Last updated: 2024-09-25
The JPA Buddy Alternative for database development
JPA Buddy is an IntelliJ plugin that supports the creation and further development of the database layer of Spring Boot apps. With Bootify, complete Spring Boot applications including the database schema can be generated. In which cases is Bootify a good alternative to JPA Buddy?
Comparison of both tools
- Development process
JPA Buddy is available as an IntelliJ plugin and therefore limited to this IDE. All changes are integrated into the existing code directly from the IDE using the tool. Bootify is used to generate the code for an entire Spring Boot application in the browser, which can then be adjusted in any IDE. The database schema is created in the Entity tab or imported using an SQL script.
A database schema created in Bootify
Using Bootify's Git export, changes can be exported directly to a target branch at any time.
- Features
The database schema for Spring Data can be customized and extended in both tools. This provides the JPA / Hibernate entities and Flyway / Liquibase changelogs if required. Bootify includes all typically required options such as JSON data types, Many-to-many relations, @MappedSuperclass and more. JPA Buddy offers even more detailed settings, but is therefore more difficult to use.
If a breakpoint is added in Bootify, all changes to the database schema are automatically collected in a new Flyway or Liquibase changelog. A similar function is available in JPA Buddy with a comparison of database or model versions.
- Usability
JPA Buddy is designed for more experienced developers who want to go deeper into JPA details and optimize database interactions. Bootify is aimed more at users who do not want to set every detail manually and therefore offers a faster solution with fewer options. After the download, additional customizations and refinements can be made.
- Pricing
Both JPA Buddy and Bootify are offered in the freemium model, whereas in both cases the changelog generation for Flyway and Liquibase is only included in the paid upgrade. The SQL import of Bootify for the creation of entities (and DTOs) from an existing schema is already included in the Free plan, for the comparable reverse engineering of JPA Buddy an upgrade is necessary. For all features of JPA Buddy, an IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate license must be purchased, which is significantly more expensive than the Professional plan of Bootify - however, the additional features besides database development are not comparable.
Conclusion
Both JPA Buddy and Bootify can be used to develop the database level of a Spring Boot application. JPA Buddy specializes precisely on this task and therefore provides more extensive options, but is also more difficult to learn and operate. With Bootify, the entire Spring Boot application including Spring Data can be created and maintained in the long term.
JPA Buddy can be particularly useful for the further development of existing applications. Bootify is ideal for greenfield projects and also supports the long-term development of the database schema and the entire application with the automatic Git export and changelogs. It is also possible to use both tools in combination.
