImpraise<br \/>\nHYPH<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-9\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Pros<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">- Rapid development<br \/>\n- Large set of features and functionalities<br \/>\n- Low learning curve<br \/>\n- Scalability<br \/>\n<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">- High code quality<br \/>\n- MVC principle<br \/>\n- Convention over configuration<br \/>\n- Great Gems<br \/>\n- REST architecture<br \/>\n- Flexibility<br \/>\n- Robust community<br \/>\n<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">- Non-blocking I\/O<br \/>\n- Powerful routed API<br \/>\n- Full stack JS back-end development<br \/>\n- Middleware<br \/>\n- Ecosystem<br \/>\n- Corporate support<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-10\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Cons<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">- Monolithic architecture<br \/>\n- Regular expressions to specify URL<br \/>\n- Small projects are not a fit<br \/>\n- Components are deployed together<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">- Runtime speed<br \/>\n- Hosting<br \/>\n- Documentation<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">- Callback hell<br \/>\n- No object-relational <br \/>\nmapping support<br \/>\n- Dependent cloud-based architecture <br \/>\n- Insufficiency with heavy computations<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-18 from cache -->\n\nActually, there is no real reason to always opt for or reject any technology. Each has own supporters and is able to be efficient under certain conditions. It is more of a question about your requirements and needs, as well as expertise in either Python, Ruby or JavaScript.\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\nWe have neither a winner nor loser, and there will never be one. It is not a problem, but there are a bunch of solutions to choose from. In terms of code, Python\u2019s fighter scales better than RoR. Node.js and its framework perform in a special weight category of RTAs\/intense I\/O. But&#8230; real-time apps are tricky. Server-side real-time means something different than client-side real-time. For non-techies, RTA example is Google docs or Facebook Messenger where a user instantly sees updates. The trick here is that it can be achieved with Rails as well since it has a special component (ActionCable) that can be combined with any server-side implementation in Go, Node.js, whatever. So, you can build complex app with some real-time features in Rails.\n\nRailsware is a cutting-edge company, which is not focused on providing <a href=\"https:\/\/railsware.com\/services\/ruby-on-rails-web-development-services\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ruby on Rails development services<\/a> only. We attempt to maintain flexibility amid technologies because some projects may benefit from Node or Django, while others are better to build with Ruby on Rails. We also recommend you follow this principle to get the best efficiency for your future product.","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Python is the option for CPU-heavy apps, Ruby provides cost-efficient development, and Node.js answers the door for apps with heavy I\/O operations. Read more about these technologies and how useful they are for web app development. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":73,"featured_media":10142,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"coauthors":["Zakhar Yung"],"class_list":["post-10081","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-development"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"categories_data":[{"name":"Engineering","link":"https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog?category=development"}],"post_thumbnails":"https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/vs2-illustration.jpg","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10081","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/73"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10081"}],"version-history":[{"count":80,"href":"https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10081\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16385,"href":"https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10081\/revisions\/16385"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10142"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10081"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10081"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10081"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=10081"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}