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Spring Framework VS Hibernate

Compare Spring Framework VS Hibernate and see what are their differences

Spring Framework logo Spring Framework

The Spring Framework provides a comprehensive programming and configuration model for modern Java-based enterprise applications - on any kind of deployment platform.

Hibernate logo Hibernate

Hibernate an open source Java persistence framework project.
  • Spring Framework Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-18
  • Hibernate Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-04-25

Spring Framework features and specs

  • Comprehensive Ecosystem
    Spring Framework provides a vast array of tools and modules which address various aspects of application development such as security, data access, and messaging. This helps in building robust enterprise applications.
  • Inversion of Control (IoC) Container
    Spring's IoC container promotes loose coupling by managing object lifecycles and dependencies, making the code more modular and testable.
  • Aspect-Oriented Programming (AOP)
    Spring's AOP module allows for separating cross-cutting concerns like logging, transaction management, and security, making the code cleaner and more maintainable.
  • Spring Boot
    Spring Boot streamlines the setup and development of new Spring applications with built-in configurations and convention over configuration, reducing boilerplate code and speeding up development time.
  • Large Community and Support
    Spring has a large and active community, extensive documentation, and a wide selection of online resources which make it easier to find support and solutions to common problems.
  • Integration Capabilities
    Spring Framework offers seamless integration with various other technologies and frameworks, including Hibernate for ORM, Apache Kafka for messaging, and more.

Possible disadvantages of Spring Framework

  • Complexity
    Spring Framework can be complex and have a steep learning curve, especially for newcomers who are not familiar with its extensive set of features and configurations.
  • Configuration Overhead
    Although Spring Boot reduces the configuration burden, traditional Spring applications may still require extensive XML or annotation-based configurations, which can be cumbersome.
  • Performance Overhead
    The flexibility and the modular nature of Spring can introduce some performance overhead compared to more lightweight solutions, which could be a concern in highly performance-sensitive applications.
  • Version Incompatibility
    Upgrading between different versions of the Spring Framework and its associated projects can sometimes lead to compatibility issues and necessitate significant code changes.
  • Dependency Management
    Managing dependencies in a large Spring application can become complicated, particularly when dealing with multiple modules and third-party libraries, potentially leading to dependency conflicts.

Hibernate features and specs

  • Object-Relational Mapping
    Hibernate simplifies database interaction in Java by providing Object-Relational Mapping (ORM), allowing developers to map Java objects to database tables without writing repetitive SQL code.
  • Automatic Table Generation
    Hibernate can automatically generate database tables based on your Java entity classes, reducing the need for manually creating and maintaining database schemas.
  • HQL (Hibernate Query Language)
    Hibernate provides its own query language, HQL, which allows developers to write queries in an object-oriented manner and reduces the dependency on SQL.
  • Caching
    Hibernate supports caching mechanisms like first-level cache (session cache) and second-level cache, which can significantly improve performance by reducing the number of database hits.
  • Transaction Management
    Hibernate integrates with the Java Transaction API (JTA) to provide robust transaction management, ensuring data consistency and reducing the complexities of handling transactions manually.
  • Lazy Loading
    Hibernate supports lazy loading of associated entities, which can optimize performance by retrieving only the necessary data from the database on-demand.

Possible disadvantages of Hibernate

  • Learning Curve
    Hibernate has a steep learning curve for beginners due to its extensive set of features and configurations, which can be overwhelming initially.
  • Performance Overhead
    The abstraction layer provided by Hibernate can introduce a performance overhead compared to using plain SQL queries, especially in complex queries or large-scale applications.
  • Complexity in Configuration
    While Hibernate provides flexibility in configuration, it can become complex and cumbersome to manage, especially in large applications or when tuning performance.
  • Debugging Difficulty
    Debugging issues in Hibernate can be challenging due to its abstraction and proxy mechanisms, making it harder to trace problems back to the source.
  • Dependency Management
    The use of Hibernate adds additional dependencies to your project, which can complicate dependency management and increase the size of your application.
  • Limited Control Over SQL
    Hibernate abstracts away SQL, which can be a disadvantage for developers who need fine-grained control over the generated SQL and database optimizations.

Analysis of Spring Framework

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Spring Framework is generally considered a good framework with robust features, strong community support, and extensive documentation, making it a reliable choice for Java developers working on complex, enterprise-level applications.

Why this product is good

  • Features
    Spring provides a wide range of features including dependency injection, aspect-oriented programming, transaction management, and integration with various tools and technologies.
  • Community
    Spring has a large and active community, which contributes to a wealth of resources, documentation, and third-party extensions.
  • Popularity
    Spring Framework is one of the most popular frameworks for Java development, widely used in building enterprise applications.
  • Versatility
    It offers a comprehensive programming and configuration model for modern Java-based enterprise applications, on any kind of deployment platform.

Recommended for

  • Developers building large-scale, enterprise-grade applications.
  • Teams looking for a mature and well-supported framework with a large ecosystem.
  • Projects that require integration with popular Java technologies and tools.
  • Developers focusing on microservices architecture, as Spring Boot simplifies the development of microservices.

