Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

ClojureScript VS Scala.js

Compare ClojureScript VS Scala.js and see what are their differences

ClojureScript logo ClojureScript

A Clojure compiler targeting JavaScript

Scala.js logo Scala.js

Build robust front-end web applications in Scala with Scala.js
  • ClojureScript Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-06
  • Scala.js Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-23

ClojureScript features and specs

  • Immutable Data Structures
    ClojureScript provides persistent, immutable data structures which simplify reasoning about code and avoiding unintended side effects.
  • Functional Programming
    ClojureScript is a Lisp that encourages functional programming, aiding the creation of concise and predictable code.
  • Interoperability with JavaScript
    ClojureScript can interoperate seamlessly with JavaScript, allowing access to JavaScript libraries and facilitating interaction with existing JavaScript codebases.
  • REPL Driven Development
    The REPL (Read-Eval-Print Loop) in ClojureScript enables rapid testing and iteration of code, resulting in more efficient development processes.
  • Rich Ecosystem
    ClojureScript benefits from the rich ecosystem of Clojure libraries and tools, as well as those available in the JavaScript ecosystem.

Possible disadvantages of ClojureScript

  • Learning Curve
    ClojureScript has a steep learning curve for developers new to Lisp or functional programming paradigms, which may limit its initial adoption.
  • Compilation Overhead
    Unlike JavaScript, ClojureScript code needs to be compiled, which can add complexity and overhead to the development workflow.
  • Smaller Community
    ClojureScript has a smaller community compared to more mainstream JavaScript frameworks, which can affect the availability of resources and support.
  • Tooling Complexity
    Integrating ClojureScript into existing projects can be complex, and its tooling setup might not be as straightforward as more established JavaScript tools.
  • Performance
    While generally performant, ClojureScript applications can sometimes face performance penalties due to the abstraction layers involved.

Scala.js features and specs

  • Strong Type System
    Scala.js brings Scala’s powerful type system to JavaScript development, reducing runtime errors and enhancing code reliability and safety.
  • Interoperability with JavaScript
    Seamlessly interoperates with JavaScript libraries and frameworks, allowing developers to utilize existing JavaScript tools and APIs.
  • Code Reusability
    Facilitates code sharing between server and client-side codebases when using Scala on both ends, increasing productivity and maintainability.
  • Functional Programming
    Supports functional programming paradigms which can lead to more concise and expressive code compared to traditional JavaScript.
  • Ecosystem
    Access to a wide range of Scala libraries thanks to the ability to use JVM-based libraries, enhanced by the 'Scala.js-specific libraries'.

Possible disadvantages of Scala.js

  • Build Complexity
    Requires a more complex build setup compared to vanilla JavaScript projects, introducing a learning curve for new developers.
  • Performance Overhead
    The additional abstraction layer can sometimes result in performance overhead when compared to native JavaScript.
  • Community and Support
    Smaller community compared to JavaScript, which can result in fewer resources, tutorials, and community support for problem-solving.
  • Learning Curve
    Developers need to learn Scala, which might be difficult for those not familiar with functional programming and type safety concepts.
  • Tooling Limitations
    Though improving, tooling support, especially for debugging in a pure Scala.js environment, might not be as robust as native JavaScript tools.

ClojureScript videos

How to use NPM Packages in ClojureScript

More videos:

  • Review - ClojureScript - Chris Houser
  • Review - ClojureScript Release - Rich Hickey

Scala.js videos

Deriving the Frontend — Form Combinator Fun with Scala.js

More videos:

  • Review - Laminar – Smooth UI Development with Scala.js

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to ClojureScript and Scala.js)
Personal Finance
57 57%
43% 43
Financial Planner
52 52%
48% 48
Cryptocurrencies
100 100%
0% 0
Android
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, ClojureScript seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 17 times since March 2021. 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.

ClojureScript mentions (17)

  • jQuery v4.0.0 Beta
    LISP in the browser! You end up having to shit a large runtime with your app but it all transpiles to vanilla JS. https://clojurescript.org/. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: Why don't browsers just build a non-JS interpreter?
    JS isn't perfect, but it's good enough. And there is ongoing effort to make it even better. Also, many other languages compile to JS (without WASM). Notably: - https://www.typescriptlang.org/ - https://coffeescript.org/ - https://clojurescript.org/ - https://www.transcrypt.org/ I wrote https://multi-launch.leftium.com, which is only 6% JS. The majority is Svelte (65%) + TypeScript (27%). ( - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Implement functional programming in Sass
    A few years ago, I started learning the ClojureScript language and quickly became fascinated with functional programming. One day, I wondered if it would be possible to implement a similar programming style in Sass, allowing for anonymous functions and threading macros. After conducting some experiments, I came up with the following Sass functions:. - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
  • HTMX is the future
    I also didn't cheat by transpiling Clojure into JavaScript. (see ClojureScript). - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
  • Which dialect to choose.
    Clojure has also a mature compiler to JavaScript. https://clojurescript.org/. Source: about 2 years ago
View more

Scala.js mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Scala.js yet. Tracking of Scala.js recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing ClojureScript and Scala.js, you can also consider the following products

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