CUBA Platform vs JHipster: What are the differences?

Introduction: CUBA Platform and JHipster are both popular frameworks used for web application development. While they share some similarities, there are key differences that set them apart. In this article, we will explore and compare these differences.

1. Architecture: CUBA Platform follows a layered architecture with a strong emphasis on code generation and separation of concerns. It provides a robust and structured development environment where developers can focus on business logic. On the other hand, JHipster is a Yeoman generator that generates a Spring Boot-based application with a microservices architecture. It allows developers to quickly bootstrap a project with pre-built modules and features.

2. Development Experience: CUBA Platform offers a visual development environment with a rich set of customizable UI components, a visual editor for data models, and easy integration with third-party libraries. It provides extensive tooling support, including UI prototypes and data models, making it suitable for rapid application development. In contrast, JHipster follows a code-first approach where developers manually write code to create the application. It provides a command-line interface (CLI) and extensive generator options for customization.

3. Technology Stack: CUBA Platform primarily focuses on using Java and the Spring ecosystem. It leverages the power of Spring Boot, Spring MVC, and Spring Data for building enterprise-grade applications. JHipster, on the other hand, is technology-agnostic and allows developers to choose from different tech stacks. It supports a wide range of frameworks and technologies, including Java, Spring Boot, Angular, React, and more.

4. Community and Support: CUBA Platform has a smaller but dedicated community with active forum discussions and regular updates from the development team. It provides professional support options for commercial projects. JHipster, on the other hand, has a larger and more diverse community with contributions from developers worldwide. It has a vibrant ecosystem with numerous plugins and extensions and provides community support through forums and GitHub repositories.

5. Deployment options: CUBA Platform provides various deployment options, including cloud deployment, on-premises deployment, and containerized deployments using Docker and Kubernetes. It offers built-in support for clustering and scaling. JHipster, being a generator, generates a full-stack application that can be deployed on a wide range of platforms, including cloud, on-premises, or containerized environments.

6. Project Complexity: CUBA Platform is designed to handle complex and large-scale projects, making it suitable for enterprises with extensive business requirements. It offers advanced features like data modeling, role-based access control, and multi-tenancy, to name a few. JHipster, although capable of handling complex projects, is more suitable for small to medium-sized applications and projects that require a quick start to development.

In summary, CUBA Platform provides a structured development environment with a Java and Spring-centric approach, offering powerful features for complex enterprise-grade applications. JHipster, on the other hand, is a flexible code generator that supports a range of technologies and is suitable for small to medium-sized projects with a focus on quick prototyping and development.