Spring Boot vs Spring MVC – Key Differences
Both Spring Boot and Spring MVC belong to the Spring ecosystem—but they serve different purposes.
Spring MVC → A web framework based on the MVC architecture (Controller → Model → View).
Spring Boot → A framework for building Spring applications quickly with auto-configuration and minimal setup.
(It includes Spring MVC when building web applications.)
Think of it like:
Spring MVC = tool for building web layers
Spring Boot = tool for building an entire application easily
🧩 1. Definition
Spring MVC
A web framework used to build web applications (REST APIs, HTML views) using the Model–View–Controller pattern.
It requires manual configuration for:
Dependencies
View resolvers
DispatcherServlet
Data sources
Security
Server container setup
Spring Boot
A rapid-application development framework built on top of Spring.
It automatically configures the application based on your dependencies.
It includes:
Auto-configuration
Embedded servers (Tomcat/Jetty/Netty)
Spring Boot Starter dependencies
Production-ready features (Actuator)
Spring Boot simplifies working with Spring MVC, Spring Data, Spring Security, etc.
⚙️ 2. Setup and Configuration
Spring MVC
Requires a web.xml or Java-based config.
Requires configuring DispatcherServlet manually.
Needs view resolvers defined explicitly.
Usually deployed to an external server (Tomcat/Jetty).
Example:
<servlet>
<servlet-name>dispatcher</servlet-name>
<servlet-class>org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet</servlet-class>
</servlet>
Spring Boot
No XML, minimal Java config.
Auto-configures DispatcherServlet, datasources, etc.
Comes with embedded servers.
Uses “starter” dependencies to simplify builds.
Boot application entry point:
@SpringBootApplication
public class Application {
public static void main(String[] args) {
SpringApplication.run(Application.class, args);
}
}
🚀 3. Development Speed
Framework Development Experience
Spring MVC Slower: more manual setup and configuration
Spring Boot Faster: opinionated defaults and auto-configuration
Spring Boot removes the boilerplate so developers can focus on business logic.
🌐 4. Deployment Model
Spring MVC Spring Boot
Packaged as WAR Runs as an executable JAR
Requires external Tomcat/Jetty Comes with embedded servers
More typical in older enterprise apps Standard for microservices and cloud-native apps
📦 5. Dependency Management
Spring MVC
Must add and manage all dependencies manually.
Spring Boot
Uses Starter dependencies (e.g., spring-boot-starter-web).
Reduces dependency management complexity.
Example Boot dependency:
<dependency>
<groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
<artifactId>spring-boot-starter-web</artifactId>
</dependency>
🔍 6. Features Comparison Table
Feature Spring MVC Spring Boot
Type Web framework Application framework
Auto-configuration ❌ No ✔ Yes
Embedded server ❌ No ✔ Yes
XML configuration Often required Not required
Starter dependencies ❌ No ✔ Yes
Opinionated defaults ❌ No ✔ Yes
Microservices support Moderate Excellent
Actuator endpoints ❌ No ✔ Yes
Complexity Higher Lower
🧠 7. Relationship Between the Two
Spring Boot uses Spring MVC when you include Web dependencies.
Spring MVC is just one module inside the Spring ecosystem.
You can think of Spring Boot as a wrapper that:
simplifies configuration
reduces boilerplate
provides production-ready defaults
makes Spring MVC easier to use
Spring Boot = Spring MVC + Auto Configuration + Embedded Servers + Dev Tools + Starters
🤔 8. When to Use What
Use Spring MVC when:
You need full control of configuration.
You’re maintaining or integrating traditional/legacy Spring apps.
Deploying on strict enterprise servers with WARs.
You prefer XML or explicit configuration.
Use Spring Boot when:
Starting new projects.
Building REST APIs or microservices.
Deploying to cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP).
You want rapid development.
You prefer convention over configuration.
📝 Summary
Aspect Spring MVC Spring Boot
Purpose Web/MVC framework Full application framework
Focus Web layer & controllers Auto-config, ease of setup
Requires manual setup Yes No
Embedded server No Yes
Ideal for Legacy projects, full control Modern apps, microservices
In short:
Spring MVC builds your web layer.
Spring Boot builds your whole application quickly (and often uses Spring MVC under the hood).
Learn Full Stack JAVA Course in Hyderabad
Read More
What is Spring Framework? An Overview
Java Backend Architecture – MVC Explained
🔙 Backend Development with Java
Visit Our Quality Thought Institute in Hyderabad
Subscribe by Email
Follow Updates Articles from This Blog via Email
No Comments