Spring vs Spring Boot: What is the Difference

Spring and Spring Boot are popular Java frameworks that are widely used in enterprise and web development.

While both frameworks have similar features and capabilities, they have some key differences that make them suitable for different types of projects.

In this article, we will take a closer look at Spring and Spring Boot, compare their features and capabilities, and discuss when to use each framework.


What is Spring?

Spring is a framework that provides a range of features for building enterprise Java applications.

Some of the key features of Spring include dependency injection and aspect-oriented programming.

Dependency injection allows developers to decouple the different components of an application, making it easier to test and maintain.

Aspect-oriented programming, meanwhile, allows developers to add cross-cutting concerns, such as logging and security, to an application without having to scatter that code throughout the application.

What is Spring Boot?

Spring Boot is a framework that builds on top of Spring to simplify development and make it easier to create stand-alone, production-ready applications.

One of the key features of Spring Boot is automatic configuration, which allows developers to quickly set up a new project without having to manually configure all of the different components.

Spring Boot also includes starter dependencies, which are pre-configured sets of libraries that can be easily added to a project to add functionality.

Comparison of Spring and Spring Boot

While both Spring and Spring Boot provide similar features and capabilities, they have some key differences that make them suitable for different types of projects.

Spring is a more powerful and flexible framework that is better suited for enterprise Java development.

Spring Boot, on the other hand, is simpler and easier to use, making it a good choice for microservices and web development.


Conclusion

In summary, Spring and Spring Boot are both popular Java frameworks that provide a range of features for building robust and scalable applications.

While Spring is more powerful and flexible, Spring Boot is simpler and easier to use. Developers should choose the framework that best meets the needs of their specific project.