Node.js is a popular technology used for building a lot of modern software products. According to various sources, around 1.4%-2.2% (around 30 million) of all websites in the world were built with Node.js. It is interesting to mention that about 39% of Node.js clients are based in the US and among them are even such prominent names as Google, IBM, and Microsoft. Different studies demonstrate that the number of Node.js downloads annually grows by nearly 40%.
In 2023, 42.65% of developers who took part in the annual StackOverflow study chose Node.js as a leading web technology.
In our practice, we have noticed that there are many misunderstandings around the use of Node.js and its nature. Sometimes, you may hear that Node.js is a programming language. In reality, it is not. It is an open-source JavaScript runtime environment. It can run on Windows, macOS, Linux, Unix, and other platforms.
Thanks to Node.js use, developers can utilize JavaScript for server-side scripting, as well as for building command line tools. As with Node.js, it is possible to run JavaScript code on the server, this technology is often chosen for creating content for a dynamic web page before it is sent to the web browser. Primarily, Node.js is applied for building web servers and other network programs. But Node.js use cases are not limited to them, and we will have a closer look at other solutions that can be developed with this technology further in our article.
The only language supported by Node.js natively is JavaScript. However, developers can work with a wide range of compile-to-JS languages as well, like TypeScript, Dart, CoffeeScript, and others.
Node.js was presented by Ryan Dahl in 2009. And its initial version could be used only on Mac OS X and Linux.
In January 2010, the npm package manager was introduced. With it, developers can manage, publish, and share Node.js packages of widely-used JavaScript tools, as well as local dependencies of their custom projects.
Initially, the Node.js platform was managed by the Node.js Foundation, which later merged with the JS Foundation. The joint entity is known as the OpenJS Foundation.
Today Node.js is a part of such a well-known software development stack as MEAN (MongoDB, Express.js, Angular.js, Node.js) and its variations.
That’s why we’d like to tell you how to find the right balance between the cost of hiring an app developer and the quality of the provided services, experience, and knowledge. In this blog post, you will also find some practical tips that will help you to understand what factors influence app developer cost and how to analyze them correctly.
Node js uses the event-driven I/O model. It means that there is practically no function in Node.js that will perform I/O directly. That’s why developers need less time to deploy an app.
Thanks to Node.js development, businesses can cut off their operating expenses as the use of this technology requires fewer resources than any other set of frameworks or programming languages.
Node.js often becomes a good choice for companies that plan to expand their operations and expect their businesses to grow. This benefit is mainly ensured by the fact that this technology supports microservices.
Node.js offers a long-term support policy. With it, development teams will always stay aware of release schedules and periods within which a particular version is planned to be supported. As a result, developers can always prepare in advance for all the possible changes.
As we’ve mentioned above, Node.js developers can get access to the well-known npm (Node Package Manager), which includes hundreds of thousands of private and public packages. Developers can download them (for free and for a set fee), and integrate various features directly into their app, which eliminates the necessity to build them from scratch.
Very often, our clients come to us with a question about whether Node.js can be chosen as a key web technology for startups. And in the majority of cases, we definitely agree that it can become an excellent option for their software projects. Of course, to make a final decision, it is necessary to analyze a row of factors, including the existing IT infrastructure and other software products launched by a startup (if any), plans for the future, the exact type of solution that should be built, etc.
A software product built with Node.js can demonstrate excellent stability under low and high loads, as well as under serious leaps in traffic, which is very important for startups. It is possible thanks to the V8 JavaScript engine that Node.js relies on.
For young businesses, it is essential to allocate their financial resources smartly enough. Node.js lets developers use JavaScript for both client-side and server-side development. It means that it will be enough to hire only full-stack developers with expertise in Node.js.
Node.js can be used as a technology for full-stack development and can be chosen to solve various types of tasks. Thanks to hiring programmers with expertise in Node.js, you can optimize a lot of inner processes and enhance collaboration within your team. As a result, better efficiency is guaranteed.
Thanks to the modular and lightweight nature of Node.js, it is known as a good technology for building MVPs (Minimum Viable Products). With this technology, development teams can build the desired functionality, experiment, and introduce new features comparatively fast. This helps streamline the processes of testing and validating a business idea, as well as increase their efficiency
For every company (and startups are not an exception), it is vital to find an easy way to support, modernize, and scale their software. And microservices can be a good solution in this case. Independent services can communicate with each other. Nevertheless, if one of them fails or you need to introduce any updates to it, others won’t be affected.
Very often, our clients come to us with a question about whether Node.js can be chosen as a key web technology for startups. And in the majority of cases, we definitely agree that it can become an excellent option for their software projects. Of course, to make a final decision, it is necessary to analyze a row of factors, including the existing IT infrastructure and other software products launched by a startup (if any), plans for the future, the exact type of solution that should be built, etc.
The versatility and general tech characteristics of Node.js, as well as the diversity of solutions that can be created with it, make it a choice for many companies. Nevertheless, we can define a range of industries that rely on this technology more often than others.
In these spheres, content should be provided to a very wide audience simultaneously. That’s why it is necessary to build scalable apps that can process huge volumes of data on a regular basis. And Node.js can ensure this by cutting data into separate chunks.
