In full-stack development, backend development is often considered more complicated and tougher. It's not easy to be a backend developer. Backend is considered the brain of the application and if anything goes wrong here, the whole application can collapse. So the backend should be solid and people working on it should be skilled. Backend development has advanced a lot in the last two decades. For years, backend development was dominated by PHP. But, when JavaScript was taken out of the browser, it changed everything. The emergence of Node.js in 2008 changed everything for the backend development community. JavaScript was no more a client-side language. Now, it could be used on the server-side too. Thus making it a full-stack programming language.
Node.js is defined as an environment that executes JavaScript outside the browser. Some developers call it a programming language while some call it a backend framework. But whatever you call it, there is no doubt that Node.js is one of the prominent names in the backend development community.
Many people, especially beginners, often ask if they should learn Node.js or go for Java or even PHP. Well, in short, the answer is: yes, you should go for Node.js. In this article, we will list the top 10 reasons that will make you understand why you should learn Node.js in 2024.
10 Reason to learn Node.js for Backend Development in 2024
1. One language for client-side and server-side
JavaScript is the language used for client-side development. Instead of learning a completely new language for server-side development, with node.js, you can use JavaScript on the backend as well. Yes, Node.js is nothing but JavaScript.
So it's a big plus with Node.js. Earlier, the developers needed to learn JavaScript for client-side development and other complex programming languages such as Java for server-side development. But Node.js literally changed this. The same language used to build frontends can now be used on the backend as well.
2. Node Package Manager (NPM)
Node.js is one of the few programming languages that offer a very rich and powerful package ecosystem. The Node Package Manager is installed automatically along with Node. NPM is a package containing thousands of libraries and solutions that are used by Node developers in applications.
The introduction of NPM incredibly increased the popularity and usage of Node.js. Node developers don't need to look here and there for libraries or solutions. Almost everything is available in NPM.
3. Perfect for Microservice development
Microservices are an important part of the backend. It can be complex and complicated to build microservices if the language being used is not that suitable. Node.js is considered a very good option for building microservices.
Being lightweight and scalable, it's perfect for Microservices architecture.
4. Popularity
According to the Stack Overflow developers survey, Node.js was placed on number one in the list of "Top frameworks, libraries, and tools". In the same survey, JavaScript was placed in the number one position in the list of "The most popular programming languages".
So, without a doubt, Node.js is immensely popular. It is basically JavaScript, and as you may know, JavaScript is not only the most popular programming language but also, it is a core technology of the World Wide Web. So, it is definitely worth learning an incredibly popular language.
5. Huge community support
As mentioned earlier, Node.js is basically JavaScript and JavaScript has been in the market for a very long time now. Since its inception in the mid-90s, JavaScript's popularity has only increased. Today, it is a popular programming language and dominates the web community. All these years, JavaScript's community has become one of the biggest in the world.
At Stack Overflow, there are over 2.2 million questions tagged with "JavaScript". This huge number is only matched by another programming giant - Java. You can find JavaScript articles, tutorials, videos, questions, answers, and books everywhere on the internet.
6. Great with different databases
A backend is not complete without a database. Node.js works perfectly with different databases. You can use Node.js with SQL databases such as MySQL and it works even better with NoSQL databases such as MongoDB.
According to many professional developers, it is easier to work with the database when using Node.js. Many prefer it over PHP and even Java.
7. Part of MEAN and MERN stacks
MEAN and MERN stacks are two popular full-stack web development software stacks. The frontend technologies of these stacks are Angular/AngularJS and React.js. Anyone familiar with these terms knows how popular both of these web frameworks are.
The frontend market is dominated by Angular and React. Secondly, the database technology of these stacks is MongoDB, another popular name. Node.js is also a part of the MEAN and MERN stack.
If you learn Node.js, you may also think of learning one of these software stacks. So, it is always better to learn something that is a part of something this popular.
8. Bright future
Today, Node.js, PHP, Python, and Java dominate the backend community. PHP is considered a dying language while using Java in the backend is always tough. Python and Node.js are relatively programmer-friendly.
According to many professionals, both Node.js and Python are the future of backend development. And according to many, Node.js is going to dominate the backend development community in the future just like JavaScript dominates the frontend community presently.
9. Huge demand in the market
Node.js is used heavily by startups, medium-sized companies, and IT giants. Big tech giants like Netflix, PayPal, Uber, NASA, eBay, LinkedIn, Walmart, GoDaddy, Mozilla, and many more use Node.js to power up their products.
Node's demand is increasing year by year. More and more companies are switching from PHP and Java to Node.js. There are several reasons for this. Some of them are mentioned in this article. So it is definitely worth learning a language that is being used by such IT giants.
10. High paying jobs
As mentioned in the above point, Node.js is in huge demand. Companies want skilled Node developers and they are willing to pay high salaries for them. According to Stack Overflow's survey, backend developers were the most in-demand role in the world.
As Node.js is one of the top backend technologies, it is obvious that its developers are in high demand. The average salary of a Node developer in the USA is nearly 113K. So, if your aim is a high-paying job, then Node.js is the way for you.
That's all about the 10 reasons why web developer should learn Node.js in 2024. If your aim is to become a backend developer, then Node.js is definitely a great choice. Some people ask if they should learn PHP in 2024. Well, the answer is, you should not. Node.js is the future. Yes, Java is popular and it is going to be here in the future. But Node.js is emerging. It is already very popular. So, if you are planning to learn Node.js, then you should go for it.
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Thanks for reading this article so far. If you find these reasons to learn Node.js convincingly then please share them with your friends and colleagues. If you have any questions or feedback then please drop a note.
P. S. - If you don't mind learning from free resources like free online courses, books, and tutorials then you can also check out this list of 5 free resources to learn Node.js in which I have shared some useful free resources for web developers.
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