Node.js vs Python: Which is best for backend development in 2023?

Choosing the right technology stack for your next project is crucial as it decides how efficient it is to maintain and scale your project cost and launch timeline. Node.js vs. Python are the most compared technologies for web backend development.

If you are unaware of ‘frontend’ and ‘backend’ terminology, let’s have a quick tour.

Frontend– It is that part of the application that is visible to you; when you browse a website, the color, layout, etc., is the frontend part. It is also called client-side rendering.

Backend– It is the part of the application that is not visible to you but provides functionality to your application. For example, when you visit a web page and click any link to load another web page, the content on that page is rendered from a server and fetched from a database. This is possible due to backend or server-side rendering.

The backend is the crucial part of your application as it adds the required functionality to your app. In other words, the backend provides wings to your applications.

Node.js and Python are the popular tech stack for backend development. Both can provide wings and skyrocket your application.

Both are good in their way, so choosing one for your next project is challenging!

Don’t worry! 

This article will help to make a wise decision; it covers a detailed comparison of these two back-end technologies.

Let’s start with a  quick comparison of these two technologies.

The above table shows that comparing Python and Node.js will be a great battle. But before diving deeper and exploring who the winner is, let’s have a quick overview of Node.js and Python.

Node.js vs. Python: Quick Overview

Node.js

It is an open-source, single-threaded cross-platform for creating scalable and fast serverside applications. It was written in 2009 by Ryan Dahl. Node.js unlike Python (programming language), Node.js is the runtime environment for rendering JavaScript outside the browser. It is a nonblocking, event-driven I/O model, adding versatility and excellent efficiency to the project. It helps developers to build real-time data-intensive applications that run across distributed servers. Node.js applications are written in C, C++, and JavaScript. It can run on Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Linux operating systems.

List of global companies using Node.js

• Linkedin
• Walmart
• Trello
• Uber
• PayPal
• Medium
• Groupon

Python

Guido Van Rossum released the first version of Python in 1991. It is a high-level, object-oriented, and multipurpose programming language. With its interpreted nature, dynamic typing, and syntax, it is considered an ideal language for scripting. It supports various programming patterns, such as object-oriented programming, procedural styles, or functional programming. It mostly runs on Google’s App Engine. One of Python’s exclusive benefits is its various libraries and tools maintained by Python web development services globally. According to Statista, Python stood fourth among the most-used programming language among developers worldwide as of 2022. 

List of the famous website built using Python

• Instagram
• Google
• Spotify
• Uber
• Dropbox
• Pinterest
• Reddit

Node.js vs. Python: Its time to start the fight!

We will cover here the difference between  Python and Node.js based on various aspects, which are as follows:

Mode of Comparison

• Popularity
• Speed
• Syntax
• Scalability
• Extensibility
• Universality
• Libraries
• Learning curve
• Community
• Architecture
• Best Suitable apps

1. Node.js vs. Python: Popularity

Check out the market comparison of Python and Node.js in terms of the popularity and traffic compared to the most popular web server.

Market Position of Node.js

Market Position of Python

🎊 Winner – Node.js 🎊

2. Node.js vs. Python: Speed

The speed and performance of the computer language directly affect the responsiveness of the customer’s request.

Node.js

It is highly responsive and provides a fast loading speed. Node.js performance is remarkable due to some reasons. Let’s cover the major ones:

• In Node.js, JavaScript code is interpreted with the V8 engine( wherein Google invests heavily).

• As it executes the code outside the web browser, it is more efficient and performs better.

• The event-driven non-blocking architecture of Node.js allows various requests to be processed simultaneously, further speeding up code execution.

• In Node.js, a single module, caching is enabled, making the app more responsive by reducing the loading time.

Python

It is an interpreted language. So, unlike java which is a compiled language, Python applications are relatively slower. As it is a single flow, requests in Python are processed very slowly. Hence Python is not suitable for apps that prioritize speed and performance.

🎊 Winner – Node.js 🎊

3. Node.js vs. Python: Syntax

To achieve flexible smartphone app development, you must have a user-friendly syntax.

Node.js

Regarding Node.js, its syntax is very similar to the browser’s javascript. If you have any experience with JavaScript, you will face no problems while developing code with Node.js.

Python

One of the most vital features of Python is its syntax, as Python’s syntax is more straightforward and without any curly brackets. So the code here is easy to understand and debug. The Python codes are so straightforward that even newbie programmers or people without technical experience can easily understand them.

🎊 Winner – Python 🎊

4. Node.js vs Python: Scalability

Any app will become stagnant without the ability to scale. Scalability is the ability of an app to adjust to changes quickly. 

Node.js

Node.js web development can be easily scaled both vertically and horizontally. To scale it horizontally, you must add more nodes to the existing system. If you want to scale it vertically, insert more resources into the nodes. In Node.js, you don’t need to create a massive unified core but build a collection of microservices or modules, which run their processes and communicate using a compact system. Hence in Node.js, you can easily add any microservice or module. Lastly, Node.js, in terms of type, provides more alternatives like JavaScript or TypeScript. It proves that Node.js is very scalable.

