.NET Core vs Node JS: Which is More Effective for Enterprise Web Development

Last Updated on January 2, 2024

Introduction

The big doubt about choosing the ideal framework for entrepreneurs like you always prevails. There are several options, but the top of the list is still the trickiest problem. As we skim through Quora, we realized that enthusiastic web application developers and entrepreneurs are frowning over choosing the newest sensation between .NET Core vs Node JS 2022 in app development.

After spending over an hour of question-answer reading, we finalized that we will provide a coherent blog post that will serve as the “Must-read Manual” before completing the tech stack for your future application.

So here we are with this post on Top Considerations When electing between .NET Core vs Node JS. For beginners and startup boosters.

Overview of .NET Core vs Node JS

.NET Core

The famous successor of the ASP .NET framework is .NET Core, a software framework for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It is open-source and free. It supports C#, F#, and VB for web app development and building libraries.

Both these frameworks are open-source and have their strengths and limitations. However, to help ease your dilemma, .Net framework Vs .Net core gives you a wide idea. Well, here I’ve compiled three points of consideration before making a decision.

Node Js

Node is a javascript runtime environment that is open-source, which developers use for server-side scripting. It has the potential to build a web application both client-side and server-side with this one programming language. The first release of Node.js was out in May 2009.

Node.js supports the functioning of various operating systems, including Windows, Mac, Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Smart OS, and to z/OS, and IBM AIX.

.NET Core vs Node Comparision Table

Parameter	.NET Core	Node Js
Release Data	27 June 2016	27 May 2009
Latest Version	6.0.5 (10-05-2022)	18.3.0 (02-06-2022)
License	MIT License	MIT License
Database	SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL	MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite
Main Idea	Developing web APIs and web UI, compatibility to develop macOS, windows, and Linux	To keep application lightweight by using event-driven I/O and non-blocking

.NET Core vs Node JS: Key Difference Before Choosing your Framework

Request Handling

🟠 Request Handling in Node.js

Node.js uses the single-threaded callback handler, whereas .NET now uses asynchronous programming for request handling. Earlier, the old ASP .NET version used a synchronous pattern, though. When using Apache, it uses a separate thread pool to handle each of your requests.

However, Node.js is single-threaded, uses a single thread, and answers call asynchronously without blocking your requests. Thus, Node.js is an ideal choice for I/O bound apps. You can cluster the single-threaded request handling using Nginx- load balancing, native Node js clustering, or Node.js process management PM2, using which you can utilize maximum server cores to startup as much your CPU can handle.

The downfall of the ‘single-threaded’ characteristic of Node.js also brings a “callback-hell,” which may introduce complexities in your code. See how Node.js handles a database query asynchronously:

const express = require(’express’)
const app = express()
const MongoClient = require(’mongodb’).MongoClient
const url = 'mongodb://localhost:27017/example'
app.get('/', async (req, res) => {
  const db = MongoClient.connect(url);
  const col = db.collection('data');
  const results = await col.find({}).toArray();
  res.json(results);
})

Source: Medium

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🟠 Request Handling in .NET Core

Before the .NET version 4.5, it handles requests via the traditional Apache/PHP, i.e., synchronously. So, each I/O process would require individual threads, and all the multi-threads execute synchronously.

This method has barriers and doesn’t stand against the Node.js request handling mechanism. However, the async/ await pattern of request handling was introduced since v4.5 manages requests without blocking your app execution. It is a task-based model that uses callback and async/ await programming models or promises.

Let us see an alternative approach to Node.js as above, where ASP .NET core code using the async method handles incoming requests without using boilerplate startup code:

using System.Collections.Generic; 
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc; 
using System.Linq;  
using MongoDB.Driver;
namespace TodoApi.Controllers {     
   [Route("api/[controller]")]
    public class TodoController : Controller
    {
          [HttpGet] public async Task GetAll() 
           {
                   var client = new MongoClient("mongodb://localhost:27017");
                   var database = client.GetDatabase("example");
                   var collection = database.GetCollection("data");
                   return Ok(await collection.Find(new BsonDocument()).ToListAsync());             
          }         
    } 
}

Source: Medium

As you saw, comparing .NET Core vs Node JS performance benchmark for the matter of request handling, ASP.NET MVC Core will handle more requests because it handles parallelly. However, in the case of context switching, when you use many thread-shared variables, Node.js is better because .NET can be costly.

