Building G Suite Add-ons with your favorite tech stack

G Suite Add-ons enhance user productivity by integrating external application functionalities directly into the G Suite environment with a persistent, context-aware sidebar. Traditionally built using Apps Script, G Suite is now offering developers the flexibility to use alternate runtimes, such as Node.js, without adding new capabilities but allowing for more personalized tech stack choices. While Apps Script provides a straightforward, serverless approach with easy access to Google APIs, alternate runtimes require more setup but offer increased testability and integration with existing development tools and processes. Developers like Shailesh Matariya from Gfacility have reported significantly improved performance and maintainability using alternate runtimes, with faster data loading and enhanced workflow management. This flexibility supports both prototyping simpler add-ons with Apps Script and developing more complex systems with alternate runtimes, aligning with developers' existing skills and infrastructure.