Quarkus vs Thymeleaf: What are the differences?

Introduction

In this article, we will explore the key differences between Quarkus and Thymeleaf, two popular technologies used in web development.

1. Development approach: Quarkus is a Java framework specifically designed for building cloud-native applications. It offers a reactive and serverless approach, allowing developers to write efficient and scalable code. On the other hand, Thymeleaf is a server-side Java template engine that focuses on generating dynamic web content. It enables the seamless integration of templates into web applications.

2. Language support: Quarkus primarily supports Java language, allowing developers to leverage existing Java libraries and frameworks. Thymeleaf, on the other hand, provides support for multiple programming languages, including Java, JavaScript, and even other server-side scripting languages like Groovy and Kotlin.

3. Architecture: Quarkus follows a microservices and container-first architecture, enabling lightweight and efficient applications. It leverages technologies like Eclipse MicroProfile and GraalVM for enhanced performance. On the other hand, Thymeleaf is architecture-agnostic and can be integrated into various types of web applications, ranging from monolithic to microservices-based architectures.

4. Server-side rendering vs. client-side rendering: Quarkus primarily focuses on server-side rendering, where the rendering of web content is handled on the server before being sent to the client's browser. This approach is suitable for applications that need to perform complex server-side processing and rendering. Thymeleaf, on the other hand, supports both server-side and client-side rendering, allowing for a more flexible approach depending on the requirements of the application.

5. Dependency management: Quarkus offers built-in dependency management and extension system, which allows developers to easily include and manage required libraries and extensions in their projects. Thymeleaf, on the other hand, relies on traditional dependency management systems like Maven or Gradle for managing project dependencies.

6. Template-driven vs. code-driven development: Thymeleaf provides a template-driven development approach, where developers focus on creating HTML templates with embedded dynamic elements and expressions. Quarkus, on the other hand, emphasizes a code-driven development approach, where developers write code to define the behavior and logic of the application.

In summary, Quarkus and Thymeleaf differ in their development approach, language support, architecture, rendering approach, dependency management, and development style. While Quarkus is focused on building cloud-native applications using Java, Thymeleaf offers an agnostic template engine that supports multiple programming languages and can be integrated into various types of web applications.