Elixir vs. JavaScript vs. Wasp vs. WebAssembly Comparison Chart

Elixir is a dynamic, functional language for building scalable and maintainable applications. Elixir leverages the Erlang VM, known for running low-latency, distributed, and fault-tolerant systems. Elixir is successfully used in web development, embedded software, data ingestion, and multimedia processing, across a wide range of industries. Check our getting started guide and our learning page to begin your journey with Elixir. All Elixir code runs inside lightweight threads of execution (called processes) that are isolated and exchange information via messages. Due to their lightweight nature, it is not uncommon to have hundreds of thousands of processes running concurrently in the same machine. Isolation allows processes to be garbage collected independently, reducing system-wide pauses, and using all machine resources as efficiently as possible (vertical scaling). Processes are also able to communicate with other processes running on different machines in the same network.

Wasp is a full-stack web application framework that allows developers to build apps faster with less boilerplate code. It integrates React for frontend development, Node.js for backend, and Prisma for database management, enabling developers to focus on the essential parts of their app. The framework’s declarative syntax and simplified configuration mean that developers can describe their app's high-level structure in a .wasp file, and the system automatically handles much of the repetitive work, including routing, authentication, and API management. Wasp's goal is to simplify app development without sacrificing flexibility, making it ideal for building MVPs and production-ready applications.