Rhino vs GraalVM

Developers should learn Rhino when working on Java projects that require JavaScript integration, such as building plugins, automating tasks with scripts, or creating dynamic web applications where Java and JavaScript need to interact meets developers should learn graalvm when building high-performance, polyglot applications that require low latency and reduced memory footprint, such as cloud-native microservices, serverless functions, or data processing pipelines. Here's our take.

Rhino

Nice Pick

Developers should learn Rhino when working on Java projects that require JavaScript integration, such as building plugins, automating tasks with scripts, or creating dynamic web applications where Java and JavaScript need to interact

Pros

• It is particularly useful in environments like Apache Sling or older Java-based systems where embedded scripting is needed for customization or rapid prototyping without recompiling Java code
• Related to: javascript, java

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

GraalVM

Developers should learn GraalVM when building high-performance, polyglot applications that require low latency and reduced memory footprint, such as cloud-native microservices, serverless functions, or data processing pipelines

Pros

• It is particularly useful for Java applications seeking faster startup times and lower memory usage through native image compilation, and for projects that integrate multiple languages, enabling efficient cross-language calls without heavy overhead
• Related to: java, native-image

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. Rhino is a tool while GraalVM is a platform. We picked Rhino based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

Rhino wins

Based on overall popularity. Rhino is more widely used, but GraalVM excels in its own space.