Laravel VS NodeJS – Which One Is The Better Choice?

Web Applications and Websites are still a trend though mobile apps have taken the reign. Still, in case of heavy data handling, web applications are in demand. With time, new frameworks and languages have been introduced that help to build amazing applications. While choosing one of these frameworks, you might get confused and hence, this article is written to solve the dilemma. Which is the best Laravel vs NodeJs? Let us check out the blog below. 

Both frameworks have their own set of unique and attractive features that might confuse you but reading these points will help you be assured of your decision in choosing node js or PhP. Let’s start with an overview of both frameworks and solve the question of Laravel vs NodeJS: Which One is Better? 

What is Laravel?

Laravel is a free and open-source PHP framework to make web applications with easy and secure methods. It works on MVC (Model-View-Controller) design patterns. With Laravel, developers can use components from different frameworks like Ruby on Rails, Yii, and CodeIgniter.

Laravel enhances the speed of web development with much better functionalities. It is easy to work with if you are familiar with core PHP and Advanced PHP. Besides this, Laravel offers great security to websites and prevents cyber attacks.

What are the top features of Laravel?

1. Template Engine

Laravel has beautiful in-build templates offering eye-catching layouts that can be easily customized too.

These templates are lightweight and can also be used to create both complex and simple designs. Also, as it integrates CSS and JS Code, it gives you a stable structure. Hence, you get a great UI/UX with smooth performance.

2. MVC Architecture

The framework follows MVC design patterns where both business and presentation logic can be worked on separately. This avoids code duplication.

MVC also comes with some built-in features that make the application secure and boosts its performance.

3. Security

Nowadays, cyber security is an important issue to address for all developers. This brings us to the point that Laravel ensures the security of your web application with some built-in features.

It uses the Bcrypt Hashing Algorithm that works with Hashed and Salted password schemes. Because of this algorithm, the password is never stored in plain text form. Also, it utilizes SQL statements in a structured form to prevent web attacks with SQL injection.

4. Database Migration system

Laravel allows you to expand its database structure, helping to prevent you from creating new codes when you make changes to the web application. This benefits data loss risk, minimizing it.

It allows you to use PHP instead of SQL and also with Laravel Concurrency Schema Builder, you can easily create database tables with indexes and columns.

What are the Pros and Cons of Laravel?

Pros	Cons
Built-in access control	Shortages of Laravel Experts
Latest PHP functionalities	Tough to master the framework
Well-structure documentation	No build-in support
Automated Testing	Problems with a few updates
Reverse Routing

Laravel Use Cases

1. For enterprise level web apps
2. Apps using Microservices Architecture
3. SaaS-Based Web Apps
4. IoT Apps
5. CMS Applications
6. Educational Apps

What is Node JS?

It is a cross-platform, open-source, runtime environment that uses Javascript to build server-side applications. NodeJS’ code runs on Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Linux. It can be used to build single-page applications, backend APIs, etc.

As Node.js uses JS, it comes with a large Javascript library. This makes it easy to create web applications, enhancing NodeJs’ functionalities. Node Js is an amazing environment since it can perform some tasks that even an advanced language like Python can’t.

What are the top features of Node Js?

1. Asynchronous and Event-Driven

The asynchronous nature of node.js makes sure that the web application does not wait for the API to complete an action. It calls the function and moves on to the next API. There is no blocking of any function because of this. Hence, you get faster performance in Node JS applications.

Node.js uses “Events” as its notification system for tracking API requests to the server. It works like the callback mechanism in laravel async function. Server setup in Node starts with declaring functions, setting variables, and waiting for events.

2. Single-threaded

All the functions in a Node JS application are executed in a single thread. This means that from creating a request to returning the response to the client, all the functions are completed in a single call. Because of this, loading issues are prevented and the client gets a quick response.

3. Scalable

Node JS is highly scalable and hence, preferred by companies who want robust software development. This is because:

Node JS can handle concurrent requests and gives a cluster module which makes it easy to balance loads on multiple CPU cores

Also, it can split software horizontally and present different versions of the same application to different audiences.

4. Quick Execution of Code

Node.js benefits from the V8 JavaScript runtime, which is the same Laravel workflow engine utilized in Chrome. The wrapper provided by Node.js makes the engine even faster, resulting in faster operation of the platform, and providing speedy data streaming for web apps.

5. Cross-platform

Node Js programs can run on multiple platforms including Windows, Unix, Linux, Mac OS X and on mobile devices as well. This makes node js more desirable than other languages. Developers may create cross-platform, real-time apps with NW.js and Electron JS alternatives without having to write code specifically for every platform.

6. Fast Data Steaming

Node Js processes multiple data simultaneously. Hence video streaming is faster in Node JS applications.

