Side by side
Spring Initializr vs ts-proto
Both stand on code generators. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan APIExtensionLinux+4
Spring Initializr offers a flexible way to generate JVM projects, with API access, documented clients, and options for custom services. Its pre-1.0 status and limited extensibility of the included web UI matter if you plan to build on it.
Visit Spring Initializr Free plan APILinuxMac+1
Choose ts-proto if your project needs TypeScript code generated from .proto files, including service clients for its supported frameworks. Look elsewhere if you need runtime reflection, dynamic schema loading, or clients for Google Cloud APIs based on google.api.http.
Visit ts-protoThe facts
| Spring Initializr | ts-proto | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | API, Extension, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows | API, Linux, Mac, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | start.spring.io | github.com |
| On code generators | #18 of 33 | #22 of 33 |
Spring Initializr: what it does well
- Supports Java, Kotlin, and Groovy.
- Offers Maven and Gradle project generation.
- Endpoints provide projects and metadata.
- Custom metadata and project conventions are supported.
- Documented clients include IDEs and command-line tools.
What to know first
- The repository describes the project as pre-1.0.
- Major refactoring is still possible.
- Its custom web UI is not designed for easy extension.
ts-proto: what it does well
- Generates TypeScript interfaces and message serialization methods.
- Converts messages to and from JSON.
- Supports Twirp, grpc-web, grpc-js, and NestJS clients.
- Maps Protobuf well-known types to native TypeScript or JSON types.
- Apache-2.0 licensed open-source repository.
What to know first
- Does not support runtime reflection or dynamic .proto files.
- Does not generate clients for google.api.http-based Google Cloud APIs.
- Generates code for RPC frameworks but is not an RPC framework itself.
Alternatives to Spring Initializr Alternatives to ts-proto The whole list