Java: What is the difference between Record and Lombok @Data?

Record — language feature (Java 14+). Lombok @Data — annotation processing (library).

Record:

• Built into Java.
• Immutable by default.
• No dependencies.
• Cannot extend classes.
• Cannot have mutable fields.
• Getter methods named after fields (e.g., name() not getName()).
• Can implement interfaces.

1public record Person(String name, int age) {}
2
3// Usage
4Person p = new Person("Alice", 25);
5System.out.println(p.name());  // Alice
6System.out.println(p.age());   // 25

Lombok @Data:

• Requires Lombok dependency.
• Can be mutable or immutable.
• Can extend classes.
• Generates getters, setters, equals, hashCode, toString.
• Uses traditional get/set prefix.
• Requires annotation processor setup.

1@Data
2@AllArgsConstructor
3public class Person {
4    private String name;
5    private int age;
6}
7
8// Usage
9Person p = new Person("Alice", 25);
10System.out.println(p.getName());  // Alice
11System.out.println(p.getAge());   // 25

Performance considerations:

• Record: no runtime overhead, compiled directly.
• Lombok: compile-time annotation processing, generates bytecode.
• Both produce equivalent runtime performance.

When to use which:

• Record — simple immutable data, modern Java projects.
• Lombok — mutable or complex objects, legacy Java projects.
• Record is preferred for new projects as it requires no external dependencies.