Spring Boot vs Undertow: What are the differences?

Introduction

In this article, we will discuss the key differences between Spring Boot and Undertow.

1. Embedded Server and Container: Spring Boot is a framework that provides an embedded server and container, allowing you to deploy your application as a standalone executable JAR file. On the other hand, Undertow is a lightweight web server that can be used as a standalone server or embedded within an application.

2. Configuration Options: Spring Boot offers extensive configuration options, allowing you to easily configure and modify various aspects of your application without writing a lot of code. It provides a convention-over-configuration approach, making it easier to set up and get started. Undertow, on the other hand, is more flexible and allows you to fine-tune the server configuration based on your specific needs.

3. Dependency Management: Spring Boot provides a powerful dependency management system, known as "Spring Boot Starter", which simplifies the management of external dependencies in your application. It automatically manages and resolves dependencies, reducing the overall complexity of your project. Undertow does not provide a built-in dependency management system but can be easily integrated with other dependency management tools like Maven or Gradle.

4. Web Framework Support: Spring Boot is built on top of the Spring Framework, which is a mature and widely used Java framework for building web applications. It provides extensive support for various web frameworks and technologies, such as Spring MVC, Spring Data, and Spring Security. Undertow, on the other hand, is a lightweight web server that does not provide built-in support for specific web frameworks or technologies. It can be used with any web framework or technology of your choice.

5. Performance and Scalability: Undertow is known for its lightweight and high-performance nature. It is designed to handle a large number of concurrent connections efficiently, making it a good choice for high-performance applications. Spring Boot, on the other hand, provides a more feature-rich environment but may introduce some overhead due to its layered architecture. However, Spring Boot can also be optimized for performance by using techniques like caching, connection pooling, and load balancing.

6. Community and Ecosystem: Spring Boot has a large and active community, with a wealth of documentation, tutorials, and third-party libraries available. It is widely used and supported by many organizations and developers. Undertow, while not as popular as Spring Boot, also has a dedicated community and provides good documentation and support.

In summary, Spring Boot is a powerful framework that provides an embedded server, extensive configuration options, dependency management, web framework support, and a large community. Undertow, on the other hand, is a lightweight web server that offers flexibility, high performance, and integration with various web frameworks and technologies.