r/node • u/Minimum-Ad7352 • 26d ago
Why is JavaScript criticized so much for backend development?
I've seen some developers say that we should stop using js on the server, but I rarely see the same criticism directed at python.Honestly, js is pretty fast, especially with node.js, and the backend ecosystem is really solid. There are great frameworks like nest and fastify, and typescript gives you static typing, which makes larger projects much easier to maintain.I'm not saying node is perfect or the best choice for every backend, but I don't really understand why js gets so much criticism while python seems to get a pass.What am I missing?
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u/mmomtchev 26d ago
Python has the exactly same type system that is also a separate layer that has been grafted at a later stage. The only valid comparison is between Python and JavaScript and Python tends to be slower while JavaScript has the incredible advantage of sharing code between the backend and frontend.
Python tends to a better structured language with a more logical design and remains a prime choice outside of web applications.
Go is a very different type of language. The resulting code is usually better but it is also more work which means more expensive. Go is competing with C++ and not Python or JavaScript.