title: Difference between JavaScript shell and node.js
body: <p>I have been developing in Node.js for some time now.
  Today, I came across this article
  <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210515144558/https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Projects/SpiderMonkey/Introduction_to_the_JavaScript_shell" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Introduction to the JavaScript shell - Mozilla | MDN</a></p>
  <p>It talks about javascript shell and goes onto say that it can execute javascript programs from a file as well.</p>
  <p>I was able to research and understand V8 and spydermonkey.</p>
  <p>I want to know the difference between Node.js and the javascript shell talked about in this article since it says that the shell can execute javascript programs on its own.</p>
  <p>Do they only differ in that the node.js uses a V8 engine while the other uses a spidermonkey?</p>
  <p>if so then why is it that node.js is so popularly used for writing Server Side JavaScript?</p>
  <p>I couldn't exactly find what I was looking for on the Internet. either google showed me difference between spidermonkey and v8 or some forums on &quot;difference between javascript and node.js&quot; and since I am a new developer its really hard for me to understand,</p>
  <p>Can spidermonkey be used to achieve the same?</p>