Why React and Node.js Are the Top Technologies for Creating High-Performance Web Apps in 2023

The pandemic catalyzed digital transformation initiatives across all industries. Companies quickly learned that the only way to survive the market was to evolve — with technology playing the central role in that evolution. Per IBM, 96% of business leaders stated that the pandemic accelerated their digital transformation initiatives by five years.

One of the biggest challenges that companies are facing, however, is an inability to develop innovative digital technologies in-house. In a PwC study, 45% of business leaders don’t believe their company has the right technology to implement a digital transformation, with another major challenge being a lack of internal tech talent.

This is one of the reasons why the software market is projected to grow by more than $250 billion over the next four years. The market was worth $578 billion in 2021, and in 2026 it’s on track to be valued at over $824 billion.

Javascript, Python, Java, and C++ are examples of the most common programming languages being used in web application development. But for companies that require high-performance, highly scalable applications, Node.js and React are quickly becoming two of the most popular (and powerful) technologies used for both web and mobile app development.
In this guide, we go in-depth on why your company should be developing apps with Node and React — business advantages, technical advantages, and how you can jumpstart your organization’s app development project.

The High-Performance Tech Stack: React and Node.js

Startups, SMBs, and global enterprises alike are all leveraging the robust technical and business benefits that Node and React can facilitate. Below is a high-level overview of each technology, followed by the business and technical advantages of using React and Node for your development projects.

Node.js

Node.js is an open-source cross-platform runtime environment for executing Javascript code outside of a browser. Node is commonly used to build backend services such as Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), which are used to power client applications (e.g., a web app running within a web browser or a mobile app running on a mobile device).

Some of Node’s defining features:

• Excellent for prototyping and agile development
• Used for building ultra-fast and highly scalable services
• Largest ecosystem of open-source libraries available on the web
• Easy to get started

Node is ideal for building highly-scalable, data-intensive, and real-time backend services that power client applications. Although numerous backend development platforms can be used in lieu of Node, it has become one of the most popular currently in use. Companies ranging from lean startups all the way to large organizations such as NASA, PayPal, Uber, Netflix, and Walmart all use Node in production.

For example, Node was used by PayPal to build one of their Java and Spring-based applications, and the company found that the Node application was built twice as fast with fewer people, using 33% fewer lines of code, and 40% fewer files. Additionally, PayPal was able to double its number of requests per second while decreasing the average response time by 35%.

The PayPal example is a testament to Node’s capability of producing highly-scalable services at much faster rates compared to other runtime environments.

How Node.js Works: Executive Overview

• Node.js utilizes a non-blocking I/O model, which enables a singular process to serve numerous requests at the same time. When used in the proper context, a non-blocking I/O model can reduce the latency of an application, improve responsiveness, and optimize throughput.
• The technology was built on Google Chrome’s V8 JavaScript Engine, which is widely known for its fast and efficient execution of code.

React

Contrary to popular belief, React is not a framework or programming language, but a Javascript library used by developers to create interactive, complex, and streamlined user interfaces (UIs). React can be used for everything from single-page app development and cross-platform mobile apps, all the way to highly complex web applications.

• React.js is a Javascript library used for UIs
• Highly flexible and is utilized in both web and mobile apps
• Uses a component architecture and declarative approach
• Has a one-way data flow, which is now becoming standard in most Javascript applications, but React was one of the first to introduce it

React was developed at Facebook in 2011 and is currently the most popular Javascript library for building complex, interactive UIs, ahead of both Angular and Vue.
Over 8,000 industry-leading organizations leverage the power of React, including giants such as Airbnb, Twitter, Instagram, Shopify, and Whatsapp.

How React Works: Executive Overview

• “Components” can be considered the “heart” of any React application. A component is essentially a piece of the user interface (UI). When building applications with React, developers create isolated, independent, and reusable components that when composed together are capable of creating complex, yet smooth and attractive UIs.
• React utilizes declarative code. In simple terms, declarative coding is when a developer describes what they want (i.e. the end result), versus imperative coding when they describe how they want to achieve the end result. Declarative programming enables more scalable code, and code that is easier to understand (compared to imperative programming).