Spring Framework videos

What is the Spring framework really all about?

More videos:

  • Tutorial - Spring Framework Tutorial | Full Course

Hibernate videos

Should you Hibernate, Shut down, or put your PC to sleep?

More videos:

  • Review - GELERT Hibernate 400 sleeping bag review.
  • Tutorial - Java Hibernate Tutorial Part 8 Chapter 1 Review 1

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Spring Framework and Hibernate)
Developer Tools
73 73%
27% 27
Web Frameworks
57 57%
43% 43
JavaScript Tools
64 64%
36% 36
Development
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

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

Spring Framework Reviews

Top 9 best Frameworks for web development
Spring offers a wide range of frameworks, such as an MVC framework, a data access framework and a transaction management framework. With its focus on scalability and security, Spring is an excellent choice.
Source: www.kiwop.com
17 Popular Java Frameworks for 2023: Pros, cons, and more
Therefore, the configuration, setup, build, and deployment processes all require multiple steps you might not want to deal with, especially if you’re working on a smaller project. Spring Boot (a micro framework that runs on top of the Spring Framework) is a solution for this problem, as it allows you to set up your Spring application faster, with much less configuration.
Source: raygun.com
Top 10 Phoenix Framework Alternatives
Spring Framework is an open-source app framework and inversion of control container for the Java platform, providing the infrastructure required to develop Java and web apps on top of the Java EE platform.
10 Best Java Frameworks You Should Know
Spring Framework is one of the most extensively used, top-notch, lightweight software application frameworks built for software design, development, and deployment in Java.

Hibernate Reviews

17 Popular Java Frameworks for 2023: Pros, cons, and more
MyBatis is somewhat similar to the Hibernate framework, as both facilitate communication between the application layer and the database. However, MyBatis doesn’t map Java objects to database tables like Hibernate does — instead, it links Java methods to SQL statements. As a result, SQL is visible when you’re working with the MyBatis framework, and you still have control over...
Source: raygun.com
10 Best Java Frameworks You Should Know
Hibernate is one of the best Frameworks which is capable of extending Java's Persistence API support. Hibernate is an open-source, extremely lightweight, performance-oriented, and ORM (Object-Relational-Mapping) tool.

Social recommendations and mentions

Hibernate might be a bit more popular than Spring Framework. We know about 16 links to it since March 2021 and only 13 links to Spring 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.

Spring Framework mentions (13)

  • March 2025 Java Key Updates in Boot, Security, and More
    The release of Spring Framework 6.2.5 includes:. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Getting Started with Spring Boot 3 for .NET Developers
    Spring Framework 6: https://spring.io/projects/spring-framework. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • Want to Get Better at Java? Go Old School.
    We had to write our own frameworks (uphill, both ways) but most current frameworks will have similar documentation pages as well. Both Apache and Spring are especially good at that. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • Best Frameworks For Web Development
    Framework link: https://spring.io/projects/spring-framework Github Link: https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-framework. - Source: dev.to / almost 3 years ago
  • What to you do now?
    A common used Java framework is Spring framework (ie https://spring.io/projects/spring-framework and short tutorials at https://www.baeldung.com/spring-intro). Source: almost 3 years ago
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Hibernate mentions (16)

  • How To Secure APIs from SQL Injection Vulnerabilities
    Object-Relational Mapping frameworks like Hibernate (Java), SQLAlchemy (Python), and Sequelize (Node.js) typically use parameterized queries by default and abstract direct SQL interaction. These frameworks help eliminate common developer errors that might otherwise introduce vulnerabilities. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Top 10 Java Frameworks Every Dev Need to Know
    Overview: Hibernate is a Java ORM (Object Relational Mapping) framework that simplifies database operations by mapping Java objects to database tables. It allows developers to focus on business logic without worrying about SQL queries, making database interactions seamless and more maintainable. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • In One Minute : Hibernate
    Hibernate is the umbrella for a collection of libraries, most notably Hibernate ORM which provides Object/Relational Mapping for java domain objects. In addition to its own "native" API, Hibernate ORM is also an implementation of the Java Persistence API (jpa) specification. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • Spring Boot – Black Box Testing
    I'm using Spring Data JPA as a persistence framework. Therefore, those classes are Hibernate entities. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • How to Secure Nodejs Application.
    To prevent SQL Injection attacks to sanitize input data. You can either validate every single input or validate using parameter binding. Parameter binding is mostly used by developers as it offers efficiency and security. If you are using a popular ORM such as sequelize, hibernate, etc then they already provide the functions to validate and sanitize your data. If you are using database modules other than ORM such... - Source: dev.to / almost 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Spring Framework and Hibernate, you can also consider the following products

Django - The Web framework for perfectionists with deadlines

Grails - An Open Source, full stack, web application framework for the JVM

Sequelize - Provides access to a MySQL database by mapping database entries to objects and vice-versa.

Laravel - A PHP Framework For Web Artisans

Apache Struts - Apache Struts is an open-source web application framework for developing Java EE web applications.

ASP.NET - ASP.NET is a free web framework for building great Web sites and Web applications using HTML, CSS and JavaScript.