As application development accelerates across distributed environments, development teams are rethinking foundational tooling, starting with the runtime. For decades, JavaScript and Node.js have dominated the server-side narrative, but modern architectures demand more: more language flexibility, more performance, and more cost efficiency.
At Open Source Summit North America 2025, I sat down with Sam, co-founder and developer behind Elide, an open source polyglot runtime built on Oracle GraalVM. Elide reimagines Node.js not just for JavaScript, but for Java, Python, Ruby, and Kotlin with claims of up to 75x performance improvements. But beyond the benchmarks, Elide represents a deeper trend: the convergence of developer efficiency, system safety, and business value through smarter runtime engineering.
Runtime Bottlenecks Are Breaking Modern Pipelines
The expansion of JavaScript in backend environments has brought both innovation and inertia. While the Node.js ecosystem remains robust, performance ceilings, memory safety concerns, and monolithic toolchains are increasingly incompatible with today’s high-scale demands, especially in AI-enabled and cloud-native architectures.
Developers juggling multiple languages (Java, Python, Kotlin, JavaScript) are forced to context-switch across runtimes, package managers, and toolchains. As Sam noted, “Many Java or Python codebases have Node in them. They’re already polyglot but fragmented.” This fragmentation leads to bloated CI/CD pipelines, higher cloud compute bills, slower release cycles, and increased security risk, particularly around memory safety vulnerabilities.
In theCUBE Research’s own benchmarking, organizations adopting new runtimes report up to 75x performance improvements, with 20x compiler acceleration translating directly into cost and time savings across software delivery pipelines.
Elide Embraces Polyglot Interop and Compiler-Driven Velocity
Elide enters the scene as a drop-in replacement for Node. But it’s more than a JavaScript runtime. Built on GraalVM, Elide enables seamless polyglot development with true interop across Java, Python, Kotlin, JavaScript, and Ruby. No serialization layers. No process boundaries. Just unified tooling and shared memory spaces.
Sam explained that Elide is already showing real-world benchmarks like:
- 3x faster than standard Python
- 24x faster than Ruby
- 75x faster than Node.js in server request throughput, clocking over 800,000 RPS
This speed comes not just from GraalVM’s runtime efficiencies, but also from native compilers for Java and Kotlin. “We’ve embedded the compilers and removed the JVM warm-up penalty,” Sam shared. “Most users can expect 10–15x faster build times, which adds up quickly across CI/CD stages.”
Equally important, Elide’s approach is minimally disruptive. With Gradle and Maven plugins and GitHub-based open source distribution, the project emphasizes low-friction onboarding. “We meet developers where they are,” Sam said. “No one wants to rewrite everything.”
Rethinking Runtime Strategy in the Age of AI and Developer Velocity
Modern runtimes are no longer a niche concern but are core enablers of developer productivity and platform cost efficiency. Based on this conversation and ongoing research, I have three recommendations for leaders evaluating runtime shifts:
- Adopt Runtimes That Unify Languages and Teams
The polyglot approach is no longer an edge case, it’s the norm. Organizations should prioritize runtimes that support cross-language interop to reduce tool fragmentation, enable collaboration between frontend and backend teams, and minimize redundant hiring or retraining. - Invest in Compiler Performance to Accelerate CI/CD
Compiler speed directly affects developer feedback loops and release velocity. A 10–15x gain in build speed can reduce cloud compute cost, increase iteration frequency, and drive better time-to-market. - Prioritize Memory Safety as a Security Strategy
With 85% of vulnerabilities tied to memory safety, choosing runtimes like Elide (which default to memory-safe languages) can prevent entire classes of exploits which is a strategic move for risk-conscious CTOs and platform owners.
Conclusion
Elide may still be early in its journey (currently in beta) but it represents a broader inflection point in the evolution of development platforms. By prioritizing performance, safety, and interoperability, Elide tackles the core inefficiencies in today’s toolchains while providing a tangible economic upside.
More than just a faster Node.js, Elide is positioning itself as a new foundation for application development. One where language boundaries dissolve, CI/CD pipelines accelerate, and runtime becomes a competitive advantage. For developers and decision-makers alike, it’s time to reconsider what lies beneath the application stack.
As Sam aptly put it, “We’re here to give the industry a run for its money. Literally.”
