Golang vs. Java: It's a battle between two highly efficient backend programming languages. There are several factors to consider when choosing the best one for web development. In this blog, we will explore different aspects related to Go and Java.
Today, every business needs an application, from startups to established organizations. If you want to run the company most efficiently, you must get it listed online.
Even the programming languages popularities for web app development worldwide are shown below figure:
Selecting the proper and effective languages that best go for your software development is more challenging than it looks. Languages and technologies not only affect the development process but also apps and software's performance, scalability, security, and maintenance costs.
Java and Go are the two most popular languages for web and mobile app development. Which one should you pick for your next software development project? Read on to make the right decision.
What is Java?
Java is an object-oriented programming language built by Sun Microsystems in 1995. Since its launch, it has become one of the most popular programming languages in the world, especially for enterprise and web and mobile app development.
Today, Java is gaining popularity because of its "write one, run everywhere" (WORA) philosophy. It means developers can compile this language into bytecode and then execute it on any platform that supports Java Virtual Machine (JVM). Highly portable, platform-independent, secure, and reliable, Java is a popular choice among developers and business owners.
Whether you want a gaming site, web app, or software for your business, hire Java developers to get fast, secure, and high-performance results.
Most popular brands like Facebook, Amazon & Netflix also use Java.
What is Golang?
Go, also known as Golang, is an open-source programming language that was built by Google in 2009. It has
Golang or Go is an open-source procedural-compiled programming language built by Google. Simple to understand and use, it has experienced a surge in popularity in software development because of its speed, reliability, and simplicity.
Build a web app with GO If you want a small app with high speed. Thanks to a bunch of built-in tools and libraries, it's easy to write code in this language.
Java vs. Golang: Benefits & Drawbacks
Both Java and Golang languages are used for software and web app development solutions. But both have their individual pros and cons.
Java Benefits & Drawbacks:
Benefits
- It's easy to understand and learn
- Highly secure
- Easy to maintain
- Platform Independence
- Rich Standard Library
- Strong Community Support
- Security Features
Drawbacks:
- Performance Overhead
- Learning Curve
- Lack of Functional Programming Features
Golang Benefits & Drawbacks:
Benefits of Golang:
- High efficiency
- Simplicity & Readability
- High scalability
- Strong standard library
Drawbacks:
- Immature Ecosystem
- Less Expressive Syntax
Java Vs. Golang: The Key Comparision
Parameters | Java | Golang |
Syntax | More Verbose Syntax | Simpler & More Concise Syntax |
Concurrency | Strong Multithreading | Strong Support with Goroutines and Channels |
Compilation | A Compiled Language that Can be Integrated Through JVM | Compiled Language with Fast Compilation Times |
Error Handling | Try-Catch-Finally Mechanism for Handling Expectation | Unique Error Handling Mechanism |
Type System | Static Type System That Doesn’t Supports Type Inference | Static Type System That Supports Type Inference |
Package Management | External Package Management Tools like Maven and Gradle | Built-in Package Management System Called “Go Modules” |
Performance | Relatively Slower in Terms of Performance | High-Performance |
Community Support | Large Community with Focus on Enterprise Development | Growing & Active Community with Focus on Simplicity & Performance |
Use Cases | Android Development, Enterprise Apps | Web Services,Microservices and Modern Cloud-Native Apps |
Backend Development | Highly Used for Enterprise Backend | Ideal for Cloud-Native Backend Services |
Ecosystem | Extensive Ecosystem with Java EE, Spring | Growing Ecosystem with Framework (eg. Gin, Echo) |
Learning Curve | Steeper Learning Curve | Simpler Syntax and Concise Code |
Speed | Silightly Longer Startup Times (JVM) | Fast Startup Times |
Microservices | Suited for Microservices | Ideal for Microservices Architecture |
Java Vs. Golang: Which is the Best for Web Development?
Java Vs. Golang: Features
Java is an object-oriented programming language that drives code reuse, creating a better developer experience. Hire Java developers for complex tasks and web apps.
On the other hand, Golang's most crucial feature is garbage collection, which helps in handling huge codebases. It's a resource-saving and cross-compilable open-source programming language.
Java Vs. Golang: Performance
Although Java has high-speed performance, Go outperforms Java in several metrics.
The performance of Java can be excellent, especially for long-running server apps that benefit from the JVM's advanced optimization features.
On the other hand, Golang is a compiled language designed to be fast and efficient with high performance.
Usually, Go is faster than Java for short, serverless apps that require fast speed & low memory usage. But, when it comes to long-running server applications that benefit from the JVM's advanced optimization features, Java performs better than Golang.
