What are the Most Popular Applications You Can Build with NodeJS?

Quick Summary: Node.js is popular and many reputed companies use it. It offers excellent features and a robust ecosystem. But what are the different types of applications you can develop with it? Get the answer to this question in this article by checking the different types of applications we’ve described here.

Applications are the backbone of modern businesses. However, developing robust applications requires powerful and resilient technologies. Node.js is among them. Due to its vast and versatile features, it has emerged as a popular choice in backend development.

Node.js not only helps create superior applications, but its ecosystem also makes the development process faster and less painful with tools like NPM (Node Package Manager). But you may wonder - what kinds of applications can we build with this so-called JavaScript runtime environment?

This is what we are going to discuss in this article. From discussing the different types of applications you can build to giving the reasons why you should consider Node.js development, this article offers comprehensive insights.

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What Makes Node.js Good for Developing Applications?

As a popular JavaScript runtime environment, Node.js has become a preferred choice for developing diverse applications, be it web-based or mobile-based.

Firstly, it is open source and compatible with various operating systems like Windows, macOS, Linux, and more. Hence, it can be used to create applications that can run on multiple devices running varied operating systems.

Furthermore, Node.js is best suited to creating enterprise applications due to its flexible and performance-first architecture. Its event-driven architecture makes it pretty fast and suitable for real-time applications. This architecture enables NodeJS to process events asynchronously without blocking other operations.

For example, suppose there are two different users requesting access to some data. In the case of a blocking environment, the second user will wait until the first request is processed. However, in Node.js apps, both requests will be processed simultaneously. Hence, choosing Node.js in backend development helps build high-performance applications.

There is a long list of companies that are utilizing Node.js exclusively or as part of their tech stacks, including Netflix, eBay, LinkedIn, Uber, Trello, etc.

Key Features of Node.js

• Single Threaded: Node uses a single thread that spawns the main event loop.
• Event Driven: Node.js listens for events and executes the event handler.
• NPM: Node package manager (NPM) is useful for installing packages and managing dependencies.
• Open Source: It’s an open source that is free to use and has strong community support.
• Caching: A module is cached in application memory when it is called for the first time.
• Non-Blocking I/O: It helps Node.js handle multiple operations simultaneously without blocking.

Types of Applications Built with Node.js

Node.js is versatile and suitable for various projects, including websites, web applications, APIs, and even mobile apps. You can leverage Angular or React in the frontend and Node.js in the backend to build your mobile app.

If you’re wondering what kind of applications we can develop with Node.js, the following is the list.

1. Streaming Applications

Online media streaming applications are a good example of Node JS applications. Users can access tons of media content like video or audio on this platform for free or on a subscription. Since these apps have to deal with multiple connections, they need the right technology to handle it.

Node.js’ functionality is based on a single thread with an event loop that efficiently handles simultaneous connections. Besides, there is also a Stream module that provides streaming functionality. Netflix is the right example for streaming apps built with Node.js.

2. Real-time Applications

It’s an online platform that enables users to communicate via video, text, or voice interface over the internet in real time. It means you're communicating almost instantly with such applications.

NodeJS’ capability to handle multiple concurrent connections makes it ideal for real-time applications. Plus, the WebSockets protocol in Node allows efficient bidirectional communication between the server and the application.

These applications require faster processing of data and responses to offer real-time results. With non-blocking I/O and the Event API, NodeJS offers essential functions for real-time applications.

Developing real-time applications Node.js offers benefits like scalability, performance, and reliability. The Node.js chat apps like WeChat, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger are examples of real-time apps.

3. Single-Page Applications

Single-Page Applications (SPA) are web app implementations based on a single web document that is dynamically updated via JavaScript. So, there is only one web page in SPAs where all the content is loaded, like Gmail. Hence, you can create Node JS single-page applications to get benefits like faster loading speed and scalability.

Using a mix of front-end frameworks like React.js and Node.js at the backend enables you to build feature-rich and elegant single-page applications. The asynchronous or non-blocking I/O nature of Node JS is conducive to dynamically updating content on web pages.

4. Project Management Applications

These applications offer a single platform that enables users to organize and track their work. Node.js has the right features to help you build excellent project management (PM) applications. You can leverage Node.js framework Express.js and any database to build flexible PM applications.

Trello is a good example of a project management application.

5. Microservices-Based Applications

Node.js architecture helps build an efficient microservices-based application. Microservices is an application architecture that is a collection of many services. These services are self-contained components and handle various aspects of applications. Node.js can be utilized to create microservices due to its non-blocking model and lightweight design.

Companies like Netflix, Amazon, and Facebook are using microservices today. Node JS can be the best fit for building efficient microservices and creating easy APIs to connect them. There are frameworks like Koa and Express that help in creating microservices.

6. IoT Applications

The Internet of Things (IoT) creates a network of different devices that are connected to each other. The network facilitates data exchange between the connected devices. Node.js is a reliable option for organizations to build public and private IoT systems.

