Spring MVC vs Spring-Boot: What are the differences?

Introduction

Spring MVC and Spring Boot are two popular frameworks used for building web applications in Java. While both frameworks are part of the Spring ecosystem, they have distinct differences in terms of capabilities and usage.

1. Architecture:

   • Spring MVC is a traditional Model-View-Controller (MVC) framework that follows a layered architecture. It provides various components like controllers, views, models, and interceptors to develop web applications.
   • Spring Boot, on the other hand, is an opinionated framework that aims to simplify the development of Spring applications. It follows the convention-over-configuration principle and eliminates the need for boilerplate configuration.

2. Configuration:

   • Spring MVC applications require explicit configuration through XML or Java-based configuration classes. Developers need to define various configuration beans and mappings for the application to function properly.
   • Spring Boot, in contrast, provides auto-configuration capabilities. It automatically configures the application based on classpath dependencies and sensible defaults. Developers can further customize the configuration if needed.

3. Embedded Server:

   • Spring MVC applications require an external servlet container, such as Tomcat or Jetty, to run the application. This means deploying the application into a container separately.
   • Spring Boot includes an embedded server (Tomcat, Jetty, or Undertow) by default, eliminating the need for an external server. It allows developers to create self-contained, executable JAR files that can run independently.

4. Dependency Management:

   • Spring MVC applications require manual management of dependencies by explicitly adding them to the project's build file (e.g., Maven or Gradle).
   • Spring Boot introduces the concept of "starter" dependencies. These starter dependencies include all the necessary libraries and configurations for a specific functionality (e.g., web, database, security). Developers just need to include the required starter dependencies, and Spring Boot will handle the rest.

5. Monitoring and Management:

   • Spring MVC applications do not provide built-in support for monitoring and management. Developers need to integrate separate tools or libraries, like Spring Actuator, to incorporate monitoring functionality.
   • Spring Boot includes Spring Actuator out-of-the-box, providing various endpoints for monitoring and managing the application. These endpoints expose useful information about the application's health, metrics, and configuration.

6. Ease of Setup:

   • Spring MVC requires developers to set up the entire project structure manually, including configuring the servlet container, adding dependencies, and setting up configuration files.
   • Spring Boot simplifies the setup process through its opinionated nature. Developers can quickly bootstrap a Spring Boot project using Spring Initializr or the Spring Boot CLI. The project template includes all the necessary configurations and dependencies to get started.

In summary, Spring MVC is a traditional MVC framework that requires explicit configuration and an external servlet container. In contrast, Spring Boot simplifies development by providing auto-configuration, an embedded server, and starter dependencies. It also includes monitoring and management capabilities out-of-the-box, making it easier to create production-ready applications.