JavaScript or Ruby - Which is Best for Beginners ?

Last Updated : 02 Sep, 2024

There are many languages that are quite popular in the market and are widely used such as Python, Go, Java, Ruby, PHP, Kotlin, and many more. In this article, we will learn about Ruby which is a purely object-oriented, and general-purpose programming language JavaScript which is a high-level scripting language, its features, advantages, and disadvantages, and their differences.

What is Javascript?

JavaScript is a programming language that conforms to the ECMAScript specification. It is a high-level scripting language introduced by Netscape in 1995 to be run on the client side of the web browser. It can insert dynamic text into HTML. Browser’s language is another name for JavaScript.

Features of JavaScript

It supports functional programming.
It is a lightweight and case-sensitive language.
It is platform-independent.
It validates the user's input.

Benefits of JavaScript

It supports all modern browsers.
Global companies support community development by creating projects. An example is Google and Facebook.
It gets executed on the client environment which further saves lots of bandwidth and makes the process of execution faster.

Drawbacks of JavaScript

Sometimes it takes a long time to load if there is much JavaScript content added to the website.
As it is a client-side language, there may be slight differences in the performance depending on the browsers.
Disabling JavaScript can hinder a web page.

What is Ruby?

Ruby is a high-level, object-oriented, and general-purpose programming language. It is an interpreted programming language. In the mid-1990s, it was developed by Yukihiro “Matz” Matsumoto in Japan. Companies that are using Ruby are Github, Shopify, Twitter, Airbnb, Dribbble, etc. It has become one of the most powerful programming languages.

Features of Ruby

It is a high-level, general-purpose, and interpreted programming language.
It is a server-side scripting language.
It has an easy syntax which is quite similar to other programming languages such as C++.
It is highly scalable and easily maintainable.

Benefits of Ruby

It offers plenty of features for web development.
It is consistent in nature.
Libraries play an important role in development, so there are many libraries being maintained and developed using Ruby.

Drawbacks of Ruby

It is not the fastest language.
It has limited libraries and tools.
It is quite expensive to use.

Difference between JavaScript and Ruby

Here are the following difference between JavaScript and Ruby

	JavaScript	Ruby
Syntactic Difference	It takes a long time for variable declaration and assignment.	It takes less time compared with JavaScript for variable declaration and assignment.
Programming Language	It is a front-end and also back-end programming language.	It is a back-end programming language.
Performance	Due to its highly optimized engine, it is almost 20 times faster than Ruby.	The performance is quite slow in Ruby.
Scalability	The Scalability of JavaScript is on the higher side when compared with Ruby due to the presence of NodeJS.	It is not as scalable as JavaScript.
Usage	It is used when an application needs to be developed in less time. It can also be used for full-stack development due to the presence of Node JS.	When an application needs to be developed by heavy CPU process and with few lines of code. It can't be used for full-stack development.
Companies	Instagram, eBay, Codecademy, Firebase, etc are the companies that use JavaScript.	Instacart, Task Rabbit, Fab, etc are some of the companies that use Ruby.
Monitoring Memory Utilization	There is no ability to monitor memory utilization.	There is an ability to monitor memory utilization.
Ease-of-Use	It is easy to develop.	It is hard when compared with JavaScript, so a good programmer is required for this language.
Debugging	Debugging is easy.	Debugging is difficult due to the presence of multiple layers of abstraction which then takes time to fix the errors.
Integration	It can be integrated with applications like Auth0, Parcel, Yarn, Buttercup, etc.	It can be integrated with applications like Rails, Bitrise, Auth0, Sinatra, etc.

Which Language is Best for Beginners?

Ruby is easy in learning than JavaScript. Ruby's syntax is quite easy and it teaches beginners good programming. Also, it has frameworks that are reusable, which further made the language simple for the coder. On the other hand, JavaScript is in great demand. Though it is not hard to learn but not as easy as learning Ruby. Even JavaScript offers both front-end and back-end support. Both languages are popular in their respective areas and have large community support. One can choose Ruby as a beginner if learning JavaScript is not urgent.

Which is Better for Web Development & Mobile Apps?

Both Ruby and JavaScript are two excellent languages for developing web applications but the weightage for developing applications goes to JavaScript. Over time, it has evolved into one of the most powerful languages of all programming languages. Due to the creation of Node JS in JavaScript, it can go for both front-end and back-end parts and can develop a full-stack web application. JavaScript is a better option for developing web and mobile applications. The rise of popularity of frameworks like React JS, JQuery, Angular, and Vue has made JavaScript even more popular. Also, as it is a full-stack development language, JavaScript can create frontend design, backend design, and Mobile applications easily.

Conclusion

JavaScript and Ruby each offer unique strengths, making them suited to different types of projects. JavaScript, being a versatile language primarily used for client-side development, has a vast ecosystem that includes powerful frameworks like React, Angular, and Node.js for server-side applications. Its ability to run in both browsers and servers makes it an ideal choice for full-stack development and real-time applications.

On the other hand, Ruby, especially with the Ruby on Rails framework, excels in rapid web application development due to its elegant syntax and "convention over configuration" philosophy. Ruby on Rails emphasizes developer productivity and streamlined workflows, making it a strong choice for startups and projects requiring quick prototyping and development.