Gun vs Socket.IO

Overview

Socket.IO

Stacks13.6K

Followers11.0K

Votes776

Gun

Stacks49

Followers87

Votes0

GitHub Stars18.7K

Forks1.2K

Gun vs Socket.IO: What are the differences?

Scalability: Gun and Socket.IO have different approaches to scalability. Gun uses a decentralized, peer-to-peer model which allows data to be stored and synchronized across multiple devices without relying on a centralized server. This makes Gun highly scalable as it can handle a large number of connections and distribute the load among the peers. On the other hand, Socket.IO relies on a centralized server architecture, where clients connect to a single server for real-time communication. While Socket.IO can also handle a large number of connections, its scalability is limited by the capacity of the server.
Data Synchronization: Gun and Socket.IO have different methods of synchronizing data between clients. Gun uses a CRDT (Conflict-free Replicated Data Type) protocol to achieve automatic and conflict-free synchronization of data. This means that Gun handles data conflicts and merges changes made by different clients seamlessly. Socket.IO, on the other hand, provides a real-time event-based communication layer but does not have built-in support for automatic data synchronization. Developers using Socket.IO must implement their own logic to handle data synchronization and conflict resolution.
API and Query Language: Gun and Socket.IO have different APIs and query languages. Gun provides a simple and intuitive API that allows developers to store, retrieve, and manipulate data easily. Gun also offers a powerful query language called GunSQL, which allows complex queries to be executed on the data. In contrast, Socket.IO provides a more low-level API for real-time communication and does not offer any built-in query language. Developers using Socket.IO may need to implement their own data management and querying systems.
Offline Support: Gun and Socket.IO have different levels of support for offline functionality. Gun is designed to work offline by default and allows data to be synchronized and accessed even when there is no internet connection. Changes made offline are automatically synchronized when the connection is restored. Socket.IO, on the other hand, does not have built-in support for offline functionality. It relies on an active internet connection for real-time communication and does not handle offline synchronization.
Security: Gun and Socket.IO have different security models. Gun provides built-in encryption and authentication mechanisms to ensure secure communication and data storage. Gun also supports decentralized access control, allowing fine-grained control over who can read, write, and modify the data. Socket.IO, on the other hand, does not provide built-in encryption and authentication. Developers using Socket.IO must implement their own security measures to protect the communication and data.
Integration with other Technologies: Gun and Socket.IO have different levels of integration with other technologies. Gun is designed to work well with JavaScript and Node.js, making it easier to integrate with existing JavaScript frameworks and libraries. Gun also provides client libraries for other platforms, such as iOS and Android. Socket.IO, on the other hand, has wider language support and can be used with various programming languages. It also provides client libraries for different platforms, making it more versatile in terms of integration.

In Summary, Gun and Socket.IO have key differences in their scalability, data synchronization, API and query language, offline support, security, and integration with other technologies.

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CLI (Node.js)

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Advice on Socket.IO, Gun

Noam

Jul 16, 2020

Needs adviceon

Node.js

ExpressJS

React

We are starting to work on a web-based platform aiming to connect artists (clients) and professional freelancers (service providers). In-app, timeline-based, real-time communication between users (& storing it), file transfers, and push notifications are essential core features. We are considering using Node.js, ExpressJS, React, MongoDB stack with Socket.IO & Apollo, or maybe using Real-Time Database and functionalities of Firebase.

1.15M views1.15M

Comments

Anil

Mar 7, 2020

Needs advice

I want to add uWebSockets.js in my application for real-time chatting, for that, I have to draw a UML and ufd diagram flow then I have to implement it in my code, my stack is node js, android, express, MongoDB, Redis. how can I do this? I want to add uWebSockets.js in my application for real-time chatting, for that, I have to draw a UML and ufd diagram flow then I have to implement it in my code, my stack is node js, android, express, MongoDB, Redis. how can I do this?I want to add uWebSockets.js in my application for real-time chatting, for that, I have to draw a UML and ufd diagram flow then I have to implement it in my code, my stack is node js, android, express, MongoDB, Redis. how can I do this?i want to add uWebSockets.js in my application for real time chatting, for that i have to draw a uml and ufd diagram flow then i have to implement it in my code , my stack is node js , android , express , mongoDb, redis . how can i do a this?

46.7k views46.7k

Comments

Detailed Comparison

Socket.IO	Gun
It enables real-time bidirectional event-based communication. It works on every platform, browser or device, focusing equally on reliability and speed.	GUN is a realtime, decentralized, embedded, graph database engine.
Real-time analytics - Push data to clients that gets represented as real-time counters, charts or logs.;Binary streaming - Starting in 1.0, it's possible to send any blob back and forth: image, audio, video.;Instant messaging and chat - Socket.IO's "Hello world" is a chat app in just a few lines of code.;Document collaboration - Allow users to concurrently edit a document and see each other's changes.	-
Statistics
GitHub Stars -	GitHub Stars 18.7K
GitHub Forks -	GitHub Forks 1.2K
Stacks 13.6K	Stacks 49
Followers 11.0K	Followers 87
Votes 776	Votes 0
Pros & Cons
Pros 219 Real-time 143 Node.js 141 Event-based communication 102 Open source 102 WebSockets Cons 12 Bad documentation 4 Githubs that complement it are mostly deprecated 3 Doesn't work on React Native 2 Small community 2 Websocket Errors	Pros 0 Small size 0 Open source 0 Real time
Integrations
Auth0 Gatsby Flutter React Backbone.js Cloud Firestore Outbrain	No integrations available

What are some alternatives to Socket.IO, Gun?

