What is the Difference between Java and JavaScript?
Many non-technical people believe that Java and JavaScript are similar programming languages. It is because their name sounds similar by having “Java” as an initial word. On the other hand, some believe that java and JavaScript are two different names assuming they use the same programming languages. But it’s a high alert that Java and JavaScript are completely two different programming languages. JavaScript language is not at all dependent on the java programming language. One can get the difference between java and JavaScript from this article.
Contents
What is Java?
Java is an object-oriented programming language, introduced by Sun microsystems in the year 1995. In today’s technical world java has become the key programming language as a java programming language is required to build many applications like audio, video, gaming, social media applications, and more.
Java Applications

- Android apps
- Information Technology
- Big Data
- Retail
- Banking
- Stock market
- Big Data
- Scientific and research community
What is Javascript?
Javascript is a scripting language introduced by Brandan Eich in 1995. Generally, Javascript is used for both server-side and client-side programming. the scripting language is applicable in making dynamic changes to webpages and providing user interactive elements to CSS pages.
JavaScript Applications

- For server-side technologies like Node.js, MongoDB, Express.js
- In front-end technologies like AngularJS, ReactJS, jQuery, and Ember.js
- Dynamic Single-Page applications SPAs
- Mobile App development using PhoneGap, React Native, and more
Difference between Java and Javascript

JAVA | JavaScript |
Java is a programming language | JavaScript is a scripting language |
Sun Microsystems has launched Java | Netscape developed the JavaScript |
This is an object-oriented programming language | This is an object-based scripting language |
It is a standalone language | It is not a standalone language because it needs to be integrated with HTML |
Java program is executed after compilation | JavaScript integrated with HTML and then executed |
Any web browser is not needed to run java programs | Web browsers necessary to run the JavaScript |
Code written in Java demands large memory | JavaScript doesn’t need large memory |
Java programs are saved using the “.java” extension | Javascript uses the “.js” as an extension to save programs |
It is stored as Byte code in host machines | This script saved to the host machine as the source text |
Multi-threading is used here to perform any complicated tasks | It is impossible to run complicated tasks using JavaScript |
Declaring variables before using them in a program is necessary for Java programs | Javascript doesn’t require to follow these rules |
Java is known as a strongly typed language because of its tough rules | JavaScript is termed as a weekly typed language and has relaxed syntax hence |
It is a complex language to learn and develop | It is an easy scripting language to learn and implement |
Major key differences between Java and JavaScript
- JavaScript is the scripting language that helps to create interactive web pages, and Java is a multi-platform, network-centric, and object-oriented language.
- once Java code is created it can be run on almost all of the computing platforms, but JavaScript is a cross-platform language.
- Java is a static programming language where JavaScript is a dynamic language.
- to save the Java code we use the “.java” file extension wherein in JavaScript we use the “.js” extension.
Observe the code snippets to know the major differences between Java and JavaScript. Code to display “Hello world!” as the final output.
Code to print “Hello world! ” in Java
class A { public static void main(String args[]){ System.out.println("Hello World!"); } } output Hello World!
Code to print “Hello world! ” in JavaScript
<!DOCTYPE html> <html> <body> <h2> Welcome to JavaScript Tutorial</h2> <script type= "text/javascript"> document.write("Hello World!"); </script> </body> </html> output Hello World!
Benefits of using Java
- Its Better performance
- Availability of detailed documentation
- More number of Java skilled developers available
- Huge benefits from the third party libraries
- Java is multi-threaded in nature so, it allows performing multiple tasks at a time
- Easy to navigate libraries.
Benefits of using JavaScript
- It is a specially designed tool for small scripts
- The compiled JavaScript runs in any browser
- Its an open-source Microsoft project of patronage
- Enables cross-compilation
- Supports classes, modules, and interfaces
- JavaScript is extendable for writing large apps
- It permits to create of interfaces that interact with users when the mouse hovers.
- Provides immediate feedback to the visitors
- JavaScript can also be used to store and retrieve the user’s information from a computer
In search of sensing the difference between Java and JavaScript, we have seen many key features of Java and JavaScript. we also listed some pros of both the languages and now, let’s list some cons of using Java and Javascript in the applications.
disadvantages of Java
Though Java code can solve some complex problems of today’s world, there are some disadvantages of using Java.
- The JIT compiler of Java makes the code slow
- Java code requires more memory and processing time hence, the hardware cost may increases
- users do not have any control to decrease garbage, as there are no options like free(), delete()
- Java never accepts programming constructs like pointers, as they belong to low-level languages
Disadvantages of JavaScript
- For security reasons, client-side JavaScript does not enable reading or writing actions to its script
- JavaScript does not have any of the multi-processor multi-threading to perform multiple tasks simultaneously
- JavaScript cannot be used for networking applications as there no support for it
Conclusion
By now I hope it is clear that Java and Javascript are two different programming languages though their names are homogenous. Fresh computer science graduates are necessarily master in both the languages, as it shows their coding repertoire. In fact, having Java and JavaScript under one’s belt will help a programmer more employable, and they may get opportunities to avail themselves more lucrative jobs.
Pingback: Difference between C and C++ Programming languages -