 Python

 To scale any program, multithreading must be activated. However, Python contains multithreading, but it’s not “real multithreading”. Python employs the Global Interpreter Lock (GIL), which allows only one thread at a given time.

🎊 Winner – Node.js 🎊

5. Node.js vs. Python: Extensibility

Extensibility is the ability to add more features and functionality to the technology. More functionality will increase if more frameworks are added to a backend technology.

Node.js

Node.js, with the help of various tools, can be easily extended, integrated, and customized. Some of the tools are as follows:

• Developing HTTP and DNS servers, it can be extended with the help of built-in APIs.

• For unit testing, Jasmin is helpful.

• For project monitoring and troubleshooting Log.io is used.

• You can use Migrat, PM2, and Webpack for process management, data migration, and module bundling.

• It can also be extended with many other frameworks like- Meteor, Express, etc.

Although Node.js is highly extensible, the only issue is that these tools are poorly monitored, thus decreasing performance.

Python

  In Python, lots of development tools and frameworks have been developed. Let’s discuss some of them:

• Loopback.js is used to create without coding dynamic end-to-end REST APIs.

• Hapi.js for developing web services.

• DerrbyJS to create web applications.

• A robot framework is used for test automation.

• Some other powerful Python web development frameworks are- Flask, Pyramid, Web2Py, and CherryPy.

🎊 Winner – Node.js 🎊

6. Node.js vs. Python: Universality

Universality means an app can run on any mobile operating system  ( Android and iOS).

Node.js

In Node.js, you can quickly develop web apps, desktop and hybrid mobile apps, and cloud and IoT solutions. However, Node.js is mainly used for the backend development of applications. For front-end development, you can use JavaScript. This way, the front and back end share the same programming language. Node.js is cross-stage, which means a single desktop application can work on Linux, Windows, and Mac. With such universality in Node.js, product cost is reduced as only one developer team can do it.

Python

Being full-stack, Python can be used for front-end and back-end application development. Like Node.js, Python is cross-platform; hence, the code written on Linux can be run on Mac. Python is best for web and desktop application development but weak for mobile computing. But the popularity of Python is overgrowing for IoT and AI solutions. 

🎊 Winner – Python 🎊

7. Node.js vs. Python: Libraries

The term libraries refer to the collection of modules with several different features. The coding process is easy for developers by incorporating these features to write these codes.

Node.js

Node.js libraries and packages are managed by NPM- Node Package Manager. NPM is one of the most comprehensive library sources. It is well-documented, easy to learn, and fast. NPM is the most extensive ecosystem for all Open-source libraries, with over one million libraries. It is free to use, and more than a thousand developers contribute to it regularly. Hence in Node.js, you can fastly import current code packages adaptable to different scenarios.

Python

Python Libraries and packages are managed by Pip- “Pip Installs Python.” This Pip is fast, reliable, and easy to use. Depending on your requirements, it includes 220,000 packages, including data analytics, computing, image processing, and more. 

🎊 Winner – Node.js ( more libraries than Python) 🎊

8. Node.js vs. Python: Learning curve

A learning curve refers to a visual representation of how fast a developer/programmer acquires new technology or any update to the old one.

Node.js

Node.js is JavaScript-based, so if you know JavaScript, you can quickly master yourself in Node.js. Node.js is very simple, but a few advanced topics, for example, event-driven architecture, are challenging to understand. Although event-driven has fantastic effects on app performance, developers need much time to get expert in it.

The entry threshold for Node.js is comparatively low, which means there are numerous unskilled developers in the market. If you want to hire a Node JS developer for your enterprise application, you can face the problem of hiring low-quality specialists. However, this problem can be solved by hiring a trusted Node.js development company.

Python 

If you don’t know JavaScript and have to choose between Python and Node.js, go for Python, as it is effortless to understand due to its compact and straightforward syntax. Compared to Node.js, writing a particular function in Python takes fewer lines of code. Another point in favor of Python is that there are no curly brackets like in JavaScript. The only problem with Python is that it is complicated to install compared to Node.js. However, with Windows and Linux, you can easily install it, but with MacOS, you need to check whether Python 2.0 is preinstalled. But you cannot use Python 2.0 as it will interfere with system libraries.

🎊 Winner – Python (Easier to learn and adapt) 🎊

9. Node.js vs. Python: Community

Any technology is easier to handle if it comes with tremendous community support.

Node.js

Node.js is a mature, open-sourced language with a large and active Node.js community. As Node.js is loved by developers worldwide, you can easily find Node.js web developers for your enterprise application. Node.js developers easily and quickly get help from this vast community.

Python

Python also has extensive community support, consisting the numerous contributors with varying levels of experience. Compared with Node.js, as it is an older language, it naturally has a larger community than Node.js. Whether you are a business owner or an app developer, you can benefit from the Python community.

