What is Node.js?
Node.js is an open-source server framework. Node is Javascript-based and it can run across multiple platforms including Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and Unix.
Node.js is good for building real-time web applications, server-side as well as networking applications.
Big brands using Node
What is Golang?
Go, also known as Golang, is an open-source programming language that was first introduced by Google in 2009. Go was developed to solve the most common problems during that time. Go is cross-platform, highly efficient, super-fast, and solves multiple purposes for backend development.
Big brands using Go
Now let’s benchmark Node.js and Golang based on some certain standards as follows:
Establishment
Go was introduced by Google in 2009 and has created a lot of changes since then. In the same year, Node.js was also introduced.
Since then, Go has undergone multiple developments and enhancements. These changes follow a systematic pattern, whereas Node.js APIs often go through frequent changes.
Performance
Many developers stated that Go has performance as good as C and C++. Go doesn’t have virtual machines and compiles to machine code, thus it takes less time for programs to be executed without the necessity of warm-up time.
Go also manages memory very well by freeing space when necessary. This helps to boost performance as well as reduce security risks.
Go developers have access to a useful tool called GoMetaLinter, which allows developers to perform a static code analysis of their code.
In terms of raw performance, Go might win over Node but in real life, Node.js and Go show equally good performance.
Error-handling
Node.js uses the traditional try/catch method to catch errors immediately when it happens. Meanwhile, Go requires developers to explicitly check for errors where they occur, with the program flowing systematically and error codes returned afterward. This approach poses great challenges for developers. However, nowadays Go’s support for handling errors has been improved a lot.
Scalability and Concurrency
Both Node.js and Golang are excellent for creating scalable apps. However, Golang supports concurrency better. The reason is that Golang has its coroutines, known as “goroutines”. Goroutines allow developers to execute multiple threads with parallel tasks at the same time.
Go also offers an API that helps developers to test their code. This helps developers to be able to skip a test or to run parallel tests.
In contrast to Go, Node.js is single-threaded, which is not so effective when it comes to a
high degree of parallel processing.
Developer Tools
Node.js has a wide range of development tools and frameworks for developers to choose from. Node.js package manager (npm) is one of the best advantages of Node.js. It offers nearly 800,000 ready-made ‘building blocks’ that can be easily installed and run.
Go cannot compete with Node.js in number of tools. Go doesn’t have a built-in GUI library either. However, Go has a standard full-fledged library with features that don’t need support from third-party.
Learning Curve
Node.js uses javaScript so it has tons of educational resources for both beginners and professionals. Meanwhile, Go is harder to learn with less available resources. Hence, it is much easier to find Node.js developers for a project, rather than Go developers.
Conclusion
We have analyzed and compared Node.js vs Golang along with their pros and cons. Before deciding which one to use for your own project, you should analyze your business requirements carefully.
Otherwise, you can totally look for someone reliable to do all the work for you. In case you are looking to get your App built but lack resources and abilities, contacting us might be the best choice for you. We have years of experience in building apps. We have senior developers which are fluent with both Golang and Node.js. More importantly, we can consult you on which is best for your project. We will follow you through every step of development. Contact us now via hello@bachasoftware.com for further discussion.