Difference Between Node.js and React.js

In the past couple of years, the tech world has witnessed a remarkable rise in fields of modern web and mobile applications driven by lightweight JavaScript libraries.

Also, users can have high-grade experience from the speed of apps, along with increasing the scalability of companies.

JavaScript has become the obvious choice for developers to build web applications due to its increasing popularity.

If we talk about the web world, it has become quite prominent in the web development field. Various frameworks use this programming platform. Among these frameworks, Node JS and React JS also use JavaScript in the development process.

When we talk about these frameworks, Node JS is not as popular as React JS. However, it consists of various noteworthy benefits when it comes to improving web applications.

Having said this, today, lots of firms have adopted JavaScript frameworks for frontend and backend development.

Both Node JS and React JS are widely utilized as popular JavaScript developer tools due to their high performance and uniqueness.

Let us take a look at both of these frameworks so that you can decide for yourself which one to choose for your next project.

What is Node.js?

Node JS is considered a lightweight and effective JavaScript framework that runs on the server-side. It is powered by the Chrome V8 JavaScript motor, which uses a non-blocking input/output model.

It streamlines and simplifies the development of complex web apps. Also, it empowers you to quickly build adaptable system applications with the help of its occasion-driven model.

With the help of Node JS, you can create various kinds of applications such as a real-time chat app, command-line interface, REST API, web applications, and more.

The primary purpose of building applications with Node JS is to execute them on the server-side. There are various reasons and features that will make you drag yourself towards this framework.

Let us dig in to know all of them.

Reasons to Use Node.js for your Project

Node Package Manager (NPM)

Node Package Manager is also known as NPM shortly. It plays a vital role in web development, which no developer can avoid. When you install Node JS, it comes as a default program.

NPM introduces concepts similar to that of Ruby Gems.

MongoDB, Mongo JS, Connect, BlueBird, Lodlash, Socket JS, Socket.io, and moment are some of the most popular NPM modules.

Additionally, it has the capability of thousands of packaged modules, which makes it extensively gigantic.

Server-Side Proxy

One of the beneficial features of Node JS is that you can use it as a Server-side proxy. As a result, it manages several connections at the same time in a non-blocking manner.

You can primarily use it when you want to collect data from multiple source points or even when you need to proxy various services with different response times.

Moreover, it enables you to build client-side applications for assets and knocking API requests with the help of the Node JS development server.

Data Streaming

HTTP requests and responses are the original data streams. However, in reality, they are considered as isolated events.

Node JS uses these data streams to create eye-catching features. Moreover, it also helps in proxying among several data sources, along with real-time audio and video encoding.

Pros of Node.js

  • Node JS empowers developers to create server-side applications without the hassle of coding in JavaScript.
  • It allows you to upscale applications vertically and horizontally.
  • JavaScript’s engine, which is also known as Google’s V8 allows you to compile the code you write in JavaScript to directly execute into machine code.
  • It supports caching individual modules.
  • Node JS is highly expandable.
  • It also supports web development in real-time.
  • Node JS offers high performance with Google Chrome’s V8 runtime, written in C++.
  • It is lightweight because of its event-driven architecture.
  • It is lightning fast, as it is powered by JavaScript and V8 versions.
  • Node JS offers the benefit of reusing code, which allows us to use the same code on the server-side and client-side as well.

What is React JS?

Facebook developed React JS. It acts more like a library than a framework. It empowers you to compile pages that render effortlessly.

React consists of a Model View Controller architecture. It is also known as MVC shortly. Facebook primarily introduced this framework to address rendering troubles of a plethora of datasets in the JavaScript framework.

Reasons to use React JS for your Project

Component-Based Architecture

React JS has Shadow DOM and Polymer. They have created a lot of hype. Developers use them to build customizable components and self-contained elements. You can import these elements into your React JS project efficiently.

Extremely Efficient

Surprisingly, React JS builds its own virtual DOM, wherein you store all your already created components. It manages all changes made in the DOM and updates the DOM tree accordingly.

