Reactive programming enables the construction of responsive and robust applications that are capable of efficiently managing asynchronous data streams and dynamic changes. Among various frameworks that support this paradigm, Spring is distinguished by its adaptability and lightweight Java-based structure, making it particularly suitable for enterprise environments. Introduced in 2003, the Spring ecosystem offers two primary web frameworks: Spring Web Model-View-Controller and Spring WebFlux. In the former, the original component of the Spring framework is optimized for the servlet API and container environments, while the latter is a newer addition that leverages a reactive stack architecture to achieve enhanced scalability and performance. This study comprehensively evaluates these frameworks through performance benchmarking across diverse scenarios. By integrating a broad spectrum of performance metrics (i.e., throughput and response time) and real-world applications, this study aims to extend the current literature and provide developers with concrete insights into selecting the appropriate Spring framework for specific enterprise needs based on synchronous and reactive programming models. [1][3]

Spring WebFlux Reactive Streams EventLoop Model Spring MVC Web Application Performance High Concurrency Systems and Netty vs Servlet Container