top 5 alternatives to NodeJS: which one is the best choice?

In the world of ever-evolving technologies and programming languages, it is good to be in the loop of updates in the tech industry. And to consider alternatives to a programming language you’ve been using — or are planning to use for the first time. However, programming languages do various things and have different parameters — the key is finding the best one to suit your project.

Take Node.js for example. It is a well-known open source and server side web application framework for creating dynamic web pages. Today, more than 25 alternatives to Node.js exist on the market. They are free, open source, and popular among professionals.

We have selected the top 5 Node.js competitors — Python, ASP.NET Core, Java, Ruby on Rails, and Deno. They are different in terms of features, cost, and scale. For example, Python has existed since 1991 and today is #3 in the 2023 list of most popular programming languages. Deno was created in 2018 but has already gained the nickname of “Node.js killer.”

So relax, make yourself comfortable, and dive in to start comparing alternatives to Node.js and then selecting the computer language that suits your project and requirements best!

Python is a dynamic and multipurpose programming language that was first released in 1991. Its core advantage is that programmers write fewer lines of codes because of predefined packages and simple syntax rules. Developers use Python for backend applications, mobile applications, data science, and scripting.

Key features

Object oriented

Python allows developers to use functional and object oriented programming (OOP) concepts. With OOP, programmers create classes instead of writing a program. Classes are sharable, and because of that, code can be reused. An object oriented programming framework provides clear program structure and facilitates modification in code. It helps developers implement features in less time and without harm to performance.

Compiled and interpreted

Python’s source code is compiled into bytecode. Then, Python Virtual Machine (PVM) converts bytecode into machine code so that the computer can comprehend and display the output.

Because the PVM executes the source code itself, the code is platform independent. So as long as the Python bytecode and interpreter have the same version, bytecode can be executed on Windows, MacOS, or Linux.

Large standard library

Python has a vast library of assets, making it a robust Node.js alternative. For example, the Python Standard Library has around 200 built-in modules written in C that developers use for daily programming issues. There is a Python Package Index, an online repository of Python packages, with over 7,000,000 files uploaded by users. They all leverage speed for developers in terms of project creation.

Talent pool and rates

Python developers number 11.3M users worldwide.

The average Python developer salary in the USA is $98K annually. In the UK — £57K, and in Germany — €60K.

Main advantages when compared to Node.js

With Python, you can reduce your development costs unlike with other programming languages. It is achieved through the implementation of libraries with ready-made modules and community support. If a programmer has a question, there is likely an answer to it on one of the many forums. This contribution helps programmers build features faster as well as save development costs for a company.

ASP.NET was released in 2002 by Microsoft. In 2016, the world got to know ASP.NET Core, as it provides a better web platform than classic ASP. It uses a server side scripting language and enables web developers to produce dynamic, data-driven, and interactive apps and websites.

Key features

Dependency injection

The dependency injection makes it easier to produce scalable modules and create maintainable code. Its main advantage is that an application is loosely coupled — meaning that objects have dependencies required to complete tasks. There is a built-in IoC Container in ASP.NET that implements the management of DI. And since it’s done natively, there is no need to use third-party tools like for other languages, which makes ASP.NET a solid Node.js alternative.

Cross platform support

With the deployment of .NET Core in 2016, developers got to create applications for all major operating systems. Engineers can work on the same project simultaneously using Visual Studio IDE. Plus, the .NET framework supports the Side by Side Versioning that empowers developers to run multiple versions of the application on the same system.

High performance

Due to the Kestrel web server, ASP.NET Core is considered a fast and lightweight web application framework. Since ASP.NET Core uses asynchronous programming models with a compiler at the core, it helps to increase performance compared to other Node.js competitors. To be more precise, it helps to release cycles quickly, and enhance memory and space allocation.

Talent pool and rates

There are around 7-8 million .NET developers in the world.

The average ASP.NET Core developer salary in the USA is $110K annually. In the UK — £53K, and in Germany — €61K.

Main advantages when compared to Node.js

The level of performance is a significant gain that makes ASP.NET Core a solid alternative to Node.js. The outcome of the compilation process takes a small amount of time and only happens once. Due to the high performance of ASP.NET, you can take advantage of building web applications and dynamic websites by leveraging the right web development services.

James Gosling originally developed Java at Sun Microsystems in 1995. It is an object oriented, robust, and secure language engineers use for mobile app development services, web applications, embedded systems, and big data technologies.

Key features

Memory management

Memory is what every application needs to run effectively. It’s also what many applications lack — this is where allocation and deallocation of memory steps in.

In Java, a programmer doesn’t do it manually. The Java Memory Management, and the Garbage Collector specifically, do that automatically. It looks at memory and identifies which objects are in use and which do not refer to your program. Based on this, Garbage Collector automatically deletes objects that's no longer needed, or preserves them if necessary.

Multithreading

One way to create an efficient performance application is to utilize multithreading. It is a process of executing two or more parts of a program simultaneously and to the maximum amount allowed by the CPU. Java supports multithreading through Threads that are executed in parallel. Enhanced performance, GUI responsiveness, streamlined program coding, and better usage of cache storage are among the advantages of multithreading.

