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Apache Thrift VS Crow

Compare Apache Thrift VS Crow and see what are their differences

Apache Thrift logo Apache Thrift

An interface definition language and communication protocol for creating cross-language services.

Crow logo Crow

A Fast and Easy to use microframework for the web.
  • Apache Thrift Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-07-12
  • Crow Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-03

Apache Thrift features and specs

  • Cross-Language Support
    Apache Thrift supports numerous programming languages including Java, Python, C++, Ruby, and more, enabling seamless communication between services written in different languages.
  • Efficient Serialization
    Thrift offers efficient binary serialization which helps in reducing the payload size and improves the communication speed between services.
  • Service Definition Flexibility
    Thrift provides a robust interface definition language (IDL) for defining and generating code for services with strict type checking, fostering strong contract interfaces.
  • Scalability
    Due to its lightweight and efficient serialization mechanisms, Apache Thrift can handle a large number of simultaneous client connections, making it suitable for scalable distributed systems.
  • Versioning Support
    Thrift supports service versioning which helps in evolving APIs without disrupting existing services or clients.

Possible disadvantages of Apache Thrift

  • Steep Learning Curve
    For new users, especially those not familiar with RPC frameworks, learning and understanding Thriftโ€™s IDL and operations can be complex and time-consuming.
  • Documentation and Community Support
    Compared to some alternative technologies, Apache Thrift's documentation and community support can be less robust, which might pose challenges in troubleshooting or seeking guidance.
  • Lack of Advanced Features
    Thrift does not support some advanced features like streaming or multiplexing out of the box, which could limit its use in complex systems requiring these functionalities.
  • Infrastructure Overhead
    Integrating Thrift into an existing system might introduce infrastructure overhead both in initial setup and ongoing maintenance, especially when dealing with multiple languages.
  • Protocol Limitations
    While Thrift is highly efficient, its protocol limitations might require additional workarounds for certain data structures or transport mechanisms, complicating development.

Crow features and specs

  • Asynchronous Handling
    Crow supports asynchronous request handling, allowing for efficient management of high numbers of simultaneous connections.
  • Modern C++ Standards
    Utilizes modern C++ features to ensure robust and efficient performance, leveraging C++11 and newer standards.
  • Simple and Lightweight
    Designed to provide a web application framework with simplicity and minimal resource usage, making it suitable for embedded systems.
  • JSON Parsing
    Includes built-in support for parsing and handling JSON, making it easier to work with web APIs and RESTful services.
  • Routing
    Offers flexible routing capabilities, allowing for easy mapping of URLs to handlers with path parameters and regular expressions.

Possible disadvantages of Crow

  • Limited Ecosystem
    Compared to more established frameworks, Crow has a smaller community and fewer third-party libraries and tools available.
  • Learning Curve
    Requires familiarity with modern C++ features, which might be challenging for developers not well-versed in these standards.
  • Lack of Comprehensive Documentation
    The documentation may not be as extensive or detailed as other frameworks, potentially making it harder to troubleshoot or learn advanced features.
  • Scalability
    While suitable for many use cases, it might not be the best choice for very large-scale applications requiring extensive middleware functionality.

Analysis of Apache Thrift

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Apache Thrift is considered to be a good option for projects needing cross-language communication and efficient serialization. Its efficiency and wide adoption have proven it to be a reliable framework in many production environments.

Why this product is good

  • Apache Thrift is a widely used framework for scalable cross-language services development. It allows for seamless communication between programs written in different languages by providing code generation and serialization capabilities for a variety of languages. Thrift supports an efficient binary protocol and is highly customizable, making it a robust choice for services that require performance and flexibility. Additionally, it's an open-source project under the Apache Software Foundation, which ensures it has a strong community and ongoing updates.

Recommended for

  • Organizations that require cross-language service communication
  • Projects that need high-performance and low-latency data transmission
  • Developers looking for a framework with support for multiple programming languages
  • Teams looking for a customizable serialization protocol

Apache Thrift videos

Apache Thrift

Crow videos

The Crow (1994) - Movie Review

More videos:

  • Review - The Crow (1994) Retrospective / Review
  • Review - Siskel & Ebert Review The Crow

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Apache Thrift and Crow)
Web Servers
100 100%
0% 0
Project Management
0 0%
100% 100
Web And Application Servers
Cloud Storage
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Apache Thrift might be a bit more popular than Crow. We know about 13 links to it since March 2021 and only 12 links to Crow. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Apache Thrift mentions (13)

  • Show HN: TypeSchema โ€“ A JSON specification to describe data models
    I once read a paper about Apache/Meta Thrift [1,2]. It allows you to define data types/interfaces in a definition file and generate code for many programming languages. It was specifically designed for RPCs and microservices. [1]: https://thrift.apache.org/. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Delving Deeper: Enriching Microservices with Golang with CloudWeGo
    While gRPC and Apache Thrift have served the microservice architecture well, CloudWeGo's advanced features and performance metrics set it apart as a promising open source solution for the future. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • Reddit System Design/Architecture
    Services in general communicate via Thrift (and in some cases HTTP). Source: over 3 years ago
  • Universal type language!
    Protocol Buffers is the most popular one, but there are many others such as Apache Thrift and my own Typical. Source: over 3 years ago
  • You worked on it? Why is it slow then?
    RPC is not strictly OO, but you can think of RPC calls like method calls. In general it will reflect your interface design and doesn't have to be top-down, although a good project usually will look that way. A good contrast to REST where you use POST/PUT/GET/DELETE pattern on resources where as a procedure call could be a lot more flexible and potentially lighter weight. Think of it like defining methods in code... Source: almost 4 years ago
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Crow mentions (12)

  • Transport agnostic Websocket library
    I recommend Crow, it's a web framework that supports HTTP and Websockets. It's a bit larger than being only there to just let you compose or decode a packet. But I'm pretty sure everything you mentioned is there already :). Source: about 4 years ago
  • Can I use C++ in the backend ?? Any frameworks there ??
    I've been working on Crow for quite a while now, it's a pretty cool framework IMO. Source: about 4 years ago
  • making a web server in c++?
    If you really want to use C++, check out something like Crow, https://crowcpp.org/ and same thing, you can pass messages between the server and your application. Source: over 4 years ago
  • Crow finally gets rid of `CROW_MAIN` macro
    Crow is a C++ web framework being developed and maintained by myself and a couple developers. Source: over 4 years ago
  • C or C++ as web app backend?
    Https://crowcpp.org/ (C++ API similar to Python flask). Source: almost 5 years ago
View more

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