Node.js VS Python: Which is Better?

If you are landing on this page, you might be looking for questions like:

– Node.JS vs Python: Which is the right choice for my next web app development project?

– Which programming language cost me less?

– Which programming language is suitable for which industry?

– Which programming language is suitable for small businesses or large-scale enterprises?

– Which programming language is scalable, high performing, and secure?

In this blog post, I will answer all these questions & much more. So, continue reading!

1. Node.js VS Python: A Brief Intro

Node.js (majorly used as a backend framework) and Python (front-end and backend programming language) are used extensively to program a web app. Selecting a suitable framework or programming language for web app development is vital because it is the backbone of every web app.

Node.js and Python are extensively used for this purpose. When you talk about Node.js or Python, you compare JavaScript with Python. It is because Node.js is a framework built on Google Chrome’s JavaScript.

According to the survey analyzing industry-wise choices, Node.js has been heading in Computers Electronics & Technology, Lifestyle, Arts & Entertainment, and 16 other categories. On the other hand, Python is a wide choice in industries, including Engineering, Science & Education, and others.

Choosing the best technology for developing your project is not that simple. It requires an in-depth analysis of various factors and facts. Let’s discuss the significant aspects of solving the popular query of Node.js vs Python: Which is better?

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2. Node.js vs. Python: Usage Statistics (Industry-Wise)

According to the above representation, Python is a popular choice in all domains under consideration. Python, launched in 1991, has more coverage on websites under all categories.

Although, this does not show a complete picture. Do you know why? Python is more popular online, but top sites use NodeJs. Yes! NodeJS is more popular among the top 100K websites, Top 10K websites, and Top 1M sites.

Summary: Python rules the entire web, but NodeJS rules the top web apps.

Also Read: Node.js vs PHP: Which is the Top Server-Side Programming Language?

3. Node.js vs. Python: Scalability

It is obvious that you want new people to use your applications without any hindrance. The capacity to support increasing users without any flaw in its performance is known as scalability.

Developers’ can achieve scalability through Node.js programming as it creates asynchronous architecture in a single thread. This default feature of this Javascript framework ensures the smooth scalability of applications written in NodeJs code.

You can create simple web apps with a complete guarantee for scalability using the NodeJS framework. If you wish to provide the same convenience in the complex app, then you will have to hire Node.js developers who have in-depth knowledge.  

On the other hand, Python does not have the default feature for supporting asynchronous programming. So, Python’s architecture is not as scalable as NodeJS. But Python has some tools to offer which allow achieving scalability easily.

Summary: NodeJS provides easy scalability as compared to Python.

4. Node.js vs. Python: Learning Curve

The learning curve measures users’ ability to write code in a particular language or framework. It depicts the fluency of web app developers in syntax and tools. In the case of NodeJS, learning this framework will not be a problem if you know JavaScript.

So, it’s easy to learn, which is why NodeJS has topped the list of the most popular frameworks with a remarkable score of 49.9%.

On the other hand, Python language is not written in a well-known language like NodeJS. So, its syntax is new to python developers. But it has a cleaner and more compact code. One can quickly write code as they have to write fewer lines.

A few lines of code in Python can help you reach the same result as NodeJS. Moreover, being an old language, it has well-developed documentation also. A software developer will never run short of a knowledge base when it comes to Python.

In the StackOverflow survey, Python is among the topmost preferred languages. Full-stack developers love to use this easy, precise, and efficient language for building apps. Here is the graphical representation of the same:

Summary: Python is easier to learn than NodeJS if you do not know JavaScript.

5. Node.js vs. Python: Suitable Projects

Node.js is ideal for small projects in web application development and website development. Top website development companies do not recommend using this javascript framework for large projects because it lacks clear coding standards.

On the other hand, Python is suitable for many projects, from web apps and numerical computations to machine learning and network programming. It is an ideal programming language to perform various tasks.

Python has several frameworks that can be used for the backend, like Django, Flask, and Pyramids. It also has frameworks like Tkinter/PySide, which can be used at the front end. Its precise coding makes it ideal for large projects, also.

Therefore, if you plan to develop a large project, you should hire python developers. But if you have a small business or startup, then your ideal choice should be to hire NodeJS web developers.

Summary: Node.js is suitable for small projects, whereas You can also use Python for large projects. You can use Python to do various operations like machine learning etc.

6. Node.js vs. Python: Data & Memory-Intensive Applications

Node.js is probably the best framework for contemporary times to develop data-intensive run-time applications. For example, you can create apps that involve chat functionality. Such apps developed by Nodejs development companies can proficiently handle proxy, queued inputs, and data-streaming.

The high speed offered by NodeJS has made it an ideal choice for heavy-traffic sites like e-commerce stores. It is also suitable for memory-intensive activities using 3D graphics.

In contrast, because of the lower speed, Python is not a good option for real-time applications. 

Summary: NodeJS wins over Python for developing data & memory-intensive applications. 

7. Node.js vs Python: Performance

Performance is directly related to the speed of the application. The chief feature that we look for in any programming tool is the speed at which it can execute your code.

The comparison of Python and Node.js on this parameter is not tough. We all know that NodeJS is based on Google Chrome’s version 8. It is a potent and fast engine. It has made the speed and performance of NodeJS extremely high.

In comparison to Python, NodeJS wins in speed and performance. It is why it is preferred for chatting or messaging app development. In contrast, Python is not recommended in data-intensive run-time applications.

Therefore, if your idea revolves around chatting functionalities, then NodeJS is a better choice than Python. Select according to the core purpose of your web development project.

Summary: NodeJS is significantly faster than Python.

