Node.js is a popular technology for app development. Read this article to find out about its pros and cons!
Node.js is an open-source server environment that expands the capabilities of the JavaScript programming language. It was created in 2009, and by 2017, its demand reached its climax. Such tech giants as Netflix, Amazon, Walmart, and many others resort to the Node JS development service because it enables them to achieve their goals quickly and with reasonable expenses. In this article, we’ll analyze the impartial pros and cons of using Node.js for building apps. After reading this text, you should be able to understand whether this technology suits the needs of your business and which of its advantages are especially important for you.
Advantages of Node.js
Scalability
If you build scalable applications, you should appreciate the fact that Node.js has a cluster module, facilitates load balancing and features a non-blocking event loop mechanism that allows servers to work seamlessly. When the app is scaling vertically, you can add the necessary resources to single nodes. These resources will be added to the existing system only.
Performance
Being an open-source environment, Node.js has a large developers’ community. Its members are very active and ready to help each other. Many of them work for tech giants and have access to the most advanced tools and knowledge.
The performance of apps built on Node.js should increase too. That’s indispensable for complex apps from nearly any industry that need to deal with a large number of requests simultaneously.
Cost-Efficiency
If you opt for Node.js, you won’t need to hire a dedicated team for backend development and the other one for front-end. One team should be able to cope with both front-end and backend. As a result, your developers will be working quickly without compromising on the quality. This is one of the reasons why startups with limited budgets love Node.js so much.
Tech Stack
Node.js can boast a robust technology stack. Your developers will be able to choose from an extensive range of free tools. They will enjoy the high performance and speed of Node.js as well as enhanced overall productivity and better efficiency. When needed, they can share and reuse the code, thus facilitating the spread of knowledge.
JSON Support
Node.js fails to convert within the binary models to employ JSON format for communication. It’s a meaningful advantage for the developers who create RESTful APIs for NoSQL database support. This feature ensures seamless communication with the main data transfer standards.
Shallow Learning Curve
Node.js is based on JavaScript, so your team won’t need to write more codes for website development. JavaScript is a highly popular and universal language, equally suitable for front-end and backend developments.
Quick Time-to-Market
Thanks to being lightweight, Node.js accelerates the workflows. Your team can borrow ready-to-use codes and libraries from GitHub. Node.js offers both server-side and client-side in JavaScript, so it should be easy for you to manage the codes and get feedback on all stages of the development process.
Customization
Node.js features a built-in API that you can use to develop DNS servers and HTTP. That’s vital for industries that grow and evolve quickly.
Cross-Platform App Development
If a business wants to expand its user base, it needs to make sure its app is compatible with various platforms. Node.js developers can use the same sets of code for different platforms. They don’t need to learn Objective-C or C# to work with these platforms.
Quicker Loading Time
The overall loading time decreases thanks to the caching module of Node.js. As soon as the first module of the app gets a request, it will cache it directly in the in-app memory. When the user opens the app, they will be able to access any page within a few microseconds without waiting much.
Overall Freedom to the Developers
Unlike most of its alternatives, Node.js doesn’t impose strict guidelines. Let’s imagine a situation when your developers are working on a product or feature but want to distract from it for a while to start building something else. Node.js enables them to do so without compromising on the quality of any of these two products.
Disadvantages of Node.js
Inability to Process CPU Bound Tasks
If you need to perform heavy computation tasks, you might want to look for alternatives to Node.js. It can execute JavaScript code on a single thread basis, but it can’t cope with a CPU-bound task. When Node.js receives a heavy request, it will process it first and then handle other requests. Such an approach slows down the computation process.
Substandard Tools
The Node.js modules are powerful and reliable. But some of the tools that are vital for the development process might fail to impress you. Plus, the NPM registry could have had a better structure to offer tools based on their quality and rating.
Unstable API
This solution involves frequent API changes that are backward incompatible. Because of being unstable, they cause heavy code changes. These changes are essential for synchronization with the latest version.
Challenge to Hire Experienced Developers
There are too few experienced developers in the labor market to meet the increasing demand every year. Instead of hiring their own teams, companies resort to outsourcing. Business owners and managers should realize that even though Node.js is based on JavaScript, it is not synonymous with the latter!
Conclusion
Hopefully, you found this article informative, and now you better understand the pros and cons of Node.js. This technology is cost-efficient, easily scalable, and customizable. It is famous for its high performance, excellent tech stack, shallow learning curve, and quick time-to-market. It features JSON support and is suitable for cross-platform app development. Developers love Node.js for short loading times and the overall freedom to app creators. On the flip side, Node.js is not the best option for processing CPU-bound tasks. Its API might be unstable, and the tools it offers might be substandard. Besides, you might struggle to hire skilled developers. Nevertheless, the multiple advantages of Node.js far outweigh its shortcomings, and you might consider using this technology for your development processes.