| Factors | Python | JavaScript |
|---|---|---|
| Applications | Famous for data analysis | Famous for creating web applications |
| Release date | February 20, 1991 | December 4, 1995 |
| Objectives | A general purpose programming language with a focus k readability and simplicity | A high-level programming language to create dynamic web apps |
| Designed by | Guido van Rossum | Brendan Eich |
| Inheritance | Supports single and multiple inheritances | Supports single inheritance | Implicit Conversation | Strongly typed language means no support for implicit data conversation | Weakly typed language; means supports implicit data conversation. |
| Syntax | The small syntax is easy to learn and has higher readability | Native syntax, which is complex and has lower readability |
| Learning Curve | Python is a relatively general learning curve and consider one of the easiest languages | JavaScript has a steeper learning curve than Python |
| Encoding Format | ASCII is the default source code | Encoded as UTF-16 because of no support for manipulating raw bytes |
| REPL | It comes with a built-in REPL and a browsing-based REPL | No in-built REPL and relies on third-party tools for browsing |
| Hash Tables | Support the use of hash tables through sets and dictionaries | Do not offer any native support for the hashing function |
| Functional Agreements | Raises an exception when a case of incorrect parameters is notified | Defaults parameters as undefined; hence parameters are assigned |
| Modules and Libraries | It has many built-in modules, underlying attributes, and includes 300,000 Python libraries | It has a vast ecosystem of libraries and contains over 1.3 million packages |
| Data Types | Built-in support for data types like tuples, lists, and dictionaries | Data types like objects and arrays |
| Define Code Blocks | Code blocks Python identified by the indentation of the statements | Code blocks are enclosed within curly braces |
Technology Comparison
Dipal Bhavsar Tech Geek
Python vs JavaScript: Which Programming Language is Best?
Last Updated on December 29, 2023
Quick Summary:
In this blog, you will understand the primary difference between Python vs JavaScript. Python is used for modern web development, while JavaScript is a traditional yet easy language. Meanwhile, both popular scripting languages have their advantages and disadvantages. Let’s find out which programming language meets your requirements.
Table of Contents
Introduction
JavaScript and Python are prominent languages in automation, data science, web applications, and many more. Both are high-level languages designed to be easy to read and write.
So, why are these two programming languages so in the buzz? And despite being different, why should you compare them? While they have similarities, there are primary differences you should know.
We will disclose everything in this blog. The comprehensive comparison blog will cover Python vs JavaScript, their advantages and disadvantages, their real-life use cases, and the future outlook of both languages.
Why Compare Python vs JavaScript?
You might have a question like why these two languages are being compared as they fall into different structures (quite literally). Python is a dynamic object-oriented programming language widely used for data science, automation, and web development.
Also, it is a general-purpose language that can solve any problem written in code. Python is easy to learn, read, and maintain. Additionally, it can integrate with C, Java, and C++ programming code.
JavaScript is a high-level scripting language primarily used for web development. JavaScript is a universal language because it supports front-end and back-end development.
Whenever you interact with websites or applications, you use JavaScript “behind the scenes.” It has numerous frameworks and libraries that help to develop robust software.
Simply put, both languages are mainly used for web development, mobile development, task automation, and web apps.
Henceforth, you can determine JavaScript or Python for development, Python with JavaScript (and vice-versa). Both languages have beneficial features that create dynamic applications.
So, let’s find out the essential differences between JavaScript vs Python.
Python Vs JavaScript: Difference Table
Python and JavaScript are object-oriented languages, yet there are differences. Let’s look at the key differences below:
Python Vs JavaScript: In-Depth Comparison
JavaScript and Python support different programming paradigms. How? Let’s understand it with an extensive comparison of JavaScript and Python:
🟠 Mutability
Mutability is classified into mutable and immutable data types. In mutable objects, you can adjust the value even after assigning them. At the same time, immutable objects contrast that, as you can’t change them after being constructed.
In Python, everything is considered an object, thus supporting both mutability. But JavaScript has no mutability. The data in JavaScript are of a reference type or primitive type. Hence, JavaScript does not follow data that is neither an object nor a method.
Additionally, all primitive values in JavaScript are mutable. However, objects and arrays are immutable. Therefore, Python is preferable for mutability data types.
🟠 Performance
Comparing Python vs JavaScript performance, JavaScript is a clear winner because it runs faster than Python in web development. JS is preferable for high-performance and real-time interactions.