Users of healthcare apps developed with Node.js can enjoy smooth reactions and quick data processing in real time. Moreover, developers can benefit from the capacities of Node.js in building live video conferencing tools.
Node.js allows developers to create fast apps that can be accessed by a lot of users at the same time. And that’s exactly what is required for modern social media solutions.
Banks traditionally need to process multiple transactions and manage their data. The range of Node.js use cases includes banking solutions as this technology lets programmers bring reliable and powerful apps with the required functionality.
Node.js lets solutions process data flows that come from different places at the same time. That’s one of the key factors why Node.js is often chosen for online stores. Today there are even a lot of e-commerce businesses that have migrated their existing websites from other technologies to Node.js.
With Node.js, developers can create advanced apps with rich functionality for various learning purposes. The use of this technology helps to reduce development costs and time. It is also important to mention that elearning apps built with Node.js are easy to scale and update, which is highly important for this industry.
It is highly likely that you use some apps built with Node.js on a regular basis, but you do not even know it. This technology has been used for the creation of many world-famous solutions which proves its efficiency and potential. Let us mention at least a couple of examples.
In this article, we are talking a lot about Node.js use and the advantages that businesses can enjoy thanks to this technology. However, it’s vital to highlight that if you want to get a high-quality solution that will ensure all the expected benefits, you need to have seasoned developers by your side. These specialists should deeply understand the specificity of this web technology, its strong and weak sides, as well as a full scope of tasks that can be seamlessly solved with it.
This is the most traditional way of establishing cooperation with specialists. However, given the ongoing market trends and conditions, it is definitely not the best one as it is associated with a lot of limitations and responsibilities for employers.
First of all, when you are hiring in-house specialists, you should be ready not only to pay salaries but also to bear other expenses (like taxes, social payments, bonuses, vacations, and sick leaves).
Secondly, if you are thinking of organizing work in the office, you should calculate office retinal fees, the cost of equipment, and many other related costs.
Thirdly, you need to deal with a lot of administrative tasks and paperwork, which traditionally takes a lot of time.
And finally, do not forget that when you hire developers who will work in your office, you can look for candidates only in your local labor market. Very often, recruiters use such platforms as LinkedIn and job posting websites that are popular in your region.
Moreover, if you are building a startup, it can be rather challenging (and even impossible) to create a big team from the very beginning. That’s why it is recommended to think about working with external specialists.
If you are not inspired by the idea of working with freelancers and there is no need for you to hire in-house developers, there is another option for you. It successfully unites the benefits of the two mentioned above under one roof. We are talking about establishing cooperation with a reliable outsourcing software development company like UMIND.
In this case, you do not need to deal with hiring and administrative questions. The main task for you will be to provide your partner with your requirements for Node.js developers and other specialists who should work on your project. In such a way, you can hire the whole team or just one or two specialists who will bring additional expertise to your project.
When you work with a trustworthy company, you can enjoy full transparency of the financial side of your cooperation and great flexibility.
At UMIND, we are continuously working on enhancing the established hiring process. We attentively listen to our customers and try to adjust all the steps to their needs. Today the cooperation with us looks the following way:
Yes, thanks to an available variety of modules in the npm package manager, experienced developers can build MVPs and create software prototypes comparatively fast. However, it is important to bear in mind that when you need to use third-party modules in the solution that you are building with npm, there can be some challenges. And to seamlessly address them, your developers should have relevant knowledge and skills.
This JavaScript runtime environment is often used for developing applications that are expected to generate a huge number of input/output operations. In other words, it is chosen for those products that should seamlessly function under huge traffic loads. That’s why it is a popular option for building social media apps, messengers, live broadcasting applications, gaming apps, and IoT solutions.
In general, there are no special limitations related to the Nodejs use in particular industries. Nevertheless, thanks to the capacity of Node.js to deal with data-intensive tasks, this runtime environment is chosen for building solutions for the entertainment, travel, real estate, gambling, fintech, healthcare, e-commerce, and logistics industries.
Node.js is an excellent technology for developing apps made of separate services. Node.js has a lightweight design, event-driven architecture, and a non-blocking I/O model. These characteristics allow developers to build flexible, smoothly functioning, and high-performance real-time apps that will demonstrate resilience to failures.
It would be completely wrong to say that Node.js is a perfect choice for every project. It is definitely not so. This technology is an amazing choice for real-time applications, but when it comes to other types of apps, there appear to be serious limitations. As a rule, it is not recommended to use Node.js for CPU-heavy tasks because it won’t let other requests be answered till the moment when one request is complete.
Moreover, not all libraries available in npm have good documentation, which may cause a lot of difficulties for developers.
Today Node.js is used for building a wide range of highly demanded solutions. The potential of this technology, its capacities, and streamlined time to market makes it a good choice for many businesses, including startups.
Though there are several approaches to hiring Node.js programmers, cooperation with an outsourcing software development company remains the most feasible solution in many cases.
If you are interested in working with the UMIND team, do not hesitate to contact us. We will always be happy to hear from you and offer you our support at any stage of project realization.
March 28, 2024 | Natalia Osipchik
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