Comparison
JustScale vs Encore
Both infer infrastructure from code, but draw the line differently.
JustScale and Encore both let you describe a backend in code and let the framework handle plumbing, but their scope differs. Encore is an infrastructure-from-code platform: you declare resources (databases, pub/sub, cron, secrets) in code and Encore provisions and wires the cloud infrastructure, with an optional development platform and dashboard. JustScale is a framework that stays inside your application: it provides durable processes, an ID-free domain model, and distributed primitives through swappable adapters, and leaves provisioning to you.
Choose Encore when you want the platform to provision and manage cloud infrastructure and you like its integrated workflow and dashboard. Choose JustScale when you want durable workflows and a strict domain model without adopting a platform, keeping your infrastructure choices behind adapters you control.
JustScale vs Encore at a glance
| Aspect | JustScale | Encore |
|---|---|---|
| Primary scope | Application framework (durable processes + DDD + transport) | Infrastructure-from-code platform that provisions cloud resources |
| Infrastructure | Bring your own, wired via adapters (Postgres, Redis, ...) | Declared in code and provisioned by Encore |
| Durable workflows | First-class durable processes with signals and timers | Pub/sub and cron primitives; not a durable-process model |
| Domain modeling | ID-free domain, type-states, Locked<T> mutations | Unopinionated domain modeling |
| Platform lock-in | None; framework only | Tighter coupling to the Encore platform/tooling |
| Dashboard / tooling | Use your own observability (OpenTelemetry) | Built-in dashboard and development tooling |
Choose JustScale when
- You want durable workflows and a strict domain model, but want to own your infrastructure choices.
- You want auth, queryable permissions, OpenAPI, and a testing harness in the framework, without adopting a platform.
- You prefer a framework you can drop into any deployment without platform coupling.
- Distributed primitives (locks, channels) and durable processes are central to your design.
Choose Encore when
- You want the platform to provision and manage cloud infrastructure for you.
- You like an integrated dashboard and development workflow out of the box.
- Infrastructure-from-code provisioning is the main value you are after.
Switching from Encore
- Encore services map to JustScale services and controllers.
- Resources you declared for Encore to provision (databases, caches) become adapters you wire at bootstrap.
- Cron and pub/sub flows often become durable processes and channels.
- You take over provisioning (the infrastructure Encore managed) in exchange for no platform coupling.
Frequently asked questions
Does JustScale provision cloud infrastructure like Encore?
No. JustScale is a framework, not a provisioning platform. You bring your own infrastructure and wire it through adapters; there is no platform coupling.
What does JustScale add that Encore does not emphasize?
A first-class durable-process model (signals, timers, race) and a strict ID-free domain with compile-time type-states.