However, Python is also an excellent choice for CPU-intensive tasks. In addition, Python is an interpreted language that signifies that code is executed line by line and has a more extensive set of frameworks and libraries.
JavaScript is a compiled language that signifies code is compiled to machine-readable code before execution. Also, JS is quick because of the multi-threading feature of Node.js, which Python doesn’t.
Want to build a project that stands out from the crowd?
Hire JavaScript developer with us and unleash your creativity. Our talented developers are passionate about creating innovative, solutions that exceed expectations.
🟠 Popularity
According to the JetBrains survey, 65% of developers use JavaScript, and 53% use Python. JS is the most commonly used programming language (10th in the row) and has a large, active community.
At the same time, the Python programming language is also growing and beating other languages, such as C, C++, and Swift. JavaScript’s popularity is primarily due to its widespread use in web development, which is the de facto language for client-side programming.
Also, according to TIOBE, Python is the top programming language. Python’s popularity is mainly because of its versatility, ease of use, and an extensive community of users and developers.
🟠 Scalability
JavaScript applications are highly scalable because of their multi-threading features; on the other side, Python is less scalable because they use Global Interpreter Lock and run one thread at a time.
Additionally, using Node.js on JavaScript can increase the number of threads and scale the applications. Python’s GIL does not support concurrent programming, making using various processors with threads challenging.
Python is ideal for parallel computing, enabling more efficient use of resources and faster execution of code. JavaScript is dynamic and handles large numbers of requests and concurrent users.
🟠 REPL
A REPL (Read-Eval-Print-Loop) allows developers to interact with code in real-time by typing commands into a console and acquiring quick outcomes. JavaScript has access to REPL through the Node.js runtime environment.
The JavaScript REPL provides a convenient way to test and debug code for developers. Python has a built-in REPL and allows developers to write and execute code in real-time with quick outcomes.
Python and JS have third-party REPLs and IDEs (Integrated Development Environments), providing additional dynamic functionality and features.
🟠 Hash Tables
Hash tables are the index structure that defines a list of paired values. It helps to search and detect operations faster than usual. Python has in-built hash tables called dictionaries and sets.
At the same time, JavaScript does not have in-built hash table support but can be used in the form of a map and sets. As a result, both JavaScript and Python can implement tables, but Python’s in-built support makes it easier to work.
🟠 Syntax
Both JavaScript and Python have different syntaxes to ease readability. JavaScript uses C-style syntax with semi-colons and braces to delimit block coding and statements. Python uses whitespace indentation to delimit blocks of codes.
Also, JavaScript has automatic semicolon insertion, sometimes leading to unexpected behavior if incorrectly used. In contrast, Python’s strict type system helps catch errors early.
JavaScript’s syntax is more concise and expressive but also challenging to read and understand. Python’s syntax can make the code more readable and easier to follow, but it can also be more restrictive.
🟠 Numeric types
Python has multiple numeric types, such as float, int, and complex. But JavaScript has only two types- Number and BigInt, also known as floating-type variables.
Numeric data types are stored in the database columns in the numbers forms and not in descriptive form. In addition, Python’s float data type represents floating-point numbers and can hold both integers and numbers with decimal points. In contrast, JavaScript’s number type can contain integer and floating-point numbers.
Hence, both have their benefits and help to avoid errors, optimize performance, and ensure the code works as intended.
Pros and Cons of Python and JavaScript
After understanding Python vs JavaScript, knowing its advantages and disadvantages is essential. Following are the pros and cons of Python and JavaScript.