Container Capabilities

You must consider both .NET Core and Node.js framework because both offer diverse capabilities if you are considering working on containers or containerizing your roadmaps.

🟠 Node.js Container Capability

While using Node.js containers, a Node.js developer can build their app faster and quickly reproduce build components.

Node.js implements the microservices architecture, enabling it to deploy horizontal scaling for rapid development. In this way, developers can use containerized Node.js applications to ramp up or shrink down per workload requirements.

🟠 .NET Core Container Capability
Similarly, in .NET Core, developers can deploy and build desktop, mobile server, or web-based workloads. ASP.NET Core uses Microsoft Nano Server container handling, which yields a custom runtime environment in Windows or Linux distributions.

Nano Server is a remote administered server OS for private clouds or data centers. It is a small Windows server supporting 64-bit tools/ agents/ apps.

Community Support

🟠 .NET Core Community Support
Microsoft created ASP .NET in 2002, an open-source server-side framework. Developers can use .NET Core to build apps and dynamic web pages using the traditional C#, Visual Basic, and F# languages. This reason makes the .NET community strong, especially on Stackoverflow. On Github, it has an active community with 7.9K Fork and 28.7K Star.

🟠 Node Js Community Support
Ryan Dahl, an Engineer, created Node.js in 2009 after seven years of .NET Core’s release. Using Node.js, developers can write back-end code with the help of front-end languages. With its ease and popularity, Node.js has gained excellent community support in a short time. It has a unique GitHub fan club with 88.2K Star and 23.7K Fork, proving it has a strong, active community.

The Mystery Busted
In the Node js vs Net core comparison, you finally get the answer straightforward in this section. Here’s when to choose for .Net Core and when for Node.js. Get it.

.Net Core vs Node JS Performance

🟠 .NET Core App Performance
Whereas .NET Core helps easily work with rendering static pages and CPU-intensive functions. It is easy for node.js to handle with the help of an inbuilt IIS server.

🟠 Node JS App Performance
It is not easy to compare the performance of both frameworks. However, Node Js is far better when handling incoming requests and load-intensive applications simultaneously.

Scalability

🟠 .NET Core Scalability
In terms of scalability, .NET Core provides scalability in product development with its load handling features. It easily manages and fits best for microservice architecture, allowing developers to develop multi-threaded applications. Here, loading a single server is much easier compared to Node Js. .NET Core uses Azure SDK services to bring more scalability.

🟠 Node JS Scalability
Node Js also provide scalability by avoiding overloading the application’s weight. This framework can easily design and distribute application development into microservices to scale independently. It allows a microservices-based app that is compatible in automatically handling the scalability of an application.

.NET Core vs Node JS: Advantages

Key benefits of using .NET Core

It provides a highly secured environment backed by Microsoft.
.NET Core suits best for cloud-based CPU-intensive applications.
It decreases the overall application development time with the help of libraries in .NET Core.
.NET Core is compatible with developing large-scale applications and delivers high-performing market-ready applications.
As we know, Microsoft backs .NET Core and Visual Studio supports in developing purpose-built environments.

Key Benefits of Using Node JS

Node js is an ideal choice for startups as it allows fast and cheap app development.
With the quick code execution with the help of non-blocking I/O operations allows great load management to improve the performance of applications.
It is easy to implement the necessary code as Node.js works on the V8 JavaScript engine.
JavaScript is the most used and popular programming language. As a result, it has a wide range of developers that provides full support in the development process.

