Modern backend development has been dominated by JavaScript runtimes like Node.js for many years. Node.js changed the way developers build web applications by bringing JavaScript to the server side and enabling fast development with a huge ecosystem.

But as applications become more distributed, real-time, and highly concurrent, many developers are looking at another technology: Elixir.

So, what is Elixir? Why would someone choose it over Node.js? Let's explore.

What is Elixir?

Elixir is a functional programming language built on top of the Erlang Virtual Machine (BEAM).