Comparison between Node.js and JavaScript:
| Feature | JavaScript | Node.js |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A scripting language used mainly in browsers | A runtime environment to run JavaScript on the server |
| Environment | Runs in web browsers (e.g., Chrome, Firefox) | Runs outside the browser, on servers or terminals |
| Purpose | Used for front-end (UI) interactions | Used for back-end/server-side development |
| Access to DOM | Has access to the browser's DOM | No DOM access |
| APIs Available | Web APIs like window, document, fetch | Node APIs like fs, http, path, os, etc. |
| Execution Engine | Runs inside browser’s JS engine (like V8) | Uses Chrome's V8 engine directly |
| Modules | Uses ES modules (import/export) | Uses CommonJS (require, module.exports) (mostly) |
| Use Case | Creating dynamic content on web pages | Creating web servers, APIs, file systems, real-time apps |
| Package Manager | No built-in package manager | Uses npm (Node Package Manager) |
✅ Summary:
- JavaScript is the language.
- Node.js is the environment where JavaScript can run outside the browser, especially for server-side applications.