Java versus Scala: Advantages and Disadvantages

There are many programming languages people can choose from, but sometimes having too many choices can be a challenge rather than an advantage. As the online world constantly progresses, programming also becomes more and more impressive.

In order to simplify the choosing aspect, here we will see two of the top-rated ones by making a Java versus Scala comparison. We will address both the advantages and disadvantages of these two languages, so you can easily pick which type of developer you need to hire.

Therefore, let’s start with the older one.

What Is Java and Its Advantages and Disadvantages

Java is an object-oriented and multi-platform programming language with a general-purpose, made by Sun Microsystems back in 1995, and eventually, it was acquired by Oracle. It’s interesting that it’s a programming language but also a computing platform for app development. That’s why if you decide to search for Java developers for hire, you will most certainly make a fantastic choice.

The source codes are compiled to bytecode, which runs on JVM, and this always applies, no matter the architecture. Java is reliable, fast, and a secure programming language made to have little implementation dependencies. It has been ranked in the top five programming languages for years now, and it’s a write once, run anywhere language.

Advantages of Java

One thing is for sure, considering the fact that Java has been at the top of the market for almost 30 years, it’s evident that this programming language has a lot to offer. So, let’s begin the Java versus Scala comparison of both sides, starting with the Java advantages:

• The most significant advantage is that Java is easy to learn
• It’s a robust and extremely secure language
• Since it’s been on the market for 27 years, there are many resources available online
• Its popularity is impressively enormous; therefore, it can be found anywhere
• There is no need to manage memory since it has a garbage collector
• It’s perfect for making object-oriented apps
• Once a code is written, it can run at anytime
• It provides the advantage of performing several tasks at the same time
• One can write code once and run it almost on any platform

As you can see, Java offers many powerful advantages, from strong cybersecurity to running code almost on any platform and everything in between. Now, let’s see some disadvantages.

Disadvantages of Java

Of course, nothing in this world is perfect, and the same goes for Java. So here are some disadvantages of this language, even though there aren’t many.

• It usually takes up more memory
• It also consumes more memory, which sometimes makes it slower
• Its default GUI apps are quite different from native apps

More or less, these are the main disadvantages, so let’s move on with the Java versus Scala comparison by addressing the Scala advantages.

What Is Scala and Its Advantages and Disadvantages

Scala is also a general-purpose language, which is high-level but statically-typed, has functional programming, and is object-oriented. It is mainly used with JVM, but one can also use it to write software for other platforms as well. It has native ones using Scala-native and JavaScript runtimes through it.

This programming language was released back in 2004, which means that it has less experience than Java. Scala is highly scalable, and it’s referred to as one of the popular programming languages in the world today. It was made to express general patterns in a refined, safe, and concise way.

Advantages of Scala

Since Scala is a language that wants to become what Java has been for quite some time, it has to offer something more. Whether it succeeds is yet to be seen, but still, Scala also has some advantages.

• It’s also easy to learn
• Since it’s highly scalable, it can build highly concurrent systems
• You can execute Java code with Scala
• Its expressive typing system ensures security
• It has an exact syntax that eliminates boilerplate code
• It’s both object-oriented and functional

It’s evident that when it comes to the Java versus Scala comparison, Java is the dominating force, but it’s fair to say that Scala is doing a good job by improving continuously. Now, let’s see some Scala disadvantages.

Disadvantages of Scala

• It doesn’t have much backward compatibility
• Compared to Java, it has a much more limited online community presence
• Its tools are not as good as Java’s, especially not the IDE plug-ins
• Even though it’s easy to learn, it has concepts that many programmers don’t know and have to spend more time to learn them

As you can see, even though Scala has some good advantages, Java is for sure the preferred choice. It has better features, it’s more effective, and one can use the Java help center and more extensive online community to find help; therefore, it’s a much better choice.

So, if you are in a situation where you have to decide which developer is a better option, you can see from this Java versus Scala comparison that Java developers, especially experienced ones, are the way to go.