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Spring Framework VS Spring Boot

Compare Spring Framework VS Spring Boot and see what are their differences

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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.

Spring Boot logo Spring Boot

Create Spring-powered, production-grade applications and services with absolute minimum fuss
  • Spring Framework Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-18
  • Spring Boot Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-11

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.

Spring Boot features and specs

  • Rapid Development
    Spring Boot simplifies the process of setting up and developing new Spring applications with a range of out-of-the-box configurations and defaults.
  • Microservices Support
    Ideal for developing microservices architecture thanks to its embedded servers, simplified setup, and streamlined deployment process.
  • Strong Community and Ecosystem
    Backed by a large and active community, and supported by a wide variety of extensions and plugins, enhancing its capability and support.
  • Embedded Servers
    Supports embedded servers such as Tomcat, Jetty, and Undertow, which simplifies deployment and reduces configuration complexity.
  • Auto-Configuration
    Automatically configures most of the application’s components, reducing the need for manual setup and configuration.
  • Easy Integration
    Facilitates easy integration with various data sources, messaging systems, and other enterprise systems via Spring’s extensive ecosystem.
  • Production-Ready Features
    Includes various production-ready features like health checks, metrics, externalized configuration, and monitoring, making it easy to manage applications in production.

Possible disadvantages of Spring Boot

  • Learning Curve
    Despite its benefits, Spring Boot has a complex learning curve for beginners due to its extensive range of features and options.
  • Resource Consumption
    Spring Boot applications can sometimes be resource-intensive, potentially leading to higher costs in terms of memory and CPU usage.
  • Complexity in Large Projects
    While Spring Boot is great for simpler projects, it can become overly complex and harder to manage in very large applications with numerous dependencies and configurations.
  • Limited Flexibility with Embedded Servers
    While using embedded servers is convenient, it can also limit flexibility and control over server configuration and behaviors compared to standalone server setups.
  • Dependency Management
    Although auto-configuration is a significant advantage, it can sometimes lead to confusion or conflicts in dependency management, making troubleshooting more challenging.
  • Performance Overhead
    The auto-configuration and abstraction layers, while simplifying development, can introduce performance overhead, which might not be desirable in high-performance and fine-tuned applications.

Spring Framework videos

What is the Spring framework really all about?

More videos:

  • Tutorial - Spring Framework Tutorial | Full Course

Spring Boot videos

No Spring Boot videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

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Web Frameworks
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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 Spring Boot

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.

Spring Boot Reviews

The 20 Best Laravel Alternatives for Web Development
Spring Boot — Java developers’ shortcut to a galaxy of applications. It’s a leap forward, ditching the boilerplate, no longer about “all the setup”, it’s about “all the creation”.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Spring Framework seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 13 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.

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 / about 1 month ago
  • Getting Started with Spring Boot 3 for .NET Developers
    Spring Framework 6: https://spring.io/projects/spring-framework. - Source: dev.to / 4 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 / over 2 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: over 2 years ago
View more

Spring Boot mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Spring Boot yet. Tracking of Spring Boot recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

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

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

QuickBase - Quickbase provides a no-code operational agility platform that enables organizations to improve operations through real time insights and automation across complex processes and disparate systems. ​​

Django - The Web framework for perfectionists with deadlines

Konfigure - APARTMENTS | VILLA | WORKSPACE | RETAIL

Laravel - A PHP Framework For Web Artisans

Metavine Platform - Metavine Platform is a comprehensive Platform-as-a-Service that help businesses build agility and compete effectively in the digital world by enabling them to iterate and create apps quickly.