Pros and Cons of Python
| Pros of Python | Cons of Python |
|---|---|
| Simple syntax and beginner-friendly | Set-up work environment can be complex |
| Highly flexible and can build new features with dynamically-typed language | Not suitable for mobile computing and does not have native support for mobile like Java |
| A vast set of libraries and contains code for multiple factors like web browsers and unit testing | Consume too much memory usage and complex to manage an extensive database |
| Eliminate writing code manually and modules to find relevant tools | The dependency management system is challenging |
| A cross-platform language that runs on numerous operating systems | Lack of real-time features and slower speed |
| No compilation before running operations and make writing and testing code faster | Slow compared to other non-compiled languages and consumes a lot of computational power |
Pros and Cons of JavaScript
| Pros of JavaScript | Cons of JavaScript |
|---|---|
| Simple structure and feasible for beginners | Support single and not multiple inheritances |
| It supports asynchronous programming and is suitable for creating modern web apps | The Code is visible so that anyone can have your JavaScript code |
| Operates on client-side services and opens new possibilities for web development | If any error arises, it can render the entire website |
| Easily integrates with other programming languages, like Python and Ruby on Rails | Browsers offer limited tools for solving errors and debugging code |
| Allows to make rich user interfaces for interactive web pages | Static typing makes significant application development challenging |
| Reduce code length with multiple built-in functions loops | Interpreted differently by multiple browsers, which makes it complex to write and read cross-browser code |
Use Cases of Python and JavaScript
A StackOverflow survey shows over 65% of developers prefer JavaScript, and around 48% choose Python. Let’s look at the use cases of JavaScript and Python:
Python Practical Use Cases
Besides being the fastest coding language, Python is beneficial for several reasons. Let’s understand it with practical use cases of Pythons.
Data Science
Python is the most popular language for Data Science. Its libraries, such as SciPY, NumPy, and Pandas, help to extract insightful information. Also, Python is quite helpful for data scientists with research.
Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence
Python is widely used for machine learning and artificial intelligence. Machine learning algorithms are essential for using Python and allow developers to write algorithms. Python has extensive libraries for AI and machine learning applications.
Gaming Development
Python is widely utilized to develop game web development. It provides a dynamic interface, fast responses, and efficiently manages sounds and graphics. The Pygame library is one of the most used libraries to create games in Python.
Finance Web Application
The functional programming language is used to build financial industry web apps. It is popular because of its flexibility, ease to use, and simplicity. Python’s libraries, such as Scikit-learn, NumPy, and Pandas, provide tools for data analysis.
Internet of Things
Real life uses Python to develop applications with the Internet of Things. Python is used to build embedded software, allowing high-performance applications to work with other coding languages. Python allows developers to turn any object into electronic elements using Raspberry Pi.
Image Recognition and Text Processing
Python is utilized in multiple industries for text-processing applications and image recognition. Its Natural Language Toolkit (NLTK) is used to understand sentiment analysis and text processing. Some popular ones are Instagram and Google Photos.
Want to add a touch of magic to your project?
Hire Python developers from us and watch the sparks fly. Our talented team of developers is passionate about delivering high-quality solutions that exceed expectations.
Python Applications in Industry
List of famous companies that adopted Python to create robust and efficient applications.
The social media platform uses Python for numerous tasks, such as data analysis and content delivery. Python’s fastest syntax and processing extract is insightful for data analytics. Also, it uses Django, a Python framework for developing and maintaining the web page.
Spotify
The music streaming application uses Python for the data recommendations system and backend services. Spotify uses Django to create dynamic web pages and Flask, a Python micro-framework for building their backend services.
Dropbox
The cloud storage platform uses Python for automation, backend services, and data analysis. DropBox automates server deployment and manages tasks using Python libraries like Paramiko and Fabric.
The social discussion website uses Python’s backend services for multiple tasks like machine learning and data analysis. Reddit analyzes user data and generates information accordingly to enhance user experience.
JavaScript Practical Use Cases
As we know, JavaScript is the developer’s favorite. Let us understand how it is helpful to them with their practical use cases.
Web Development
JavaScript is mainly used for front-end web development. It enables developers to create efficient, interactive websites responding to user input. Also, it is used to make animations and excellent rich user interfaces.
Server-side Development
Using popular Node.js, JavaScript is used for server-side development. Nodejs is a famous server-side JavaScript runtime that allows developers to build dynamic web pages and applications.
Mobile App Development
JavaScript is highly used for developing mobile applications. For instance, technologies like Java are used to create Android applications and Swift for iOS applications.
Desktop App Development
The desktop application is the application that can work from a computer to a mobile device. Electron is a famous framework that uses HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to develop cross-platform applications.
Single-Page Applications
JavaScript is highly used to develop single-page applications. Angular, React, and Vue.js are the popular frameworks and libraries for building Single-page applications.
JavaScript Applications in Industry
Popular companies that are using and implementing JavaScript for dynamic web applications,
Google web applications like Google Maps, Gmail, and Google Drive rely on JavaScript. It uses AngularJS to create web apps. Google also has its own JavaScript libraries and tools.