Moreover, it eliminates the time-consuming DOM processes and makes updates regularly. The functionality, we mentioned here, increases the efficiency of web and mobile applications effectively.

SEO-Friendly

Search engines find it hard to read heavily loaded JS apps even after rendering millions of JavaScript-based web and mobile applications. However, with React JS, you can efficiently build light-weight mobile and web applications.

Moreover, you can smoothly run React JS on the server-side. As a result, it will easily render virtual DOM, which returns to the browser as a regular web page.

Pros of React.js

  • React’s Virtual DOM is quicker because it refreshes only a portion of a web page instead of doing it completely.
  • It offers simple ways to build UI test cases.
  • With React JS, you can conveniently reuse several code components.
  • It can represent a component in a huge amount more quickly and effectively.
  • React has a special chrome extension, which makes it easy to debug the code.
  • You need to do manual processing when you change the data.
  • React is view-oriented.
  • It enhances the SEO of a website by rendering code from the server to browsers.
  • With React JS, the debugging speed is high, which makes the job of developers easier.
  • You can use React to develop Android as well as iOS applications.
  • React utilizes reusable components, which makes it easy to render hybrid applications in the native environment.
  • You can effectively reuse the components of the existing React Native app’s UI.
  • React JS is one of the most rapidly growing front-end frameworks.
  • It offers support to server-side and client-side as well.
  • React JS is fast and cost-effective because of its plethora of reusable components. It makes it easy for developers to maintain the app easily and effectively.
  • It is extremely stable. When you use React JS to build your business software, it must remain in trend and stable for at least a few years.
  • React JS offers advanced performance when it comes to managing graphics on a wide range of devices. It flawlessly loads any website on any device like a smartphone, desktop, or tablet.

The Ultimate Comparison- Node JS vs React JS

Both of these technologies are used to develop different sections of an application, and they have their own benefits. React is a full-sized framework to build stunning UIs.

On the other hand, Node JS is a simple JavaScript runtime, which is quick and lightweight at the same time. Node JS is primarily utilized to create rapid and scalable network apps.

Let us take a look at the final and precise comparison of both these technologies. In fact, this will also help you to understand the Angular vs Node vs React difference in detail.

Definition

Node JS is a JavaScript Runtime Environment

React JS is a JavaScript library

Purpose

Node JS is mainly used for developing back-end applications

React JS is primarily used to develop amazing User Interfaces

Latest Version

Node JS has the latest version upgraded- 12.9.0 on August 20, 2019

React JS has the latest version upgraded- 16.8.6 on May 6, 2019

Popularity

Node JS has 72.7K stars on Github

React JS has 155K stars on Github

Architecture

Node JS is event-driven

React JS uses Controller View Pattern

Environment

Node JS uses a run-time environment

React JS Open-Source JS library

Use Cases

  • Node JS can manage real-time data streaming efficiently
  • React JS is the best choice for a project with a number of components
  • Node JS is best suited for an API service
  • React JS is utilized to create websites with complex structures
  • Node JS is mainly used for web development
  • React JS supports Android as well as iOS

How are they Different?

  • Node JS is used for back-end development
  • React JS is used for front-end development

Examples of Brands using these technologies

  • Node JS- Walmart, LinkedIn, Uber
  • React JS- Netflix, Instagram, Facebook

Last Words

From the entire post of comparing Node JS and React JS, you now know that both are different from each other. Therefore, you can easily choose one of them for your project.

On the contrary, you can also utilize both of these technologies to build a robust application.

For example, if you need to develop a Blog, which requires to consist of a few pages like blog posts, blog post details, contact us page, and other pages, then, in this case, you can utilize Node JS in its backend and React JS in its frontend.


Harikrishna Kundariya

Harikrishna Kundariya, a marketer, developer, IoT, ChatBot & Blockchain savvy, designer, co-founder, Director of eSparkBiz Technologies, A Mobile App Development Company. His 8+ experience enables him to provide digital solutions to new start-ups based on IoT and ChatBot.