8. Node.js vs. Python: Error Handling

When the developers write codes, errors are unavoidable part. A programming tool’s convenience and transparency in detecting errors are pretty important. The tools we are discussing here are efficient in handling errors.

Although, Python has the upper hand here as it takes less time to fix the bugs and errors. Node.js also has a good command in catching exceptions during code execution.

So, error handling will not suffer if you choose the two programming tools to develop your website. They will also reduce the overall completion time and increase the chances of getting a robust website in the first attempt.

Summary: NodeJS and Python are almost equal in catching and throwing errors. 

9. Node.js vs Python – Security

When it comes to coding, the answer to the question, “Which is more secure?” usually depends on what you are coding. For example, if you are programming in NodeJS, there is an excellent chance that the code will be vulnerable somehow or another. 

But when it comes to Python, NodeJS may be more secure. Yes, you read it right; Python is regarded as one of the most secure languages, even though security experts don’t regularly discuss it.

10. Node.js vs Python: Use cases

Node.js Use Cases:

LinkedIn: One of the largest platforms for interaction among professionals. Node.js has successfully managed its ever-growing user base. Loads of messages and connections are very well taken care of by the high-speed attribute of this Javascript framework.

eBay: A famous e-commerce store for C2C and B2C sales operations is used worldwide. eBay has appreciated the ability of Node.js to handle heavy traffic sites and data-intensive applications.

Mozilla: Node.js is a programming tool that has allowed the same language to be used on both sides. Mozilla considers it a team consolidation tool as Node.js is used for both client-side and server-side development for its browser.

Python Use Cases:

United Space Alliance: For the NASA shuttle program software development, they chose Python. The massive data processing and ability to serve complex programs of the Python programming language impressed them.

Frequentis: The straightforward syntax of Python allowed this air traffic management, transport, and public safety solution provider to use it. Python is used to develop the company’s navigation and weather condition monitoring instruments.

Industrial Light and Magic: Python eased the process of maintaining the outstanding batch processing abilities of ILM. It has proved itself the best choice for processing thousands of frames per day. 

Key Differences between Node.JS and Python

Conclusion

In the end, these are the three things that we can conclude:

• Python is used more on the entire web, but Node.js is more prevalent among top websites.
• Node.js provides more scalability, speed, and performance, making it more suitable for data and memory-intensive apps. Python is ideal for a wider variety of tasks.
• Both Node.js and Python are easy to learn and settle errors efficiently.

After reading this entire post, I hope you clearly know the most suitable programming tool for your web app development project. All web technologies are efficient in one way or another; you just need to find the most suitable one according to your business goals.

If you have any suggestions/additions for this blog, please share them with me in the comment section below. I am open to a healthy and informative discussion with readers because I believe knowledge increases with sharing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Node.js?

Node.js is a compelling web development framework/platform that runs on the V8 JavaScript engine of Google Chrome and allows developers to build network applications easily and quickly by using push technology (instead of HTTP pull technology, as seen in other platforms). It can be used for creating scalable real-time applications like chat, game servers, etc.

What is Python?

Python is a general-purpose, high-level programming language used for web and software/product development. The developers widely adopt it because of its clean syntax, easy-to-learn nature, powerful libraries like Django (for web development), requests (for HTTP clients), etc.

What is the difference between Node.js and Python?

The following points highlight the significant differences between Node.js vs Python:

1) Node.js is JavaScript-based, while Python is not. The sole reason programmers are attracted to Node.js is that they can use the same language for backend development used in the front end. While in the case of Python, developers need to learn a different language (for the backend), this will be an advantage for some programmers because they can focus on learning just one programming language and do not need to switch the context from time to time.

2) Node.js uses a non-blocking I/O mechanism which scales very well and is better than Python.

3) The node package manager (NPM), Backbone, Bower, and Grunt make Node.js an ideal technology for web development compared to Python. Also, the support for JavaScript code testing tools like JSHint makes it more robust and powerful.

4) Node.js has a vast developer community and is more popular than Python. The express framework makes Node.js web development more straightforward than other platforms. Also, the support for features like web sockets makes it stand apart from alternative technologies like PHP, ASP, etc.

Which One is Better, Node.js and Python?

You can answer this question only after studying the requirements of a project. If a task requires a real-time application with instant responses, then Node.js will be more beneficial because it can handle more requests in less time. In contrast, Python is not ideally suited for such problems (although there are ways like multi-threading, event, etc., to make it perform faster).

But if the task needs a project having fewer I/O operations and quick processing, then Python can be an ideal solution. Also, Python has the edge over Node.js when long-term stability is required or compatibility issues with other technologies used in the backend.

Python is much more stable than Node.js because it requires frequent browser updates to work with it. Also, Python is much easier to maintain when compared to JavaScript (to some extent).

Is Node.js Easier than Python?

No. Both are equally easy to learn, but node js is much more popular than Python in web development because of the following reasons:

Node.js framework is much easier to install and configure

The well-supported NPM makes the process of adding libraries/modules very simple

Popular tools like Grunt, Bower, and Gulp make it easier to work with node js.

Is Python better than Node.js?

Yes, Python is much better for long-term projects because of the following reasons:

Stability and compatibility with other technologies are two significant advantages of Python. 

Also, there is tremendous community support which makes it more reliable.

Python has an extensive standard library, making it ideal for performing complex operations without writing much code. The presence of robust data structures gives it an edge over other technologies.

Which is Faster, Node.js or Python? 

Both Node.js and Python are equally fast on identical hardware configurations. The difference comes into play when considering different use cases because each technology has limitations the other can overcome.

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