The social networking application is developed and relies on JavaScript for a dynamic user interface. React, a JavaScript library allowing reusable UI components, is used to update its platform.
Uber
Uber’s web application uses JavaScript for numerous functionality like booking rides and managing their accounts. Uber uses React to develop their UI components and Node.js for server-side development.
Airbnb
Airbnb uses JavaScript for its front end and relies on React to develop catchy user interface components. Also, it uses Node.js for the backend to build scalable web apps.
Can We Use Python with JavaScript?
Yes, we can use JavaScript with Python (and vice-versa). Python is a backend framework, and JavaScript is a front-end framework. We can integrate them to create robust and scalable software, websites, and mobile applications.
One way to implement this is using Nodejs, a JavaScript runtime for server-side development. Another factor is to use a tool like PyExecJs, which enables JavaScript to execute within Python.
In addition, various frameworks like Django and Flask help developers to use JavaScript with Python for web development. Also, multiple companies have already used Python with JavaScript and developed robust applications. Following is the list:
- YouTube
- Quora
- Mozilla
- Netflix
- Yelp
Future Outlook of Python and JavaScript in Emerging Technologies
If you think Python or JavaScript are restricted to particular web development features, you would be surprised to know how extensive they can go. JS and Python are widely used languages and have become immensely popular for emerging technologies.
Python is known for its data analysis and scientific computing; JavaScript is more associated with web development. However, both languages are growing and becoming essential in machine learning, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things.
One of the significant trends in technology is Python with machine learning. Python has become the preferred language for ML programmers and upscaled data and computer science education as standard.
According to Bloomberg, 68% of data scientists use Python to extract insightful data and make decisions. Conversely, JavaScript has become crucial in AI with natural language processing (NLP) and chatbots.
By integrating JavaScript with AI, developers can create a robust application that performs complex tasks, including language translation, image processing, and speech recognition.
Here are the real-life examples of JS and Python with advanced technologies:
- Robotics: Python is used in robotics for programming autonomous robots and computer vision. JavaScript is used to control robots remotely and build a web interface for robot control.
- AR/VR: Python is used to develop an open-source computer vision library to recognize and track objects. JavaScript is used for building web-based interfaces.
- Blockchain: Python is used for developing contracts and decentralized applications. Whereas JavaScript is used to run decentralized apps in browsers.
When to Choose JavaScript and Python?
As you already know Python vs JavaScript, its pros and cons, and its future outlook, it is time to know when to choose Python or JavaScript.
When to Choose JavaScript?
- Opt for JavaScript to develop web applications with interactive user interfaces and a large ecosystem of frameworks and libraries.
- JavaScript is versatile and can create mobile, desktop, and web applications.
- It is suitable to write serverless functions in JavaScript. Platforms like Google Cloud Functions and AWS Lambda would be excellent to integrate with JavaScript.
- JavaScript is a flexible, expressive, powerful language for robust applications.
When to Choose Python?
- Determine Python to develop faster game applications with modern web development.
- Python creates interactive chatbots and helps to monitor the stock market.
- Python to use while writing programs to automate numerous repetitive tasks.
- It is an excellent tool for working with image data, computer vision, and image recognition.
Conclusion
You may not get head-to-head differences of Python vs JavaScript. Still, it will help you decide which language performs particular tasks and which does not. Both popular programming languages are robust and have their uniqueness and limitations.
Ultimately, the choice of JavaScript vs Python depends on the project requirements and preferences. Choosing excellent skill sets and frameworks will help you to build innovative and scalable applications.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Using Python directly in JavaScript is impossible, but you can integrate Python source code into a JavaScript project. One way is to use WebAssembly to run Python code in a Node Js environment or browser.
JavaScript is better to learn first as it is easy to use, dynamic, and understandable for beginners. However, choose Python when you want to use the core back-end development.
Python is one of the fastest programming languages in the world. It has a vast library, frameworks, data analysis, and efficient back-end development.
Python and JavaScript are easy to learn and are known for their simplicity and readability syntax.
Related Blogs
Expand Your Digital Horizons With Us
Start a new project or take an existing one to the next level. Get in touch to start small, scale-up, and go Agile.
[email protected]
Your Success Is Guaranteed !
We accelerate the release of digital product and guaranteed their success
We Use Slack, Jira & GitHub for Accurate Deployment and Effective Communication.