What are the Pros and Cons of Node JS?

Pros	Cons
Scalable Applications	Doesn’t work better on CPU-intensive tasks
Robust Tech Stack	APIs used are not stable since they change frequently
Strong community support	Lack of library support is a risk to the code
JSON Support	Working with relational databases can be tricky in Node JS
Decrease loading time with Quick Caching
Supports cross-platform development

Node Js Use Cases

1. Live Video Streaming applications
2. Video games and chatting web apps (real-time apps)
3. Advanced Single-Page Applications
4. IoT Web Apps
5. The back-end APIs
6. Server Software

Statistics: Node JS and Laravel

Laravel	Node Js
More than 1,35,000 websites are made with Laravel	More than 2,65,000 websites are created with Node JS
Laravel is used mostly by Heavy Industry and Engineering	Node Js is adopted by multiple sectors including Computers and Technology, Arts and Entertainment, Finance, and more
It is a popular framework in countries like Indonesia, Netherlands, Vietnam, etc.	It is a leading framework in top countries like the USA, Russia, Brazil, India, etc.
Laravel gets a 0.32% market share among all the web frameworks	According to the stack overflow survey 2021, 63.22% of developers surveyed voted Node JS as the most loved tool

According to the stack overflow survey 2021, 63.22% of developers surveyed voted Node JS as the most loved tool

A Crisp Comparison of Laravel and Node Js

Points	Laravel	Node Js
Base	PHP MVC Framework	Google Chrome’s JavaScript Runtime Engine
Market Share	Behind Node JS in market share	Leading in market share in comparison to Node Js. Has websites among the top 10k
IO model	Does not have an IO model	Uses asynchronous, event-drive IO model
Industries	Used mostly by Education, Shopping, Business, etc, industries	Used in industries like Arts and Entertainment, telecom, automobile, etc.
Database	Ideal for MySQL and Maria DB	Works with Express JS Alternative and is ideal for MongoDB/MongooseJS
Templates	Has built-in templates to create beautiful designs for sections	No built-in templates
Security	Uses Bcrypt Hashing Algorithm and saves hashed and stored passwords. It never stores the password in plain text	NPM offers various packages for protection
When to use	To build a robust website based on CMS	To build service-based compact architecture
Top companies using	Pfizer, BBC, 9GAG, Liberty Mutual Insurance	LinkedIn, Trello, Uber, Netflix, NASA

Node Js vs Laravel Framework: A Detailed Comparison

1. Performance

Laravel is comparatively slower in terms of performance but the performance can be improved by optimizing the code. However, Laravel has a cache tag feature that allows it to store data and load this pre-stored data whenever needed. This boosts server response time and the client gets faster results

On the other hand, Node Js is a much better choice since it is asynchronous. It doesn’t stop its operations and works simultaneously on multiple requests. This reduces response time and gives quicker results.

2. Scalability

Node.js is designed for horizontal scalability, which means that you can add more nodes (i.e., instances of the application) to your system as traffic increases. This is achieved by using a load balancer to distribute incoming requests across multiple nodes, which can help to ensure that your application remains responsive and available even during periods of high traffic.

Laravel, on the other hand, can be scaled both horizontally and vertically. Vertical scaling involves increasing the resources (e.g., memory, CPU) of a single instance of the application, while horizontal scaling involves adding more instances of the application. Laravel’s built-in support for caching and other performance optimization techniques, combined with its flexible architecture, makes it well-suited for both vertical and horizontal scaling.

3. Effortless Testing

Laravel provides various testing tools and resources for making sure its web applications are up and running perfectly. With these tools, a developer gets help to create bug-free applications. The tests are conducted in two parts namely Feature testing and Unit Testing to see the bugs in different categories. Laravel has well-structured testing documentation for its testing tools and methodologies.

While Node JS has a different approach to testing. It provides a soundproof testing ecosystem for applications and also gives you automated testing features with tools like Jasmine, Jest, Lab, Code, Mocha, and AVA.

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4. Database Support

Both Node.js and Laravel offer support for a wide range of databases, including both relational databases (such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Microsoft SQL Server) and NoSQL databases (such as MongoDB, Cassandra, and CouchDB).

Node.js provides native support for relational databases through modules such as “MySQL” and “mssql”, as well as modules for other databases. It also has several ORMs (Object-Relational Mapping) available, such as Sequelize, that provide a higher-level interface for working with databases. This allows Node.js developers to easily interact with databases and perform common tasks such as querying, inserting, and updating data.

Laravel, being a PHP framework, provides built-in support for relational databases through its Eloquent ORM. Eloquent makes it easy to interact with databases and provides a simple, intuitive syntax for performing common tasks. Laravel also provides support for a variety of NoSQL databases through its built-in support for MongoDB and other databases, as well as through third-party packages.

