Alternatives to Express.js in Node.js

When it comes to creating web servers and applications in Node.js, express.js has long been the undisputed king, almost becoming a standard.

However, it is a library that has been around for a while. Therefore, there are many interesting alternatives worth at least knowing about.

::: This does not mean that we have to stop using express.js. In fact, it works perfectly. It’s simply interesting to stay updated on some of the options available. :::

Koa

Koa, created by the same team behind Express, is a lightweight and modular framework that uses function generators for a cleaner and easier-to-understand workflow.

Basic Koa example

import Koa from 'koa';
const app = new Koa();

app.use(async (ctx) => {
  ctx.body = 'Hello, Koa!';
});

app.listen(3000);

Hapi

Hapi is a robust and highly configurable web framework, ideal for large and complex applications.

Basic Hapi example,

import Hapi from '@hapi/hapi';

const init = async () => {
  const server = Hapi.server({
    port: 3000,
    host: 'localhost'
  });

  server.route({
    method: 'GET',
    path: '/',
    handler: (request, h) => {
      return 'Hello, Hapi!';
    }
  });

  await server.start();
  console.log('Server started at:', server.info.uri);
};

init();

Fastify

Fastify stands out for its focus on performance and efficiency. It is one of the fastest web frameworks available in Node.js and offers:

Basic Fastify example,

import fastify from 'fastify';

const app = fastify({ logger: true });

app.get('/', async (request, reply) => {
  return { hello: 'world' };
});

app.listen(3000, (err, address) => {
  if (err) throw err;
  console.log(`Server started at: ${address}`);
});

NestJS

NestJS is a framework that uses TypeScript and is inspired by Angular. Although it is more oriented toward full-fledged web applications, it offers:

Basic NestJS example,

// main.ts
import { NestFactory } from '@nestjs/core';
import { AppModule } from './app.module';

async function bootstrap() {
  const app = await NestFactory.create(AppModule);
  await app.listen(3000);
}
bootstrap();

AdonisJS

AdonisJS is a complete MVC framework inspired by Laravel (from PHP).

Basic AdonisJS example,

// server.js
import { Ignitor } from '@adonisjs/ignitor';

new Ignitor(require('@adonisjs/fold'))
  .appRoot(__dirname)
  .fireHttpServer()
  .catch(console.error);

Download the code

All the code from this post is available for download on GitHub