Deno Vs Golang

Technology is changing rapidly and new technologies are emerging at lightning speed. Two new technologies that have attracted the attention of programmers and developers are Deno and Golang. Both are open-sourcing languages designed to perform at high speed. What are the differences and similarities between the two? Is one better than the other? Which technology will suit which project? Let’s delve in to find the answers to all the above questions.

Deno – What is it?

It is a secure runtime for TypeScript and JavaScript applications. It is built on V8. It is created by Ryan Dahl, the creator of Node.js. Deno and Node.js have the same core technology and many more similar features. Deno is the successor of Node.js and has been developed to improve upon the capabilities of Node.js and address its shortcomings. It has new features and many improvements. It has been created to give a better experience for the developers.

Golang – What is it?

Golang, often referred to as GO, is an open-source programming language designed by Google. It has gained a lot of popularity recently because of its simplicity and built-in features. As it can handle concurrent operations easily, it is one of the most sought-after choices for network applications and web services. It can run multiple tasks simultaneously. That is why tech giants like Netflix, Dropbox, Google, Uber, etc. use it.

Deno vs. Golang – A comparison

1.    Launch

Deno was launched in May 2018 whereas Go was launched in 2012. Delo is newer when compared to Go.

2.    Language

Deno uses TypeSript and JavaScript while Golang has its own syntax. Although Go language is inspired by C and syntactically similar, it is different from traditional C-like languages. However, Go is one of the easiest languages to learn and use.

3.    Package management

Deno comes with built-in package management that helps the developers directly import modules from URLs. On the other hand, Go uses the Go Modules System which manages dependencies with the go.mod file. The approach is direct in Deno and robust and widely adopted in Go.

4.    Security

Deno provides a secure runtime environment for all JavaScript and TypeScript applications. It has default security restrictions that provide good security. Golang also gives priority to security. As it is a compiled language it enjoys inherent security. 

5.    Community

Go has a supportive and active community to support. You are assured of help whenever you are stuck. Moreover, it is backed by Google. Google provides not only stability but also the resources needed for the development of the language.

The ecosystem of Deno is not as strong as Go. It is still in the evolving stage.

6.    Performance

Technical experts have compared the performances of Deno and Go. Some feel that Go performs better, some have concluded Deno performs at par with Go, and some observe that Deno performs better. The results vary depending on the projects.

7.    Garbage collection

Go has automatic memory management without any intervention. This allows the user to focus more on the performance. Deno has a very accurate garbage collection and it is one of its unique features.

8.    Uses

Deno is used to import external code directly from URLs. You can use it to load dependencies from a vendor’s website, external package system, source repository, or wherever they are hosted.

Go is used for backend programming, cloud-based programming, data science, game development, etc. They are commonly used in the following applications.

• Distributed network services
• News outlets
• Cloud-native development
• Media platform
• Stand-alone tools

9.    Benefits

The benefits of Deno are:

• It is secured by default. Processes launched by Deno cannot access the host’s file system and interfaces. This ensures protection against hostile code running from untrusted sources.
• It is based on web standards. So, it is easy to write codes targeting both backend systems and browser applications of the client. Moreover, you can use the existing JS code and run it on Deno.
• Deno has TypeScript and built-in developer tools. Built-in tools make it easy to learn for beginners unfamiliar with TypeScript.
• It can import external codes directly from the URLs as it takes a decentralized approach to importing modules and managing packages.

The benefits of Go are:

• Shallow learning curve – The learning curve is so small that you can learn it in a single day.
• Speed – It is a compiled language and not an interpreted one. So, it is directly translated into machine code which makes it faster than other high-level programming languages. It is one of the fastest backend programming languages.
• It has an automatic memory management system. Hence, there is no need for intervention.
• There is no need for libraries as unit testing and benchmarking are built-in.
• Concurrency techniques are advanced. Moreover, it needs only a very little boilerplate code to create substantial apps.
• The language is not complex.

Golang and Deno are programming languages with a lot of benefits and potential. They have their unique strengths. Golang excels in its performance and concurrency. So, it is a good choice to build microservices and scalable systems. Deno focuses on providing the best developer experience. Its built-in security is one of its biggest pluses. It is a good choice for large-scale applications.

The choice between the two languages depends on the requirements of the project and specific use. Moreover, team expertise also is a deciding factor. Developers should make the right choice after considering several factors like familiarity with the language, performance, suitability, concurrency needs, and others. If you make an informed decision you are sure to reap the benefits.

Hire a Golang developer if you feel it would be the best for your project or hire a Deno development company if your project needs Deno. If you are not sure which will suit you, you should get expert guidance.