.NET Core vs Node JS: When to Choose What Types of Applications

Applications Built With .NET Core

There are various types of applications that can be built .NET Core that can run on multiple operating systems. The list of application types are mentioned below:

Mobile Applications
Cloud-Based Applications
Machine Learning
Gaming Applications
Microservices & Internet of Things (IoT)

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Applications Built With Node JS

There are a few similar types of applications that can also be developed by using Node Js. Do check out the below-mentioned list:

Internet of Things (IoT) Applications
Real-Time Chat Applications
Single Page Applications
Collaboration Tools
Online Streaming Applications
Microservices Architecture

.NET Core- Highly Suitable for Enterprise Applications

.NET Core has a favorable history and has earned trust amongst business corporations. It has been a reliable platform for many entrepreneurs over the years, owing to its immensely useful tools and library support. Another reason is that javascript doesn’t support static types, which are essential for writing a million lines of code. Thus .NET Core has a larger share of the entrepreneurial market.

.NET Core vs Node JS: Use Case

Companies Using .NET Core

GoDaddy
This platform helps small companies with all the tech support needed. The Principal Software Architect of GoDaddy, Jeremiah Gowdy, assures that .NET Core enables faster development, higher net core vs node js benchmark, and scalability.

Stack Overflow
The Q/A platform for developers and tech-freaks uses .NET and praises the framework for the considerably faster development processing model and time.

HCL
HCL aids complex business problems by improving User experience, streamlining app development, and improved collaboration using cross-platform native app development. HCL uses Xamarin and .NET to create apps like Symphony, Engage, emPower, Merlin, and 4 LoB.

American Cancer Society
The social welfare department can not stay back but use .NET Core like the American Cancer Society used it to create their fundraising app that fights against breast cancer.

GE Aviation
At GE Aviation, the digital group, reduces the risks of air traffic and air accidents/malfunctions by using Microsoft development tools like .NET Core.

Node js Preferable for Large Web Applications
Node.js is the right choice for building a fast and scalable hi-tech application, which is data-intensive and requires technical support like IoT, AI, and more. Node.js has a non-blocking architecture that enables it to create flawless media applications with its full-stack technology orientation.

Companies Using Node JS

Netflix
No definition is required to justify the world’s biggest video streaming platform having over 104 million subscribers around the globe; Netflix uses Node.js. To overcome the scalability glitches and the conditional dependency on every push cycle, Netflix required a lightweight and speedy framework like Node.

Walmart
The retail chain king, is now plunging into the online commerce space by considering Node.js as their reliable framework. To handle the vast number of incoming client requests, Node‘s asynchronous I/O mechanism and single-threaded behavior have enabled Walmart to stand up to its reputation and client expectation.

Trello
This popular project management app uses Node.js to build its single-page application to support an event-driven and non-blocking server for constant and regular updates.

Uber
The excellent on-demand cab service Uber company keeps updating its tech stack to serve to the utmost excellence. They have selected Node.js to scale their resources and accommodate their customers’ rising demand.

PayPal
The credit for the back-end development of the world-renowned online payment platform PayPal goes to Node.js. The most significant advantage of Node.js leverages is that browser-specific and server-level coding is written in one language- Javascript.

Take Away

It depends on the requirements of your project, which .NET Core vs Node JS framework is suitable for your upcoming app development. With the superiority of .Net Core in Enterprise apps and Node.js marking unfathomable heights in developing large web applications, there should no longer be a turmoil of thoughts. Yet collaborating with our Node.js development company, you will cease all your disrupting visions and succeed in attaining your aspirations. For Enterprise apps, you can Hire .NET developer from us to collaborate and work better.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Which is better .NET Core or Node.js?

.NET core is a probable winner in developing great software as it provides high security and reliability to the platform with the help of the C# language. However, Node Js is also reliable in the development of complex enterprise-grade applications by using TypeScript.

Why is .NET Core so popular?

.NET Core provides various features that make it highly popular for web app development. The key features include cross-platform development compatibility, independent installation, and packaging. It also allows you to use the same code on multiple operating systems.

When should you use Node.js?

Node Js is primarily used for traditional web app development and back-end API services. Due to its single-threaded nature, it is widely used in event-driven and non-blocking servers.