Security

Java provides a range of security features that help handle such problems as virus threats, eavesdropping, or impersonation. These features include the following benefits:

• Java has access modifiers that control access to classes, methods and fields
• Runtime verifies every bytecode to prevent illegal code that can violate the system
• Java has exceptional handling features that do not let the user execute the program until all the errors are removed
• Java.security.SouceCode class keeps information about which resources are in use as well as providing cryptographic security

Talent pool and rates

According to Oracle, 12 million developers run Java today.

The average Java developer salary in the USA is $117,000 annually. In the UK — £61,317, and in Germany — €51,613.

Main advantages when compared to Node.js

Java is a strong alternative to Node.js in terms of security. It has many libraries, commonly-used security algorithms and protocols that developers can easily integrate into their code. If you are building an enterprise-level or medium-sized application, this gain could be a real win-win.

Ruby on Rails was created in 1995 by Yukihiro Matsumoto. The idea behind RoR was to give developers a framework to produce high-performing web pages quickly. Developers use Ruby on Rails to build desktop applications, static websites, data processing services, and even automation tools.

Key features

Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture

The Ruby framework is built on the MVC architecture with three interconnected layers:

• The model responsible for the application logic
• The view for rendering content
• The controller connecting the model and the user

The main principle of MVC is to split the code into different sections and execute tasks independently. It allows engineers to easily add components to the code and work on particular parts of the application without having to understand or modify the whole logic.

Active Record

Active Record is a robust library that makes life simpler in terms of interactions in databases. When developers need to make changes to the database, they write queries in Ruby, and then those queries are converted into SQL. The Active Record library can accomplish those migrations by itself and lets you interact with output as if it was a normal Ruby object, not an SQL one.

Convention over configuration

Convention over configuration logic is that it's better to adapt to logical situations of your environment than to create your own rules. It decreases the number of decisions a developer has to make and reduces the complexity of configuring everything. As a result, developers have higher productivity since they don't need to spend time configuring files.

Talent pool and rates

The average Ruby on Rails developer salary in the USA is $116,731 annually. In the UK — £60,000, and in Germany — €57,000.

Main advantages when compared to Node.js

RoR is known for its time and cost efficiency. With package management RubyGems you can access thousands of packages with solutions to many tasks and problems. Another benefit is the MVC architecture that allows running parallel development, which accelerates teamwork up to 3X. These two features help save money and time when deploying an application, and lead to better maintenance of RoR applications once they’ve been deployed.

Released in May 2018, Deno is a JavaScript runtime. It was created by Ryan Dahl, who is also a creator of Node.js. In Ryan’s words, Deno was produced to improve certain deficiencies of its predecessor, making it a real alternative to Node.js.

Deno is built on V8, the Google runtime engine, and works seamlessly with Mac, Windows, and Linux.

Key features

Security

One of Deno’s principles is that it is secure by default. Deno uses a model that blocks off potentially complex operations. It forbids scripts from accessing a hard drive, file system, or environment unless you enable it at runtime. It safeguards you against unreliable code running from untrusted sources. This is a good strategy for companies running sensitive information.

Decentralized packages

Deno follows a decentralized approach to package management. It has a built-in module system that allows you to import packages or third-party code directly from URLs — just like in web browsers. You can download them from wherever they’re hosted — a vendor’s website, a repository, or a packaging system.

Typescript support

Typescript is a first-class language for Deno. Deno’s modules are written in this language, and the runtime is designed keeping Typescript in mind. But most importantly, you can write code in Typescript without worrying about adding tooling for compilation. As a result, you can use static typing and more optimized code to create robust applications.

Talent pool and rates

Since Deno is a recent JavaScript runtime addition, it’s hard to find data on the talent pool and corresponding rates. According to Upwork, a freelance Deno Developer would cost between $84,000 and $124,804 in the US annually. There is no current data available for Germany and the UK.

Main advantages when compared to Node.js

No doubt that the main gain of Deno is security — it was created in part as a response to the lack of security found in Node.js. Deno offers outstanding security by running the code in a sandbox that doesn't let you enter the file system without permission. Such caution gives assurances that vulnerabilities won’t happen and that business information won’t be leaked into the public domain.

There are five solid alternatives to Node.js that are different from each other at their core and have unique advantages that can be central for your application development requests:

• Python reduces development costs because of strong community support and ready-made libraries with modules that make developers spend less time creating programs.
• Applications created with ASP.NET work >10x faster than Node.js because of a compiler at the core.
• Java brings security standards to applications because of built-in features, protocols, algorithms, and tools that engineers can include into their code.
• Ruby on Rails is the most cost-effective web framework; it offers developers the lowest cost when compared to other frameworks and languages on this list and doesn’t require payment for a license.
• Deno’s main point is its security protocol, which protects the file system of your application by setting special permissions to prevent your code from getting stolen or compromised.
• However, Node.js is still a relevant web framework for usage, especially for professional Node.js developers looking to create a high-performance application with a lightweight architecture.