The technology was initially designed to be utilized within web browsers, but because of how it was designed it can also be used server-side in conjunction with Node.js (an approach many organizations have started leveraging).

Business Benefits of Using React and Node.js

React Business Advantage

• Mature technology backed by Facebook (Meta)
• Constantly being refined, updated, and further developed, meaning solutions built with React will remain technically relevant for years and not need to be redeveloped
• React is steadily replacing other UI technologies, and being adopted by countless major enterprises and corporations
• Enables faster development speeds, leading to reduced development cycle times
• Allows for increased developer continuity between teams or companies
• React has completely changed the cross-platform mobile app development space, gaining favor over several of the formerly popular technologies such as Xamarin, Cordova, and PhoneGap
• Incredibly versatile technology that can be used for numerous app types beyond web or mobile, including even desktop and embedded software
• As of 2017, React is an open-source technology, licensed under the free MIT license model (the most popular licensing model on code hosting platform GitHub, which has a user base of 73+ million developers)

A recent survey of over 500 CTOs, conducted by a collaboration between React Digest and two leading European software companies, revealed the following key statistics:

•‎ 40% of technology leaders use React for B2B app development, 30% for B2B apps, and 20% for employee-facing or internal apps
•‎ 56% believe that React facilitates team productivity and optimizes future maintenance
•‎ 88% would utilize React for their next development project

The survey also revealed that 74% of CTOs believe that finding React developers is a “moderate challenge,” and 26% believe it to be a “significant challenge” — further proving the business value of hiring an external dev team.

Node.js Business Advantages

• Applications developed with Node.js are typically completed at a faster pace than other technologies
• Suitable for both rapid prototyping of products and standard software development
• Singular programming language for client and server development, which translates to the unification of tools and production efforts — no need to hire expensive, tech-specific developers
• Javascript is the most popular programming language in the world, with 64% of all developers using it globally — no need to search for developers for an obscure, very specific language

The Node.js Foundation, in partnership with Research Collaborative, ran a survey where 1,600+ business leaders and developers were questioned about Node’s impact on business. The results were impressive, with respondents overwhelmingly reporting a significant positive impact on business.

Because both Node.js and React are fast, efficient, and highly scalable, using the two technologies together enables companies to rapidly develop new applications. And the benefits aren’t limited to business — both React and Node.js provide numerous technical advantages over other technologies, which is a strong reason for their continued growth and popularity.

Technical Benefits of Using React and Node.js

React Technical Benefits

In a 2019 survey conducted by Stack Overflow, 74.5% of developers placed React as their “most loved” web technology, beating out Vue, ASP.NET, Angular, and other popular technologies. React’s popularity has since continued to grow, in part due to its wide array of technical advantages:

• Large and developed ecosystem
• Easy to find solutions to development problems for almost all scenarios
• Capable of powering high-performance applications
• Uses a declarative approach, enabling developers to create better code
• React’s syntax and its concepts inherently empower developers to create with industry best practices in mind such as SOLID, DRY, and KISS
• Fast and efficient interface rendering
• One-way data flow (binding) that works to minimize errors and optimize modularity
• Easy to use and easier for developers to learn compared to other technologies

Node.js Technical Benefits

• Features a large community and ecosystem of convenient tools and frameworks
• Server components and processes are very lightweight
• Excellent option for microservices architecture
• Capable of delivering fast performance across a wide variety of scenarios and project types
• Highly customizable according to the needs of a specific project, app, or scenario

Combining the power of Node.js and the flexibility of React has become common among organizations looking to create highly efficient and scalable web or mobile apps. Node.js and React are fast, lightweight, and quickly becoming some of the most widely used programming technologies in the world.

