Top 5 Frameworks for Node.js
By: Trung Anh Dang
Tags: Technology, Framework, Programming, Nodejs, JavaScript

Top 5 Frameworks for Node.js

Best NodeJS Frameworks

Fastify is twice as fast as Express

First, of all, a framework is intended to help you overcome some common development challenges in building a web application from scratch. What are things that one should consider before choosing a Node.js framework for myself? To help you to answer this question, today, I will go through 5 Best Node.js frameworks.

Let’s start now.

Express.js — the fast, un-opinionated, minimalist web framework for Node.js

If you’re a Node.js novice, this is the framework you should start with. It is one of the best-known frameworks of Node.Js.

What are features offered by Express.js?

Express is a minimal and flexible Node.js web application framework that provides a robust set of features for web and mobile applications.

It allows you to plot both single and multi-page, along with different web applications.

It comes with MVC (Model-View-Controller).

Allowing users to render large HTML pages dynamically, it also allows you to respond to HTTP requests by setting up middle-wares.

It is actually a routing table, i.e., a set of routing libraries. These sets of libraries perform a variety of web actions based on HTTP methods.

It also comes with a multiple view support system. Users are impressed with the extremely fast I/O and it’s robust API making routing easier and faster.

It supports 23+ template engines, easy HTTP methods, asynchronicity, it always focuses on performance.

How to install Express.js?

You can install Express.js as a package dependency with the command as follows.

Alternatively, you can use the express-generator command-line tool to quickly create an application skeleton.

For example, the following creates an Express app named myapp . The app will be created in a folder named myapp in the current working directory and the view engine will be set to Pug .

Read further…

Here is some useful Express.js links.

Koa.js — the next-generation web framework for Node.js

It designed by developers who built Express.js with a focus on a library of methods not offered in Express.js. In fact, it improves the quality of web applications and error management.

What are features offered by Koa.js?

Koa.js can be used to develop potential web-based applications and APIs. It offers features as follows.

It comes with more options for customization.

Allowing the use of generators that limits the use of callbacks which in-turn offers developers a better error handling system.

It doesn’t pack any bundle of middleware in the core. That makes server writing with Koa.js faster and more enjoyable.

Some useful strategies for general tasks such as freshness of cache, content negotiation, proxy-support come by default with Koa.Js.

It supports syn/await keywords and helps to manage your codes neatly. Koa can always clean up any mess caused in your code due to any callback.

How to install Koa.js?

Koa requires node v7.6.0 or higher for ES2015 and async function support. You can quickly install a supported version of node with your favorite version manager.

Read further…

Community links to discover third-party middleware for Koa, full runnable examples, thorough guides and more! If you have questions join us in IRC!

Hapi — the simple, secure framework

Hapi designed with a similar architecture to Express.js and a focus on writing less code. Although Hapi.js is an open-source framework for the web application, Hapi.js is also a server framework

What are features offered by Api?

It helps build powerful, scalable applications, with minimal overhead and full out-of-the-box functionality.

It provides users with routing, I/O validation, and caching.

Fixing bugs and adding new features with Hapi.Js is fast and smart by providing a powerful plugin network that offers you to enjoy these features.

It allows users can use it with MySQL, MongoDB, and Postgres to create potential and static websites.

It help users by forwarding request from its main API to other sources.

It also allows users to enjoy real-time chat applications and other social apps.

It allows for rendering dynamic content has been easier.

How to install Hapi?

Create a new directory myapp , and from there:

Run: cd myapp , this goes into the created project folder.

Run: npm init and follow the prompts. This will generate a package.json file for you.

Run: npm install @hapi/hapi , this will install the latest version of hapi as a dependency in your package.json file.

Here is a very basic hapi server.

Read further…

Here is some useful Hapi links.

Fastify — the fast and low overhead web framework, for Node.js

Fastify is a Node.js framework inspired by Hapi and Express. It is proudly powering a large ecosystem of organizations and products out there.

What are features offered by Fastify?

Enter Fastify. Fastify is a web framework highly focused on providing the best developer experience with the least overhead and a powerful plugin architecture. It is one of the fastest web frameworks in town. Fastify is twice as fast as Express.

How to install Fastify?

Get fastify with npm.

Then create server.js and add the following content.

Finally, launch the server with.

and you can test it with.

In Fastify, you write less code than you normally would in Express. For example, in Express you need to import an additional package to handle JSON requests and responses. In Fastify, you simply work with object literals and the JSON part is handled automatically by the framework.

Read further…

Here is some useful Fastify links.

Restify — the future of Node.js REST development

Restify is a well-known REST API framework of Node.Js.

What are features offered by Restify?

Node.js web service framework optimized for building semantically correct RESTful web services ready for production use at scale. restify optimizes for introspection and performance, and is used in some of the largest Node.js deployments on Earth

It is one of the earlier frameworks of Node.Js.

It works in direct harmony with HTTP actions, cycle requests, and the response.

It also offers automatic support for DTrace.

It offers bi-directional communication to both web and client-side components. It also helps you to broadcast and store data.

Restify lets you handle error immediately and systematically. It offers multiple error trapping functions that hook the errors that take place.

How to install Restify?

Get restify with npm.

Setting up a server is quick and easy. Here is a barebones echo server.

Read further…

Here is some useful Restify links.

Node.js frameworks have been playing a vital role in the progress of modern applications. You should try with a list of the best Node.js frameworks in this article.

Useful, right?