We all love Python for its simplicity. But is it simply a miracle drug to fulfill all software development challenges? Probably not.
Whether it’s software development or simple life problems, a single solution does not apply to all issues. Every situation has its complexities and demands. Every software has unique needs and issues, deciding which path to follow and which language to go for. A language that works for one problem might be utterly inapplicable in another scenario. Therefore, being a developer, selecting the correct programming language is the most daunting decision you have to make.
Common belief holds that everything depends on each developer’s preferences. Most programmers prefer to go with the language they are fluently writing in or are well-trained for. But whether to hire NodeJS developers or Python programmers is often not the right approach to achieve business goals. Choosing the correct programming language, tech stack, and environment needs a clear and deep understanding of the nature of the project. NodeJS and Python are the two most widely compared technologies; the former is younger than the latter. Let’s make the right call and see which language is better for your project.
NodeJS and Python: An Overview
NodeJS is an open-source runtime environment for JavaScript, which emerged in 2009. It’s not a programming language. It rests on Google’s V8 engine, which comes with built-in compilers, optimizers, and interpreters. V8 is famous for its high speed and advancing performance.
Python is an open-source programming language released in 1991. Python runs on Google’s App Engine, which developers build web apps with numerous libraries and tools.
NodeJS vs. Python: A Detailed Survey
Scalability
Scalability is a linear growth in resource requirements as your project grows. Initially, MVP is a light version of your project that goes well with all programming languages. But as features and functionalities grow, the resource consumption also increases accordingly.
NodeJS helps you scale it by adding resources to existing processes and expanding it by adding nodes to existing modules. Python, however, has an issue with threads. It doesn’t allow them to operate well in parallel. A Python development company might find it difficult to maintain code as it scales.
Learning Curve, Syntax, and Community
Syntax refers to the efficiency of the language to perform functions with fewer lines of code. Syntax attains this by packing popular procedures into built-in functions—the uncomplicated the syntax, the smoother the learning curve. Community is the group of users and developers engaging with the technology. They keep updating the famous libraries and joint issues. The larger the community, the quicker you learn and excel.
NodeJS parallel processing might make finding bugs and errors a tedious task. Python has the edge over NodeJS as the lack of parallel processes makes it easier to scan bugs. NodeJS is relatively newer, but its community quite large and active. Python is older than NodeJS and has a far larger community, which is fantastic. Both languages have a wide variety of libraries and development tools. You don’t need to worry; both work just as well.
Architecture
Architecture defines the common practice to stick to the language environment. NodeJS has an event-driven architecture that takes action when an event occurs. An input-output goes on irrespective of underlying operation. Companies hire NodeJS developers to create real-time event-driven applications. Python is stringent in this regard; it does not provide multi-threading. Hence, a Python development company usually deals with applications that don’t require multi-threading.
Performance and Speed
When you are scaling an application, every single bit of your code contributes to your efficiency. Good performance and speed are vital. NodeJS operates with a non-blocking architecture that performs better on speed and performance metrics. NodeJS development company focuses much on speed and performance, which are essential in real-life applications. Python prohibits multi-threading and is not fast for applications.
Extensibility & Universality
Extensibility is the ability to add features using third-party tools. Hence, programmers can easily modify the language with added features. NodeJS can be Babel, webpack, PM2, Jasmine, and many more. Similarly, for Python, you can combine it with Django, Web2Py, etc. Both have great extensibility.
The universality of a language is its ability to be used in changing times and for all devices. There is no universal language, but in comparison to others, some languages are used more. Companies hire NodeJS developers to outstand for front-end development. Python is suitable for IoT solutions and cloud apps, but it doesn’t work well for mobile apps. The universal nature of Python makes it inefficient for web development.
Error Handling Capabilities
Errors are difficult to handle in NodeJS due to its parallel process running feature. Python comes in handy when scanning the code for bugs and errors.
Data Processing
Data processing is many times ignored, but better data processing makes a language environment more adaptable. NodeJS surpasses data-intensive applications, while Python is relatively slower due to one thread running simultaneously.
NodeJS and Python
NodeJS is the best choice for applications that require a stable connection between the server and the client, e.g., a chatbox. NodeJs development companyfocuses on app usability in a real-time environment. Due to this, Netflix, Tello, Paypal, Medium, and other tech sites use NodeJs.
Python has an extensive availability of talent partly as it runs on simpler syntax. Therefore, one of the largest technology-talent consumers extensively uses Python. Popular data training courses teach Python as a default language. Its rich libraries allow you to make MVPs very quickly. Furthermore, the Python interpreter doesn’t require compilation, making it the ideal language for rapid deployment and iterations.
Final Verdicts
Choosing a language can be tricky if you want to build both the front-end and the backend of an application. Both languages provide overwhelming benefits, and it makes it challenging to choose one. For a better choice, focus on the end-use of your product. List the technologies the application would need to integrate and what are the basic functional requirements. You can pick the language that seems excellent and handy.