KEY BUSINESS & TECHNICAL TAKEAWAYS

•‎ React and Node.js can significantly shorten the time it takes to go to market
•‎ Both technologies are known for their ability to create fast, efficient applications
•‎ React and Node.js feature very large, resourceful developer communities and ecosystems
•‎ The technologies are utilized by a wide range oforganizations, from the top tech companies in the world down to small startups

The ability to develop complex, fast, high-performance applications has become crucial for organizations across nearly all industries. But with 64% of IT executives citing lack of talent as their biggest barrier to adopting new technologies, getting a new application off the ground can be a challenge.

How To Jumpstart Your Development Project

When React and Node.js are combined, the development process can become an optimized, streamlined life cycle that greatly reduces the time it takes to deploy an application. However, many companies have difficulties to find the right technical talent for their development project.

Bringing in an external team of experienced, skilled developers can jumpstart your development project and get your company’s application in the works in a very short period of time.

Due to the rapid pace of digital transformation occurring in all industries, it has become essential for organizations to adopt new technologies and go to market quicker than the competition. Hiring a software development firm and leveraging one of their expert dev teams is often the most efficient way for a company to achieve its technological objectives.

Our comprehensive guide to outsourcing software development reviews the entire process in-depth. Outsourcing models, contract types, how to find the best tech partner, and key lessons learned from our 30+ years in the industry — we cover it all.

Tips for Onboarding an External Dev Team

There are a few ways an organization can optimize the use of an outside development team and make the onboarding process as streamlined and efficient as possible. Below are five quick tips that will ensure your project smoothly gets underway and the tech partner is efficiently integrated into your existing workflow.

1. Initial Meetings and Communication
It should go without saying that in order for an outside development project to go smoothly, there needs to be some form of initial contact between the teams. Introductions, overviews of company cultures, familiarizing with each other — these first contacts are vital to ensuring the partnership gets off on the right foot and is as productive as possible.

2. Clarifying
Knowing which team is working on which segment of the project, working hours, how to efficiently communicate, and transferring project-relevant knowledge are all crucial to establishing a solid foundation for the project to succeed. Understanding each team’s POV will set the stage for a fruitful project outcome on both sides.

3. Setting Goals and KPIs
High-level goal setting, defining KPIs, and understanding the long-term objectives of the project are all important parts of the initial onboarding process.

Having a deep-level understanding of what will make the project successful is critical. Before the project sets off, each team should know the metrics that will be used to define its success.

4. Post-Onboarding
After initial introductions have been made, the project has been reviewed, and the teams know their specific roles and goals, companies should remember to provide ongoing feedback and make adjustments as needed. Effective communication is the key to any project’s success.

Ready To Create Your High-Performance App With Node.js and React?

Startups, mid-size corporations, and large enterprises are all utilizing the speed, performance, and scalability of Node.js and React. If your organization is in need of a fast, efficient, and streamlined web or mobile application, contact us today to learn how you can start leveraging the power of these two modern technologies.

SaM Solutions has been providing custom software development services to companies around the globe for over 30 years. Our highly skilled Node.js and React development team has experience across a wide range of industries for organizations in both the US and Europe.

Technology excellence, client satisfaction, and innovation are the cornerstones of our business. Get started on your Node.js + React project today and discover the transformative power of these leading-edge technologies. Contact us for a free consultation.

Why Choose SaM Solutions?

In 2020, the global tech talent shortage surpassed 40 million unfilled jobs. Per global consulting firm McKinsey, that number will increase to over 85.2 million unfilled tech jobs by 2030.

SaM Solutions has been developing custom software solutions for over 30 years. Some of our notable clients include Siemens, SAP, Fujitsu, The Instant Group, Telekom Slovenije, and many other industry-leading companies.

Client satisfaction, digital excellence, and technology innovation have been the cornerstones of our business since our founding in 1993. Our teams of highly experienced developers, engineers, and architects can tackle any development project and deliver innovative solutions for clients across nearly any industry.

With the accelerated pace of digital transformation occurring across all industries, organizations are increasingly leveraging the utility of external development teams. Start your web or mobile app project today with a free consultation with one of our software experts. Click this link or the button below to get started today.