It is undoubtedly true to say that JavaScript is one of the top technologies that have ascended to the throne due to its several frameworks. Among which Node.js is at the top.
Ever since the tool was launched in 2009, it has become a source of building web applications for NodeJS Development Company. Some of the tech giants that are utilizing Node.js such as IBM, PayPal, and more.
There are 47.12% of developers that are using Node.js making it a prominent web tool. After all, Node.js has shown an exceptional role in front & back-end programming through its flexibility, multi-tasking abilities, and speed. But, every technology has some advantages and disadvantages, and Node.js is not an exclusion.
To find out, about the pros and cons of Node.js, we have brought a brief guide about it. Whether you are looking to increase your knowledge or take assistance from Node.js for your project. Knowing about it will surely help you in better understanding of the technology. So, without any delay let’s dive in:
Advantages of Node.js
Node.js is generally used to build web applications. But, apart from this it also has some next-gen capabilities. Let’s get to know about them-
1. Node.Js Scalability
Node.js is highly scalable which is why it is used in many top apps such as Netflix. It allows developers to easily manage high traffic & user- requests as well as manage their workloads through its non-blocking I/O model. Apart from this, the tool also makes it uncomplicated for developers to scale their apps any way they want.
Furthermore, Node.js is lightweight & offers exceptional harmony with other cloud tools like AWS. Hence, Node.js is a great choice for web development and constructing command-line tools.
2. Targets all Necessary Platforms
The tool work cross-platform which is why businesses hire NodeJS developers to build applications that can run on Linux, Unix, macOS, windows, and other.
Being part of JavaScript, the developers don’t have to write separate codes for different platforms. They can write code once and use it for different platforms. This makes it easy to develop applications without expert knowledge of C# or other technologies. Also, streamlines the development process and reduces the time of the development cycle.
3. Easy to Learn
One of the many features of Node.js is that it is easy to learn. Since many developers already possess JavaScript skills. This can help them to learn Node.js easily and move to the development side leading to more productive and efficient output for developers.
Apart from that, Node.js also offers documentation and guides to gain good knowledge about the tool before you start your hands on it. Even for beginners, it requires less effort to learn the tool. if you have slight knowledge of JavaScript, it will be easy for you.
4. High-Performing Apps
Node.js has multi-tasking abilities which make it easy to develop and build high-performance applications. Node.js is powered through a V8 JavaScript engine that accumulates JavaScript code in machine code. With such easy implementation of code, it can easily tackle multiple concurrent requests while maintaining optimal quality.
5. Big Community Support
Node.js is one of the famous technologies that has the support of Google. The technology is maintained by the top community. Due to its use in both Front-end and back-end development, over time it became the developer’s choice. Also, JavaScript developers assist & extend support to each other.
For further improvement, they also get support from JavaScript which provides them with codes in Github. As a result, the technology is the base for 6.3 million websites and has become the most widely used web development tool in the USA.
Disadvantages of Node.js
As we have shared with you some of the advantages. It is time to share some disadvantages too. Knowing about them will surely give you a complete overview of the technology-
1. Lack of Library Support System
Node.js lacks a strong library. Despite being open-source technology it doesn’t have a well-equipped library and the existing ones also have many ambiguities. This makes developers take help from available libraries to finish their work. Taking help from outside sources might lead to compatibility challenges, security issues & arise maintenance concerns. Developers don’t have much assistance which makes it difficult to implement programming tasks.
2. Doesn’t Have a Stable API
One major problem that Node.js has is unstable API. As the API gets updated frequently, the changes made are not in favor of developers and will show backward-incompatible changes. Consequently, this will take more time to improve the solutions, the developers then access code to equal with the current version of Node.JS API. This results in extra time and effort.
3. Consume a Lot of Memory
Compared to other server-side technologies, Node.js consumes a lot of memory. There are several reasons but the main ones are asynchronous nature. One another factor is that it endures a lot of requests at once consuming more memory. As well, another reason is module streams. The feature of the use of external modules by developers surely increases memory consumption. However, developers can utilize attentive coding and proper monitoring to overcome the problem of memory consumption.
4. The Technology has Few Developers
Node.js is actually in demand since it is leveraged by many big companies to streamline their applications. It is important to hire expert developers otherwise they will not be able to develop an outstanding app leaving many loopholes behind.
However, this is the case with every popular technology. Still, finding expertise in this technology has become an issue. Top companies like Facebook already take out experienced developers leaving no room behind for others. As a result, the market is seeing higher demand of node.js developers, & less availability to it.
Conclusion
Despite all of these, we can’t say overlook the growing market demand for this technology. It has repeatedly. On the side, NodeJS helped GoDaddy with the Superbowl campaign handling 10,000 requests per second without any downtime. On the other side, it helped tech giants like Netflix for the smooth functioning of their applications.
Apart from this, the technology also has some limitations such as Unstable API, huge memory consumption, and much more which can’t be ignored. Leveraging the expertise of skilled developers can help you overcome these challenges and leverage the positive aspects of this technology.
