The original web framework included in the Spring Framework, Spring Web MVC, was purpose-built for the Servlet API and Servlet containers. The reactive-stack web framework, Spring WebFlux, was added later in version 5.0. It is fully non-blocking, supports Reactive Streams back pressure, and runs on such servers as Netty, Undertow, and Servlet containers.
Both web frameworks mirror the names of their source modules
(spring-webmvc and
spring-webflux) and co-exist side by side in the
Spring Framework. Each module is optional. Applications can use one or the other module or,
in some cases, both — for example, Spring MVC controllers with the reactive WebClient.