10 Node.js Frameworks Worth Checking Out: Express, Loopback, Hapi, and Beyond
By: Sanjay Ratnottar
Tags: Nodejs, Programming, JavaScript, Technology, Productivity

Node.js frameworks

As technology is changing at a rapid pace, developers are moving to use new technologies and adopting more convenient frameworks for their web development needs. Node.js is getting huge exposure from developers who love to use JavaScript for app development.

Being a developer, you can manage the same language for both client-side and server-side scripting, and this has brought huge adoption and use of Node.

Node.js frameworks are getting huge demand in the market and 2019 is bringing a lot more features and advantages. There are so many top programming languages available in the market but the best Node.js Frameworks of 2019 have drastically changed the development process.

But before we go in deep discussion, it is important to understand what a Node Framework is

Node.js is an open-source and a cross-platform JavaScript run-time environment that runs JavaScript code outside the browser. You cannot ignore it when you prepare a list of JavaScript frameworks.

JavaScript is utilized chiefly for client-side scripting, in which scripts written in JavaScript are embedded in a website page’s HTML and run client-side by a JavaScript engine in the browser.

Node.js lets developers utilize JavaScript to get written command line tools. For server-side scripting, it runs the required scripts server-side to develop dynamic web page content before the page is driven to the available user’s browser. As a result, Node.js embodies a “JavaScript everywhere” paradigm, combining web application development across a particular programming language for both server side as well as client side scripts.

Top Benefits of Node.js Frameworks

The use of Node.js frameworks is growing because they have tremendous functionalities like the best productivity, high speeds, and scalability. All these features make Node.js the first choice for developing enterprise level applications for huge companies.

Node.js allows you to use the same language for both the front-end and backend. This saves you from the stress of learning new languages and implementing them for running the whole code structure and program.

With the help of Node.js frameworks, you can use different tools, refer to different guidelines and also you can recommend practices that will ultimately save you a lot of time. With such an approach, you can become a pro in the coding field.

Here are some of the main benefits:

Functions with high speed

Supports data streaming

Works in real-time

Has a solution to all the database queries

Straightforward coding

Open Source

Cross Platform

In charge with the proxy server

Higher productivity

Competent with Sync problems

User and community friendly

Let’s have a look at the top Node.js frameworks that will shine in 2019 and the upcoming years.

AdonisJs

AdonisJs is one of the most popular Node.js frameworks that runs on all the major operating systems. This framework has a static ecosystem for writing server-side web apps, and this way you can target your business needs and decide which package to use. It is the simplest framework and especially targets development.

Features of AdonisJs

Supports ORM which is made up from SQL databases

Efficient SQL query creation which is based on active record idea

An easy-to-learn query builder that allows you to quickly build simple queries

It provides good support to No-SQL databases like MongoDB

Express.js

Express.js is the simplest, fastest, non-opinionated Node.js framework. It is a simple technology which is built on Node.js and acts as middleware to manage the servers and routes.

Node.js has an asynchronous nature and Express.js has the ability to develop light-weight apps that can process multiple requests seamlessly and depends on the capability of the express technology.

Features of Express.js

Fully customizable

Standard for Node.js web middlewares

Low learning curve

More focus on browser

Hapi.js

Hapi.js is the best Node.js web framework that is utilized for developing application program interfaces. This framework has a strong plug-in system which helps developers to manage the whole development process.

Hapi.js comes under the top Node.js frameworks for web application development and is loved by developers as they find it easy to work with and manage the whole script.

Features of Hapi.js

Strong input validation

Configuration-based functionality

Caching implementation

Improved error handling

Meteor.js

Meteor.js is used for building modern web and mobile applications and is defined as a full-stack JavaScript platform. The most important feature of Meteor.js is that it provides real-time updates so that all your changes on the web will get updated on the template instantly.

The framework has a simplified platform for the whole tier of the app and it’s in the same language (JavaScript). This makes this framework work in a more efficient manner on the server side as well as the client side.

Features of Meteor.js

It has the capability to manage larger projects

Has rich and organized documentation community

It leverages the Facebook GraphQL data stack

It’s easy to understand for most developers

Sails.js

Sails.js is yet another popular Node.js framework that is used to develop custom enterprise-grade Node.js applications. It has all the capability to build the best apps with the support that modern apps need. Sails.js consists of the APIs which are data-driven attached to a scalable service-oriented architecture.

Features of Sails.js

A lot of automated generators

No need for additional routing

Awesome frontend compatibility with different frontend technologies

Clear support for Web Sockets

Compatible with all databases

Koa.js

The team that created Express.js developed Koa.js. It has been developed for filling the gaps of Express.js. Koa has a unique script and methods that make it work on different browsers. It helps you to work without any callbacks and will provide you with a strong effort in error handling.

Features of Koa.js

Utilizes required generators to manage and handle callbacks

Has strong and efficient error handling processes

Building blocks based on components

Cascading middlewares and ditched callback hell

LoopBack.js

LoopBack.js is yet another famous and well-used Node.js framework having an easy-to-use CLI and an API explorer which is dynamic in nature. It helps you create different models depending on your required schema (or even if there is no requirement of a schema). It has good compatibility with different REST services and different varieties of databases that cover MySQL, MongoDB, Oracle, Postgres and more.

Features of LoopBack.js

Rapid creation of dynamic end-to-end REST APIs

Better connection amid different devices and browsers

Improved correlation between diverse data and services

Utilization of Android, iOS and Angular SDKs for creating client apps

Runs on its own premises and even in the cloud

Derby.js

Derby.js provides seamless data synchronization between the server and the client. Derby.js is well-known as a full stack Node.js framework for writing modern web apps. It provides you an opportunity to add customized code and build highly efficient web apps. Derby.js is going to get massive exposure in 2019 as it has some great features.

Features of Derby.js

MVC architecture for both client-side and server-side

Best utilized for creating mobile and web applications

It uses server rendering for fast page loading, HTML templates and search engine support

Total.js

Total.js needs very little maintenance and gives a strong performance and a flawless scaling transition. The whole team of Total.js is working hard to match user requirements and make it a lovable and highly usable Node.js framework worldwide. This indicates that the Total.js framework will likely get good exposure in the coming years.

Features of Total.js

Model-view-controller software architecture

Highly extensible and asynchronous framework

Provides full support to RESTful routing mechanism

Full support to web sockets and media streaming

Nest.js

Nest.js is a type of Node.js framework which is used for developing professional and scalable Node.js server-side applications. It uses JavaScript and has been written in TypeScript. Since it’s built with TypeScript, this means it comes with powerful typing and combines all the elements of Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Functional Programming (FP), and Functional Reactive Programming (FRP).

Features of Nest.js

It has an out of the box application architecture

Effortless creation of highly testable and scalable applications

Nest CLI is used for generating Nest.js applications

How to select a Node Framework

This can be a tough decision to make as there are so many Node.js frameworks in the market as we’ve seen here. But the decision solely depends on your project and business requirements. Different Node.js frameworks have different specialties ranging from speed, learning curve, coding structure, flexibility, configuration, and more.

Key Takeaways

The pervasion of technology is getting greater in today’s digital world. This means that the level of competition between frameworks and different technologies is getting higher and higher. There are so many Node.js frameworks available in the market but you just need to choose the best one to meet your business’s demands.

The features and functions of Node.js frameworks have all the capabilities to allow you to build a strong and error-free application for your enterprise. You can also hire the best Node.js developers for that.

Choosing the best NodeJS framework is a tough task as it takes a lot of research and analysis to understand the details of each particular framework. It’s up to you to do that further research and select the framework that will help you develop top website applications.