Reactjs vs Node - 10 Key Difference & Advantages

• By Harikrishna Kundariya
• 30-12-2021
• Technology

To stay ahead in today's highly competitive technological world, companies are looking for methods to connect with consumers on the devices they use the most. So, web development is done keeping in mind the computers and mobile phone technologies of today.

However, when it comes to web development, there are a plethora of programming languages, development environments, and frameworks. Choosing the most suitable one for your project becomes very hard.

The first decision to make here is about the programming language. Which programming language do you want to go with? If JavaScript is your answer, keep reading. Here, we have gathered all the information about the two famous JS-based tools - React and Node. So, let us look into it:

Many developers use JavaScript runtime environments like NodeJS in combination with ReactJS to build high-performing apps for companies.

What is ReactJs?

Do you want to learn how to construct flawless one-page web apps using reusable code components? The solution is ReactJS.

ReactJS is often mistaken as an app development framework. However, it is a JavaScript Library, also known by the name of Real-time application development (RTAD). React is a direct rival of popular JavaScript frameworks like AngularJS and VueJS, which are also widely used by developers.

ReactJS has several unique characteristics that distinguish it from other programming languages. These characteristics are as follows:

1) Since React offers reusable code, it is easy to use and understand. So, it has a great learning curve and even if you are a beginner developer, you can start with React.

2) The React library contains a component called JSX (JavaScript XML), an HTML-like syntax that is translated into JavaScript calls. It helps you write JavaScript directly into React. It makes the development process faster and optimizes code as it translates to JavaScript.

3) React components are reusable, which is beneficial when working on large-scale projects. They also have their logic and controls, which makes them more flexible.

4) One-way data-binding gives you more control over your program throughout its lifecycle.

5) The virtual DOM uses the ReactDOM package, which ideally/virtually portrays the user interface. It also stores it in the memory while keeping it in sync with the actual DOM.

6) Because of virtual components, the DOM has a smoother and quicker performance.

What is NodeJs?

NodeJS is a run-time environment for JavaScript that offers everything you need to run a JS application. It has the ability to run several JavaScript programs simultaneously. Node.js is a free and open-source cross-platform run-time environment and library.

Let us see what makes NodeJS unique:

1) NodeJS is simple and you can use it for prototyping and agile development.

2) The development process with NodeJS is quick and the end results are highly scalable.

3) It makes extensive use of JavaScript throughout the development process. So, it is simple for a JS programmer to create back-end services using NodeJS.

4) The source code in NodeJS is more organized and consistent. It means less hassle for the developers and faster development.

5) There is a large ecosystem for open-source library software. Most Node.js development companies in India make use of them.

6) NodeJS shows asynchronous or non-blocking behavior.

What is the relationship between React and Node?

Both, React and Node, is similar to the two sides of a coin. NodeJS is utilized to construct the server-side of the application, while ReactJS is used to design the user interface. Additionally, React is the foundation of React Native, which is a cross-platform development framework. NodeJS, on the other hand, is a back-end development library.

You can use Node and React together to build a powerful online application. While they are quite different from each other, they make a great team together. React helps with the UI and Node is best-suited for the backend. But before you start, let us look into what makes them different.

10 Key Differences between ReactJS and NodeJS

We have listed down the key difference between Node and React in the table below. So, let’s have a look:

NodeJs:  Node.js is a back-end framework

ReactJs: React is used for designing user interfaces.

NodeJs: It supports frameworks with Model–View–Controller (MVC) architecture pattern

ReactJs: It does not support the Model–View–Controller (MVC) architecture. ReactJS does not have a rigid architecture pattern.

NodeJs: The Chrome v8 engine gives the advantage of an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model built in C++, which allows it to run more quickly.

ReactJs: It makes it simple to construct UI Test cases since it uses NodeJS to compile and optimize the JavaScript code.

NodeJs: NodeJS is responsible for handling requests and authentication from the browser and making database calls.

ReactJs: It performs API requests and processes data that is stored in the browser.

NodeJs: The most extensive ecosystem of open source libraries exists for the framework for JavaScript execution.

ReactJs: Contains an Open Source JS library supported by Facebook.

NodeJs: Uses JavaScript as the programming language.

ReactJs: Uses JSX and JavaScript as the programming languages.

NodeJs: There is no use of the DOM (Document Object Model) in this application.

ReactJs: Uses Virtual DOM (Document Object Model), allowing speedier processing.

NodeJs: NodeJS is capable of handling large numbers of requests.

ReactJs: ReactJS handles dependencies.

NodeJs: Node bundles a React application into a single file, simplifying code compilation.

ReactJs: It features components explicitly created to interact with NodeJS, which minimizes the number of code lines and speeds up rendering.

NodeJs: NodeJS is developed by Ryan Dahl

ReactJs: ReactJS is developed by a Facebook Employee named Jordan Walke.

Advantages of React

React has emerged as a critical component of front-end web design in recent years. If you choose it, you can tap into the many benefits it has for you. Let us look at its advantages:

1. Easy to learn and use.
2. It is necessary to utilize a virtual DOM.
3. Provides some very useful tools for web development.
4. Uses one-way data flow for system operation.
5. Enables Search engine optimization (SEO).

Advantages of Node

When you choose NodeJS for your back-end development, you instantly have access to all the benefits of full-stack JavaScript programming, including:

Improvements in overall developer productivity and efficiency.
Code sharing and reusability are essential concepts.
A high level of speed and performance
It is simple to share information within a team.
A large variety of free utilities are available.

There is no doubt about the popularity of NodeJS as well as ReactJS. Both of these frameworks have a large community of users that support them. However, if you are torn between which option to choose for your development project, selecting one over the other may be challenging.

In general, you should bear in mind that if you want to construct the frontend, you should use ReactJS, and if you want to create the backend, you should use NodeJS.