Python also has extensive community support, consisting of numerous contributors with varying experience levels. Compared with Node.js, as it is an older language, it naturally has a larger community than Node.js. Whether a business owner or an app developer, you can benefit from the Python community.

🎊 Winner – Python 🎊

10. Node.js vs. Python: Architecture

The architecture of any computer language defines the rules for generating modules and computing them. There are two types of architecture:

1. Synchronous– Before accepting another request, the job is first completed.
2. Asynchronous– At the same time, more than one process can run.

 Node.js

In Node.js, to handle multiple clients simultaneously, it uses the single-threaded event loop model. It utilizes fewer resources and threads, resulting in faster execution of codes. Node.js development enables asynchronous programming, which allows handling more than thousands of concurrent connections, due to its non-blocking and event-driven nature. This event-driven architecture of Node.js is perfect for developing web games and chat applications.

Python

Compared to Node.js, Python works differently. Firstly, it doesn’t convert code directly into machine codes. First, it converts code into bytecode, which is converted to machine code using an interpreter. Secondly, Python is not event-driven. You must install a tool like CPython to create an event-driven app using Python. However, Python enables asynchronous programming, but it is limited by Global Interpreter Lock, which allows only one process to execute at a time.

🎊 Winner – Node.js 🎊

11. Node.js vs. Python: Best Suitable apps

Both Node.js and Python let developers create a vast range of applications. Let’s find out which type of products they are suitable for.

Node.js

Node.js being event-based architecture, it is best for applications with heavy client-side rendering, numerous concurrent requests, or frequent data shuffling from client to server. For Example-  Real-time chatbots and messengers, IoT solutions, Complex single-page apps, etc. It also works well for developing streaming platforms or real-time collaboration services.

Python

Python is a good option for the app development of businesses of all scales. For example-  voice and face recognition systems, data science apps that involve data analysis and visualization, neural networks, image-processing software, and machine learning systems can also be used to develop 3d modeling software.

🎊 Winner- It depends exclusively on your project needs. 🎊 

Node.js vs. Python: Pros and Cons

Pros of Node.js

• Powerful Teach stack- As Node.js is based on JavaScript, it got all access to JavaScript resources, community, and tech stack.

• Fast event-based model– According to Toptal’s analysis, compared to Java, PHP, and GO, Node.js is 2-3 times faster. Regardless of a user action, it uses event-based programming to execute an operation algorithm.

• Microservice development flexibility– Node.js has a package manager, and free modules allow developers to edit various modules simultaneously. It is ideal for microservice architecture.

• Ecosystem-rich– Node.js (NPM) package manager comprises a wide range of open-source JS plugins. Node.js developers have used NPM modules in over 96% of web apps.

Cons of Node.js

• Immature tools- NPM modules are not widespread, lack documentation, are poorly built, and have bugs.

• Performance issues– The Node.js structure is sometimes inconsistent with high-load CPU processes, resulting in slow-down performance.

• Callback hell– To track finished tasks, Node.js uses callbacks, so as the number of active processes increases, callbacks also increase. Due to too many callbacks, developers missed crucial bugs and technical debt.

Pros of Python

• Opportunities for AI development and machine learning- It has a wide range of built-in AI libraries.

• Simplicity-  Python syntax is very conversational; hence the code files are highly readable.

• More spots for library hosting– Python codes have native support from many hosting providers, which allows the integration of APIs and additional plugins.

Cons of Python

• Not suitable for mobile development-  Python is not good for Hybrid development, as it is not a native Android or iOS language. However, you can do mobile development using Python with other frameworks and platforms, but your performance will decline.

• Low speed– Python is very slow in handling server-side operations compared to Node.js. Python has many abstraction layers, which require additional processing time to make it more readable.

Node.js vs. Python: What do APPWRK Developers Think?

Both Python and Node.js are widely used for backend operations in web development. Python is a general-purpose programming language that is best for various fields and tasks. It has a simple structure, an active development community, and extensive AI and ML libraries. On the other hand, Node.js is very lightweight, fast, and has full-stack JavaScript development. Both are very popular and powerful options for developing web applications, so there is no direct winner. The answer to the question-” which is the best for backend development” entirely depends on your business needs and the problem you’re trying to solve. 

Let’s discuss some of the cases where these technologies are best used.

Node.js is best: 

• For applications that require a continuous connection between the browser-side app and the server.

• If real-time data transmission is critical to the app’s usability.

• When there is frequent interaction between the client-side application and the cloud server.

Python is best:

• When web developers want to build and deploy an MPV very efficiently.

• For rapid development and iteration.

• For newbie developers with less experience and technical knowledge.

We hope this article will help you decide between Node.js and Python best fits your project. If you cannot figure out whether the technology you’re incorporating will define the primary functional requirement of the project or not. Approach our development team; we’ll look into your project needs and suggest the best tech stack.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Links:

• 5 Tips to Accelerate your Node.js Development Process
• Why and How to Hire Python Developers in India?
• Top 10 Python Libraries for Machine Learning
• Making Apps with Python – A Complete Guide