Beego vs Revel: What are the differences?

Introduction

When considering web frameworks in Go language, Beego and Revel are two popular choices. Both frameworks have their strengths and limitations, catering to different needs and preferences of developers. Below are key differences between Beego and Revel.

1. Architecture Design: Beego follows the MVC (Model-View-Controller) pattern, providing a structured way to develop web applications by separating the application into models, views, and controllers. On the other hand, Revel implements a different design called the Model-View-Controller-Template (MVCT) pattern, which includes an extra layer called the template layer for handling the rendering of views.

2. Performance and Speed: Beego is known for its speed and performance, as it is lightweight and efficient, making it a suitable choice for building high-performance web applications. Revel, on the other hand, sacrifices a bit of performance for its high-level features and ease of use, making it more suitable for rapid development or prototyping.

3. Code Generation: Beego provides built-in tools for code generation, such as bee tool, which helps in tasks like scaffolding controllers, models, and CRUD operations. On the contrary, Revel does not have a built-in code generation tool, which might require developers to write more code manually, leading to a longer development time.

4. Dependency Management: Beego has integrated support for Go modules, making it easier to manage dependencies and handle third-party packages efficiently. In contrast, Revel relies on the traditional GOPATH system for dependency management, which can be less intuitive and cumbersome when dealing with multiple dependencies.

5. Flexibility and Extensibility: Beego allows developers to have more flexibility in choosing different components or libraries for their applications, as it does not enforce strict conventions. Revel, on the other hand, follows strict conventions and has limited extensibility options, which may restrict developers in certain scenarios.

6. Learning Curve and Documentation: Beego has a steeper learning curve compared to Revel, especially for beginners, due to its flexibility and the need to make decisions on various aspects of the application structure. Revel, with its opinionated design and comprehensive documentation, offers a more beginner-friendly experience, making it easier to get started with building web applications.

In Summary, Beego and Revel differ in architecture design, performance, code generation, dependency management, flexibility, and learning curve, providing developers with distinct options for building web applications in Go.