Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Spark Framework VS Javalin

Compare Spark Framework VS Javalin and see what are their differences

Spark Framework logo Spark Framework

Spark Framework is a simple and lightweight Java web framework built for rapid development.

Javalin logo Javalin

Simple REST APIs for Java and Kotlin
  • Spark Framework Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-11-24
  • Javalin Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-26

Spark Framework features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Spark Framework provides a simple and intuitive API, making it easy to set up and run a web application with minimal configuration.
  • Lightweight
    Spark is very lightweight, which makes it well-suited for small applications and microservices where resource consumption is a concern.
  • Java 8 Lambda Support
    It supports Java 8 lambdas, allowing developers to write clean, readable, and more concise code.
  • Rapid Development
    The framework facilitates rapid development and prototyping, enabling developers to quickly build and iterate on ideas.
  • Minimal Configuration
    With less boilerplate code required, Spark allows developers to focus on business logic rather than intricate configurations.

Possible disadvantages of Spark Framework

  • Limited Ecosystem
    Compared to more established frameworks, Spark has a smaller ecosystem of plugins and extensions, which might limit functionality for larger projects.
  • Performance Overhead
    While suitable for small applications, the simplicity of Spark might introduce performance overhead when scaling up to larger, complex applications.
  • Concurrency Limitations
    Its concurrency model may not be robust enough for high-concurrency applications, potentially leading to scalability issues.
  • Less Community Support
    Spark's smaller user base means that community support and resources such as tutorials and forums are more limited compared to larger frameworks.
  • Basic Feature Set
    The framework offers a basic feature set, which may require additional coding or third-party libraries to achieve advanced functionalities.

Javalin features and specs

  • Lightweight
    Javalin is a lightweight framework with minimal dependencies, making it easy to integrate into existing projects and reducing overhead.
  • Simplicity
    The framework is simple to use and has a straightforward API, which makes it easier for developers to understand and work with.
  • Kotlin & Java Support
    Javalin natively supports both Kotlin and Java, making it flexible for projects written in either language.
  • WebSocket Support
    It includes built-in support for WebSockets, enabling real-time communication between the client and server without additional dependencies.
  • Extensive Documentation
    Javalin comes with comprehensive documentation and guides, which help developers get up to speed quickly.

Possible disadvantages of Javalin

  • Limited Features
    As a minimalist framework, Javalin may lack some advanced features present in more comprehensive frameworks, requiring additional implementations from developers.
  • Community Support
    While growing, the community around Javalin is not as large as other established frameworks, which may result in fewer resources or third-party libraries.
  • Performance Overhead
    Though lightweight, Javalin may not offer the same level of performance optimization as frameworks specifically designed for high-performance use cases.
  • Limited Middleware
    Compared to other frameworks, the middleware support in Javalin is more limited, potentially requiring additional code for customization.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Spark Framework and Javalin)
Web Frameworks
48 48%
52% 52
Developer Tools
54 54%
46% 46
Python Web Framework
51 51%
49% 49
PHP MVC Framework
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Spark Framework and Javalin

Spark Framework Reviews

17 Popular Java Frameworks for 2023: Pros, cons, and more
You can get the Spark Framework up and running in just a few minutes. By default, it runs on the Jetty web server that is embedded into the framework. However, you can use it with other Java web servers as well. According to Spark’s own survey, more than 50% of their users used the framework to create REST APIs, which is its most popular use case. Spark also powers...
Source: raygun.com

Javalin Reviews

We have no reviews of Javalin yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Javalin might be a bit more popular than Spark Framework. We know about 36 links to it since March 2021 and only 29 links to Spark Framework. 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.

Spark Framework mentions (29)

  • Indexing All of Wikipedia on a Laptop
    The code for serving queries is found in the WebSearch class. We’re using Spark (the web framework, not the big data engine) to serve a simple search form:. - Source: dev.to / 12 months ago
  • [ Servlet + JSP + JDBC ]
    Get a solid grasp of building web applications with Java either using Spring (using Spring Boot) or Spark (if you're also new to Java learning Java and Spring can be a mouthful). Instead of JSP use something Thymeleaf or build the frontend with HTML and JavaScript (and serve the bundles). Source: over 1 year ago
  • What's the language of the startup?
    So most of the "tech" stack goes out. In our first startup we created our own web-container by using https://sparkjava.com - and then built a JSR-223 scripting support. Source: over 1 year ago
  • What side-projects did you work on during your university years?
    Stack: Java, Spark (not the Apache Spark but this), Kafka, several other libraries like FasterXML's Jackson. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Full Time
    The blog is just hugo so it's 100% static files over nginx. The search engine is serverside-rendered mustache templates via handlebars[1], via served via spark[2]. It's basically all vanilla Java. I do raw SQL queries instead of ORM, which makes it quite a bit snappier than most Java applications. The sheer size of the database also mandates that basically every query is a primary key lookup. The code is written... - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
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Javalin mentions (36)

  • Year After Switching from Java to Go: Our Experiences
    But Javas has so many of these web frameworks?! * Spring (https://spring.io/) * Spring Boot (https://spring.io/projects/spring-boot) * Helidon (https://helidon.io/) * Micronaut (https://micronaut.io/) * Quarkus (https://quarkus.io/) * JHipster (https://www.jhipster.tech/) * Vaadin (https://vaadin.com/) That's just to mention the bigger ones, there's lots of mini frameworks like Javalin (https://javalin.io/) and... - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • Latudio – a language acquisition app with a listening-oriented approach
    - like Sentences exercise, but you can select your own set of sentences. You can also set goals and view statistics about your progress. None of this would be possible without the great help from hundreds of our contributors [3], who translated, mapped and recorded content. All the content you find in the app was reviewed multiple times by several people and recordings are made by native speakers. No story in the... - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
  • Show HN: Donobu – Mac App for Web Automation and Testing
    - Javalin 6 for the web framework (https://javalin.io/). - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • Spark – A web micro framework for Java and Kotlin
    I'd recommend Javalin (https://javalin.io/) instead. Same idea, only executed better and it is actively maintained. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Spark – A web micro framework for Java and Kotlin
    SparkJava has an actively developed fork/successor called Javalin[1]. It's straightforward to convert from SparkJava to Javalin. The latter is written in Kotlin, but works fine with ordinary Java. While the rest of the Java world was devolving into annotation hell, AOP and other nightmares, these Java microframeworks showcased what happens when you forego legacy Java and leverage modern Java language features... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Spark Framework and Javalin, you can also consider the following products

vert.x - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Micronaut Framework - Build modular easily testable microservice & serverless apps

Django - The Web framework for perfectionists with deadlines

helidon - Helidon Project, Java libraries crafted for Microservices

Laravel - A PHP Framework For Web Artisans

Victor - On-Demand Private Jet Charter