5. Learning Curve

To Learn Laravel, developers need to have a good knowledge of PHP framework, HTML and CSS. Besides, Laravel becomes easy to implement or execute for developers as it comes with built-in libraries and templates. However, becoming an expert in Laravel needs more effort.

For Node JS, developers with relevant Javascript experience can easily learn this framework. Javascript developers find it easy to unlock and understand the architecture. Hence, Node Js wins the game in the learning curve.

6. Framework base

Laravel works on MVC (Model-View-Controller) design patterns and it’s a PHP framework. Since it’s MVC based, the development is convenient for the developers. PHP laravel logo is a framework that provides a set of tools and conventions for building robust and scalable web applications. It offers features such as routing, templating, and an ORM, as well as built-in support for security and performance optimization. Laravel is designed to make it easy for developers to build web applications quickly and efficiently and provides a high level of abstraction that can simplify common tasks and help to reduce development time.

Node.js is a JavaScript runtime environment built on Google’s V8 JavaScript engine. It allows developers to use JavaScript on the server side to build server-side applications, as well as to perform tasks such as processing HTTP requests, interacting with databases, and working with file systems. Node.js is designed to be fast, lightweight, and scalable, and is especially well-suited for real-time applications and building APIs.

7. Development Speed

Laravel’s built-in support for routing, templating, and ORM can save developers time and effort compared to building these features from scratch. Additionally, Laravel’s conventions and abstractions can help to simplify the development process and reduce the amount of time and effort required to build certain features.

Node.js, on the other hand, is designed for building real-time, highly concurrent applications and has a strong focus on performance and scalability. This can make it faster to develop certain types of applications, such as chat applications, real-time dashboards, and streaming services. Additionally, Node.js is built on JavaScript, which is a widely used language with a large developer community and has a large ecosystem of packages and modules available.

In conclusion, both Laravel and Node.js have the potential to increase or decrease development speed depending on the specific needs and requirements of your application.

8. Architecture

Laravel is an MVC-based framework which means it separates both business and presentation logic. In MVC, models show data, the view provides presentation and the controller handles and alters user input and data. Besides, Laravel provides multiple built-in functionalities including support for routing, templating and ORM (Object-relational model).

Node.js applications are built around an event-driven architecture, where the server can handle multiple requests and events simultaneously. In Node.js, data is often processed and manipulated in real-time, rather than being stored in a database. This makes it well-suited for applications that need to process a lot of data quickly and efficiently.

9. Security

Laravel provides several security features out of the box, including encryption and hashing functions by using Bcrypt Hashing Algorithm, protection against cross-site scripting (XSS) and SQL injection attacks, and built-in support for security best practices such as password hashing and salting. Laravel also includes features such as password resetting and email verification, which can help to secure user accounts.

Node.js is also secure, but the security of a Node.js application depends heavily on the code that’s written and the modules and packages that are used. For example, using a package with known security vulnerabilities can compromise the security of a Node.js application. Additionally, Node.js’s event-driven architecture can make it more vulnerable to denial-of-service (DoS) attacks and other types of attacks that exploit the event loop.

 

10. Customizable features

Laravel provides a lot of built-in functionality and conventions that make it easier to develop web applications quickly, but it also allows for customization through the use of middleware, service providers, and custom classes. Additionally, Laravel provides a lot of customization options for the front end, including support for templating, asset management, and styling. Laravel also includes several tools and features that make it easier to build and manage custom functionality, such as its command-line interface (CLI), Artisan, and its package manager, Composer.

Node.js also offers customizable features, and its modular architecture and a large ecosystem of packages and modules make it easy to build custom functionality. Node.js provides a lot of flexibility in terms of the front end, and developers can use a variety of front-end frameworks, libraries, and tools to build custom functionality.

Conclusion: Laravel vs NodeJS: Which One is Better?

Each of these frameworks has its own USP when it comes to web application development. When you are looking for cross-platform application development, Node Js becomes a better choice since it runs on JS and it becomes easy to hire node js developers. Our developers use best node js frameworks to build apps. Though there are multiple factors to consider before going further with it. 

On the other hand, Laravel becomes a clear choice when you are looking to develop enterprise-level robust applications. However, if you decide so, you can hire laravel developers from freelancing communities but in that case, it becomes a bit hard to the desired team. Here, you can consult a top Laravel Development Company that will not only provide you with an expert team but also the best suggestions for your web development project.

Concetto Labs is one such Web development services company holding a prestigious position in the market. You can contact their consultants here or simply drop an inquiry email at info@concettolabs.com.