Firebase

Firebase is a cloud service designed to power real-time, collaborative applications. Simply add the Firebase library to your application to gain access to a shared data structure; any changes you make to that data are automatically synchronized with the Firebase cloud and with other clients within milliseconds.

PubNub

PubNub makes it easy for you to add real-time capabilities to your apps, without worrying about the infrastructure. Build apps that allow your users to engage in real-time across mobile, browser, desktop and server.

Pusher

Pusher is the category leader in delightful APIs for app developers building communication and collaboration features.

SignalR

SignalR allows bi-directional communication between server and client. Servers can now push content to connected clients instantly as it becomes available. SignalR supports Web Sockets, and falls back to other compatible techniques for older browsers. SignalR includes APIs for connection management (for instance, connect and disconnect events), grouping connections, and authorization.

Ably

Ably offers WebSockets, stream resume, history, presence, and managed third-party integrations to make it simple to build, extend, and deliver digital realtime experiences at scale.

Syncano

Syncano is a backend platform to build powerful real-time apps more efficiently. Integrate with any API, minimize boilerplate code and control your data - all from one place.

NATS

Unlike traditional enterprise messaging systems, NATS has an always-on dial tone that does whatever it takes to remain available. This forms a great base for building modern, reliable, and scalable cloud and distributed systems.

SocketCluster

SocketCluster is a fast, highly scalable HTTP + realtime server engine which lets you build multi-process realtime servers that make use of all CPU cores on a machine/instance. It removes the limitations of having to run your Node.js server as a single thread and makes your backend resilient by automatically recovering from worker crashes and aggregating errors into a central log.

deepstream.io

Scalable Server for Realtime Web Apps with JSON structures that can be read, manipulated and listened to, messages that can be sent to one or more subscribers, and request response workflows, between two clients or servers.

8base

A cloud service designed to power enterprise-grade web and mobile applications that require support for large numbers of users, complex data and transactional requirements, comprehensive role-based security and a modern look-and-feel.

Related Comparisons

Gun vs Socket.IO: What are the differences?

Scalability: Gun and Socket.IO have different approaches to scalability. Gun uses a decentralized, peer-to-peer model which allows data to be stored and synchronized across multiple devices without relying on a centralized server. This makes Gun highly scalable as it can handle a large number of connections and distribute the load among the peers. On the other hand, Socket.IO relies on a centralized server architecture, where clients connect to a single server for real-time communication. While Socket.IO can also handle a large number of connections, its scalability is limited by the capacity of the server.
Data Synchronization: Gun and Socket.IO have different methods of synchronizing data between clients. Gun uses a CRDT (Conflict-free Replicated Data Type) protocol to achieve automatic and conflict-free synchronization of data. This means that Gun handles data conflicts and merges changes made by different clients seamlessly. Socket.IO, on the other hand, provides a real-time event-based communication layer but does not have built-in support for automatic data synchronization. Developers using Socket.IO must implement their own logic to handle data synchronization and conflict resolution.
API and Query Language: Gun and Socket.IO have different APIs and query languages. Gun provides a simple and intuitive API that allows developers to store, retrieve, and manipulate data easily. Gun also offers a powerful query language called GunSQL, which allows complex queries to be executed on the data. In contrast, Socket.IO provides a more low-level API for real-time communication and does not offer any built-in query language. Developers using Socket.IO may need to implement their own data management and querying systems.
Offline Support: Gun and Socket.IO have different levels of support for offline functionality. Gun is designed to work offline by default and allows data to be synchronized and accessed even when there is no internet connection. Changes made offline are automatically synchronized when the connection is restored. Socket.IO, on the other hand, does not have built-in support for offline functionality. It relies on an active internet connection for real-time communication and does not handle offline synchronization.
Security: Gun and Socket.IO have different security models. Gun provides built-in encryption and authentication mechanisms to ensure secure communication and data storage. Gun also supports decentralized access control, allowing fine-grained control over who can read, write, and modify the data. Socket.IO, on the other hand, does not provide built-in encryption and authentication. Developers using Socket.IO must implement their own security measures to protect the communication and data.
Integration with other Technologies: Gun and Socket.IO have different levels of integration with other technologies. Gun is designed to work well with JavaScript and Node.js, making it easier to integrate with existing JavaScript frameworks and libraries. Gun also provides client libraries for other platforms, such as iOS and Android. Socket.IO, on the other hand, has wider language support and can be used with various programming languages. It also provides client libraries for different platforms, making it more versatile in terms of integration.

In Summary, Gun and Socket.IO have key differences in their scalability, data synchronization, API and query language, offline support, security, and integration with other technologies.

Gun vs Socket.IO

Overview