Choosing a Java framework is not like picking a transportation method that will get your project from IDE to prod via a shortest route. Rather, it is like selecting a character at the start of a long journey. Each of them comes with a distinct personality, strengths, constraints, and a preferred playstyle that shapes every decision along the way.

In this talk, we look at Spring, Quarkus, Jooby, and Vert.x as four approaches to building software. Using the same use case, a moderately complex HTTP service with persistence, authentication, and background processing, we build the service four times and observe how each framework steers the architecture in different directions and shapes the long-term consequences of the choice: not only the good parts, but also onboarding friction, sharp edges, and maintainability.

This is a practical guide for developers and architects who want to choose a framework based on real constraints such as team size, delivery pressure, and system longevity. Attendees will leave with a clear mental model for matching their problem to a framework before they commit to a playstyle they didn’t intend.