Java Vs. Golang: Ecosystem
Java has an extensive ecosystem of tools, libraries, and frameworks. In addition, it includes popular enterprise platforms like Spring and Jakarta EE. Stability, backend compatibility, and enterprise-grade features make this language a popular choice for large and complex web app development.
So, if you want a complex web app for large enterprises, hire Java developers with deep experience in Java and its ecosystem.
On the other hand, Go comes with a small ecosystem of tools, libraries, and frameworks. It helps to build distributed systems such as the Gin web framework and the Kubernetes container orchestration system. Simplicity, performance, and concurrency features make Golang a popular language for building scalable, networked systems.
Java Vs. Golang: Community
Java has one of the largest and most established communities in the programming world. It includes developers and enterprises that have contributed to the language's development, standardization, and promotion.
On the other hand, Golang has gained popularity among developers and business owners. Its community is known for simplicity and performance.
Java Vs. Golang: Usage
Go is gaining more popularity for large projects with its use of goroutines. Advanced data structures make it easier to reuse code in this language.
Thanks to an extensive library of functions, Java allows developers to create more features with less code than Golang.
Java Vs. Golang: Application
JVM (Java Virtual Machine) enables Java to run across platforms with ease of coding, making it a tremendous cross-platform programming language. So, if you need an app for cross-platform, hire Java developers for the best software development solutions.
Go is limited in its reach. It's time-consuming to compile several binary files for each platform. Java is the best option for a portable system.
Java Vs. Golang: Web Frameworks & Libraries
Java has a wide range of frameworks, such as Spring Boot to Java Server Faces (JSF) for web application development, from traditional monolithic architectures to modern microservices-based approaches. There are several frameworks and tools to build progressive web apps.
Thanks to Java's extensive library ecosystem, developers have a plethora of pre-existing elements, simplifying development tasks and speeding up the overall process.
Go also has a wide range of web frameworks and libraries. The most popular web frameworks for Golang are Gin, Echo, and Revel. Its simplicity and focus on minimalism make it easier to build lightweight and high-performance web applications with this language.
Java Vs. Golang: Popularity
Thanks to its trends & popularity, Java has seen strong growth. This community encourages feedback and active participation in both competitors' actions.
Golang is an alternative to Java but has a lower adoption rate.
Java Vs. Golang: When to Choose?
Hire Java developers for large-scale enterprise applications with an extensive ecosystem. If you are planning to build a lightweight and high-performance system, Go is the right choice. With its simplicity and concurrency support, it is suitable for cloud-native and microservices architectures.
Selecting between Java and Go for web development depends on project demands, team expertise, and performance requirements.
Java vs. Golang: Who Wins?
In the battle of Java vs. Golang, both are a winner on their terms as both offer interactive features for web app development.
Simplicity, performance, and growing community make Golang an attractive choice for modern web apps. On the other hand, Java's larger library, extensive ecosystem, and industry adoption ensure its continued relevance in different development projects.
Ultimately, the best choice relies on the specific requirements of your project and your team's familiarity with the language and associated tools.
If you are working on small web projects or you are a startup, Go is the right language. On the other hand, hire Java developers for extensive enterprise applications or existing Java code-based projects.
Choose VLink for your Next Web App Development Project!
No matter whether you are working on Go or Java, it's essential to hire the right developers for your web development project. With a dedicated team of highly skilled developers and proven record work, VLink will transform your ideas into efficient and reliable web apps.
Whether you want to hire Java developers for big enterprise apps or want to build small software on Golang, choose VLink to get your desired solutions.
For more information, contact us now!
Frequently Asked Questions
Golang and Java share similarities in their concurrency support, with built-in mechanisms (goroutines and channels in Go, threads, and synchronization in Java) for writing concurrent programs.
Both languages also emphasize simplicity, efficiency, and standard solid libraries. Additionally, they are both statically typed and suitable for building scalable, cross-platform applications with robust community support.
The choice between Java and Golang for web app development depends on factors like project requirements, team expertise, and performance needs. Java's mature ecosystem and extensive frameworks make it suitable for large-scale enterprise applications.
On the other hand, Golang's simplicity, concurrency, and performance make it well-suited for building lightweight, high-performance web services.
Yes, Java developers remain in demand in 2024. Despite the emergence of newer languages, Java continues to be widely used in enterprise software development, web development, Android app development, and more. Its stability, robust ecosystem, and large codebase ensure a steady demand for Java developers in the job market.
The future trends of Java include continued dominance in enterprise applications, growth in cloud-native development with technologies like Jakarta EE and Quarkus, increased adoption of microservices architectures, and ongoing enhancements in performance, security, and developer productivity.