asm.js vs WebAssembly

Developers should learn asm meets developers should learn webassembly when building performance-critical web applications, such as games, video editing tools, or scientific simulations, where javascript may be too slow. Here's our take.

asm.js

Nice Pick

Developers should learn asm

Pros

• js when they need to port existing C/C++ codebases to the web while maintaining high performance, as it provides a straightforward compilation path with minimal overhead
• Related to: javascript, webassembly

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

WebAssembly

Developers should learn WebAssembly when building performance-critical web applications, such as games, video editing tools, or scientific simulations, where JavaScript may be too slow

Pros

• It's also useful for porting existing codebases from languages like C++ to the web without rewriting them in JavaScript
• Related to: javascript, rust

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. asm.js is a language while WebAssembly is a platform. We picked asm.js based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

asm.js wins

Based on overall popularity. asm.js is more widely used, but WebAssembly excels in its own space.