Google Web Toolkit vs Kotlin/JS
Google Web Toolkit
gwtproject.org
Kotlin/JS
kotlinlang.orgSide by side
| Figure | Google Web Toolkit | Kotlin/JS |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Code Transpilers | 8.3 (#6) | 7.8 (#15) |
| Founded | 2006 | 2000 |
| Purpose | Google Web Toolkit is an open source Java software development framework for writing AJAX applications. | Kotlin/JS transpiles Kotlin code, the Kotlin standard library, and compatible dependencies to JavaScript. |
| Support | Questions can be posted to the GWT developer discussion group on Google Groups, where the engineering and operations team participates. | The Kotlin documentation directs users to the #javascript channel in Kotlin Slack to discuss Kotlin/JS with the community and team. |
| Testing | The developer guide includes unit testing with JUnit and code coverage with Emma. | Kotlin/JS supports browser tests through Karma or a new experimental browser testing DSL, and uses Mocha for Node.js projects. |
Plans
In their own words
Google Web Toolkit
Google Web Toolkit (GWT) is a free, open-source Java framework for building AJAX web applications. Its compiler converts Java applications into JavaScript and HTML for browser use, and the SDK includes the core libraries and compiler. Deferred binding generates browser-specific code at compile time, while the compiler can create separate application versions for different browsers and languages. Applications can communicate asynchronously with servers through GWT RPC or JSON. An Eclipse plugin provides IDE support and an option to install the SDK. The developer guide covers deployment to Google App Engine, JUnit unit testing and Emma code coverage; documentation also includes SafeHtml guidance for XSS prevention and GWT RPC XSRF protection. GWT is licensed under Apache 2.0 for non-commercial, commercial and enterprise applications. Version 2.13.1 is listed for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. Development mode and the compiler periodically send a timestamp ID and product version to Google; Google says it does not log cookies or personal information. The webAppCreator utility has been deprecated since version 2.11.0.
Kotlin/JS
Kotlin/JS is a Kotlin compiler target that converts Kotlin code, the Kotlin standard library, and compatible dependencies into JavaScript. Projects can target browsers or Node.js, including server-side and serverless applications. It supports ES5, ES2015, and ES2020 output, as well as ESM, CommonJS, UMD, and AMD modules. Projects use the Kotlin Multiplatform Gradle plugin for configuration, bundling, and JavaScript dependencies from npm. Kotlin/JS can share logic between web frontends and JVM backends, or across Android, iOS, and web clients. Kotlin wrappers are available for React and other JavaScript frameworks, including React Redux, React Router, and styled-components. Browser tests can use Karma or an experimental browser testing DSL; Node.js projects use Mocha. The documentation notes that Karma is deprecated and is not expected to receive new features or bug fixes. The Gradle plugin generates JavaScript source maps for builds. Kotlin/JS is open source and free at free, and is listed for Linux, macOS, web, and Windows.