Comparison with Other DI Libraries

Go IoC stands out among Go dependency injection solutions with its unique Spring-like approach and advanced analysis capabilities.

Overview

While other DI solutions exist in Go (Google's Wire, Uber's Dig or Facebook's Inject), Go IoC takes a unique approach by:

• Providing a familiar Spring-like API that Java developers will recognize
• Using code generation for compile-time safety and zero runtime overhead (unlike Spring's runtime IoC)
• Using struct tags and marker structs as clean "annotations"
• Supporting interface implementations and qualifiers elegantly
• Enabling automatic component scanning via struct marker
• Supporting lifecycle hooks via PostConstruct and PreDestroy struct methods
• Advanced component analysis and debugging tools including dependency graph visualization, circular dependency detection, and unused component identification

Detailed Comparison

Feature	Go IoC	Google Wire	Uber Dig	Facebook Inject
Dependency Definition	Struct tags & marker structs	Function providers	Constructor functions	Struct tags
Runtime Overhead	None	None	Reflection-based	Reflection-based
Configuration Style	Spring-like annotations	Explicit provider functions	Constructor injection	Field tags
Interface Binding	Built-in	Manual provider setup	Manual provider setup	Limited support
Qualifier Support	Yes, via struct tags	No built-in support	Via name annotations	No
Learning Curve	Low (familiar to Spring devs)	Medium	Medium	Low
Code Generation	Yes	Yes	No	No
Compile-time Safety	Yes	Yes	Partial	No
Auto Component Scanning	Yes	No	No	No
Lifecycle Hooks	Yes	No	No	No
Component Analysis	✅ Advanced	❌ None	❌ None	❌ None
Dependency Graph Visualization	✅ Built-in	❌ Manual	❌ Manual	❌ Manual
Circular Dependency Detection	✅ Automatic	⚠️ Build-time	⚠️ Runtime	❌ None
Unused Component Detection	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No	❌ No
Validation & Debugging	✅ Comprehensive	⚠️ Basic	⚠️ Basic	❌ None

Why Choose Go IoC?

🍃 For Spring Developers

If you're coming from a Spring/Java background, Go IoC provides the most familiar developer experience with @Component, @Autowired, and @Qualifier equivalents.

⚡ For Performance-Critical Applications

Zero runtime overhead with pure compile-time code generation. No reflection, no runtime discovery, just fast, direct function calls.

🔍 For Complex Applications

Advanced analysis tools help you understand and optimize your dependency architecture as it grows.

🚀 For Team Productivity

Automatic component scanning, lifecycle hooks, and comprehensive validation reduce boilerplate and catch issues early.

Library Comparison Details

Google Wire

Strengths:

• Mature and well-tested
• Excellent compile-time safety
• Minimal runtime overhead

Limitations:

• Requires manual provider function writing
• No automatic component scanning
• Limited analysis and debugging tools
• Steep learning curve for complex scenarios

Uber Dig

Strengths:

• Mature ecosystem
• Good documentation
• Flexible constructor injection

Limitations:

• Runtime reflection overhead
• Complex debugging when things go wrong
• No compile-time validation
• Manual dependency registration

Facebook Inject (Archived)

Strengths:

• Simple struct tag approach
• Low learning curve

Limitations:

• Project is archived/unmaintained
• No compile-time validation
• Limited feature set
• No advanced analysis tools

Migration Guide

From Spring Framework

// Spring Java
@Component
@Qualifier("email")
public class EmailService implements MessageService {
    @Autowired
    private DatabaseService database;
}

// Go IoC
type EmailService struct {
    Component struct{}
    Implements struct{} `implements:"MessageService"`
    Qualifier struct{} `value:"email"`
    
    Database DatabaseService `autowired:"true"`
}

From Google Wire

// Google Wire
func NewEmailService(db DatabaseService) *EmailService {
    return &EmailService{Database: db}
}

var EmailServiceSet = wire.NewSet(NewEmailService)

// Go IoC
type EmailService struct {
    Component struct{}
    Database DatabaseService `autowired:"true"`
}

From Uber Dig

// Uber Dig
container.Provide(func(db DatabaseService) *EmailService {
    return &EmailService{Database: db}
})

// Go IoC
type EmailService struct {
    Component struct{}
    Database DatabaseService `autowired:"true"`
}

Performance Comparison

Library	Runtime Cost	Build Time	Memory Usage	Type Safety
Go IoC	None	Fast	Minimal	Full
Google Wire	None	Medium	Minimal	Full
Uber Dig	High (reflection)	Fast	Higher	Runtime
Facebook Inject	Medium (reflection)	Fast	Medium	None

Getting Started

Ready to try Go IoC? Check out our Getting Started guide to begin using Spring-like dependency injection in your Go projects with zero runtime overhead!