The reasons for choosing Node are easy integration with other systems, resilience to handle concurrent requests, and various packages/libraries like MQTT.js. So, you can leverage NodeJS in the backend for applications that use IoT. It provides efficient connections for devices in the IoT network and offers faster communication among them.

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Why Should You Choose Node.js?

Today, millions of websites and web apps are using Node.js. In fact, many popular enterprise applications, like Netflix and LinkedIn, use Node.js in their tech stacks, which shows their reliability and acceptance.

Furthermore, it has grown in popularity and tops the list of most used web frameworks by developers, as shown in the image below.

Performance

Performance is one of the key advantages of Node.js. But where does this advantage come from? Obviously, an event-driven, non-blocking architecture plays a pivotal role, but there is another factor that contributes to this aspect.

This runtime environment is powered by the V8 engine, which offers faster execution of JavaScript code. It works with JIT (Just-in-Time) compilation and other optimizations that speed up execution time. According to Node.js usage statistics, it can reduce 50%-60% loading time for applications that boost performance.

Code Consistency

Using Node.js offers consistency in code as you will be using a single programming language for frontend and backend development. Consequently, it will offer many advantages, like enhanced productivity and reduced context-switching.

It will also reduce overall time in development and help you build a more coherent solution. It eliminates the chances of incompatibility and complexity that come from using diverse technologies and programming languages.

Large Ecosystem

NodeJS offers a wide range of tools, libraries, packages, and modules that speed up development and deployment. First of all, NPM (Node Package Manager), a command-line package manager, helps install, remove, and update application packages without any hassle.

Additionally, there are many popular Node.js frameworks like Express.js, Nest.js, and Meteor.js that you can use to build more complex applications. These frameworks offer reusable code, templates, and functionality to develop Node JS applications.

Plus, there are other tools available, including NodeJS IDEs, compilers, debuggers, and more that streamline the development process.

Scalability

Node.js offers scalability with its event-driven architecture that triggers callbacks to handle events asynchronously. The non-blocking I/O enables it to process multiple concurrent requests without halting the flow of execution.

Node.js handles large JS tasks with worker threads that were supported from v12. These worker threads can be used to complete heavy tasks without impacting the main thread. So, it is a robust runtime environment to deploy on your server to handle a large number of requests. When the traffic increases, Node.js can efficiently manage it.

Budding Community

With growing support and contributions from the community, Node.js, and its ecosystem are expanding at rocket speed. It has a vast community that contributes to its evolution and provides resources to help overcome challenges and solve problems.

With a strong collaboration that goes beyond geographical boundaries, the community ensures the enrichment and improvement of this runtime environment.

Best Practices for Developing Robust Node.js Applications

You can encounter a few challenges with Node.js projects if you do not work with the right approach. But you can overcome it with some tips. The following best practices present these tips to create Node applications smoothly.

Leverage Module System

There is a module system with Node.js that offers the benefits of code reusability and maintainability. Organizing your code into modules is the best practice, and you can utilize CommonJS to encapsulate functionality. Besides easy maintenance, splitting code into smaller modules also helps in testing.

Prioritize Security

Ensure Node development with security as your priority. You should follow techniques like sanitizing and validating inputs and protecting your application against CSRF (Cross-Site Request Forgery), and CRS (Cross-Site Scripting) attacks. Updating dependencies regularly to fix any security vulnerabilities.

Benefit from Non-Blocking Operations

You can benefit from the asynchronous and event-driven nature of Node.js by using it wherever possible. By leveraging this feature effectively, you can create highly efficient applications that can handle several operations simultaneously.

Implement Error Handling

Error handling plays a crucial role in Node JS development in building robust and reliable applications. With Node.js, you get the try-catch blocks to handle errors related to synchronous operations and to handle asynchronous operations. You can use error-first callbacks or promises.

Use Monitoring and Logging

Another best practice for Node.js development is logging and monitoring. It helps you understand the behavior of your Node.js and track issues. You should leverage frameworks like Winson for logging to collect information like errors, system metrics, and more.

Optimize Performance

To optimize applications built with Node.js, you should minimize synchronous or blocking operations. Use caching to improve the performance of your application with Memcached or Redis. Distribution of loads across multiple Node.js instances will balance the overall load and boost performance.

Pick a Testing Framework

Using a framework like Mocha, Jasmine, and Jest to test Node.js applications is a good practice. It enables you to build reliable and stable Node JS apps. You can catch bugs and errors in your code early using unit tests, end-to-end tests, and integration tests. You can even use CI tools like Jenkins to automate testing.

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To Wrap UpNode.js is a powerful platform to develop applications for a wide number of use cases. It offers a robust ecosystem and is available for free. You can use it to develop applications that are complex but also user-friendly and high-performance.You need the right developers for Node.js backend development and to unlock its full potential. We have the best developers with years of experience to help you carry out your project. You can hire our Node.js developers to create cutting-edge applications.Our developers specialize in this runtime environment with solid experience in working for a myriad of clients. Trust our Node.js development services to craft something extraordinary to upscale your business. Get in touch for more details.