Native Client vs asm.js

Developers should learn Native Client for building high-performance web applications that require intensive computation, such as games, multimedia processing, or scientific simulations, where JavaScript performance is insufficient meets developers should learn asm. Here's our take.

Native Client

Nice Pick

Developers should learn Native Client for building high-performance web applications that require intensive computation, such as games, multimedia processing, or scientific simulations, where JavaScript performance is insufficient

Pros

• It is particularly useful when porting existing C/C++ codebases to the web without rewriting them in JavaScript, offering a bridge between native desktop applications and web platforms
• Related to: webassembly, c

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

asm.js

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

The Verdict

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

The Bottom Line

Native Client wins

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