Express vs Fastify: Node.js Web Framework Showdown
Express and Fastify are both popular frameworks for building web servers in Node.js. Express is the older, more established option that's beginner-friendly and has a huge collection of plugins. Fastify is the newer, faster alternative that's built with modern JavaScript features in mind. They both help developers create web APIs and handle web requests, but take different approaches to speed and ease of use.
Web Server Frameworksnode.jsserverweb-frameworkbackendapi
Detailed Comparison
Technical Analysis
featureComparison
Express is a traditional Node.js web framework with a flexible and modular design. Fastify is a fast and low-overhead framework that focuses on performance and scalability.
typescriptSupport
Both Express and Fastify support TypeScript. Express has built-in TypeScript definitions, while Fastify requires a separate installation of @types/fastify.
browserCompatibility
Neither Express nor Fastify is designed for client-side use, as they are server-side frameworks.
dependencies
Express has a smaller set of dependencies (6) compared to Fastify (14).
performance
Fastify is designed for high-performance and is significantly faster than Express in benchmarks.
Ecosystem Analysis
frameworkCompatibility
Both Express and Fastify are compatible with popular Node.js frameworks like Next.js and Nuxt.js.
communityActivity
Express has a larger and more active community, with more GitHub stars and contributors.
documentationQuality
Both Express and Fastify have high-quality documentation, with Express having a more comprehensive guide.
maintenanceStatus
Both Express and Fastify are actively maintained, with regular updates and releases.
Performance Comparison
bundleSizeAnalysis
Fastify has a significantly smaller bundle size compared to Express.
runtimePerformance
Fastify is faster than Express in runtime performance benchmarks.
loadingTime
Fastify has a faster loading time compared to Express.
memoryUsage
Fastify uses less memory compared to Express.
Code Examples
Hello World with Express
1const express = require('express');
2const app = express();
3app.get('/', (req, res) => {
4 res.send('Hello World!');
5});
6app.listen(3000, () => {
7 console.log('Server started on port 3000');
8});This code creates an Express app that listens on port 3000 and responds with 'Hello World!' to GET requests to the root URL.
Hello World with Fastify
1const fastify = require('fastify')();
2fastify.get('/', async (request, reply) => {
3 return 'Hello World!';
4});
5fastify.listen(3000, (err, address) => {
6 if (err) throw err;
7 console.log(`Server listening on ${address}`);
8});This code creates a Fastify app that listens on port 3000 and responds with 'Hello World!' to GET requests to the root URL.
Recommendation
Summary
Choose Express for its flexibility and large community, or Fastify for its high performance and low overhead.
Details
- Express is a good choice for complex, modular applications.
- Fastify is ideal for high-traffic, real-time applications.
Similar Packages
Polka
95%
A tiny web framework that's basically a smaller version of Express. It's super fast and uses the same middleware pattern that Express uses.
Perfect when you want something as simple as Express but even faster and smaller. It's compatible with most Express middleware, so you can still use the tools you know.
Web FrameworkKoa
90%
A lightweight web framework created by the Express team. It uses modern JavaScript features like async/await and has a smaller, more flexible design that uses plugins (called middleware) to add features.
Perfect for developers who like Express but want something more modern. It's easier to write clean code with Koa because of its async/await support, and it's less confusing for beginners because it has fewer built-in features.
Web FrameworkHapi
85%
A rich framework focused on writing services with built-in support for input validation, caching, and authentication. It was created by Walmart Labs to handle Black Friday traffic.
Good choice when you need a framework with more built-in features than Express. It's especially good for building APIs and microservices that need to be really reliable.
Web FrameworkNestJS
80%
A structured framework that uses TypeScript and is inspired by Angular. It helps you build organized server applications with features like dependency injection and decorators built-in.
Great for bigger projects that need more organization. If you're coming from Angular or like TypeScript, you'll feel right at home. It actually uses Express under the hood by default.
Web Frameworkrestify
75%
A framework specifically designed for building REST API services. It's similar to Express but focuses only on API features, making it simpler for that specific use case.
Great choice when you're only building an API and don't need website-related features. It's optimized for building and managing API endpoints.
Web Framework
Fast, unopinionated, minimalist web framework for Node.js.
This project has a Code of Conduct.
Table of contents
- Installation
- Features
- Docs & Community
- Quick Start
- Running Tests
- Philosophy
- Examples
- Contributing to Express
- TC (Technical Committee)
- Triagers
- License
import express from 'express' const app = express() app.get('/', (req, res) => { res.send('Hello World') }) app.listen(3000)
Installation
This is a Node.js module available through the npm registry.
Before installing, download and install Node.js. Node.js 18 or higher is required.
If this is a brand new project, make sure to create a package.json first with
the npm init command.
Installation is done using the
npm install command:
npm install express
Follow our installing guide for more information.
Features
- Robust routing
- Focus on high performance
- Super-high test coverage
- HTTP helpers (redirection, caching, etc)
- View system supporting 14+ template engines
- Content negotiation
- Executable for generating applications quickly
Docs & Community
- Website and Documentation - [website repo]
- GitHub Organization for Official Middleware & Modules
- Github Discussions for discussion on the development and usage of Express
PROTIP Be sure to read the migration guide to v5
Quick Start
The quickest way to get started with express is to utilize the executable express(1) to generate an application as shown below:
Install the executable. The executable's major version will match Express's:
npm install -g express-generator@4
Create the app:
express /tmp/foo && cd /tmp/foo
Install dependencies:
npm install
Start the server:
npm start
View the website at: http://localhost:3000
Philosophy
The Express philosophy is to provide small, robust tooling for HTTP servers, making it a great solution for single page applications, websites, hybrids, or public HTTP APIs.
Express does not force you to use any specific ORM or template engine. With support for over 14 template engines via @ladjs/consolidate, you can quickly craft your perfect framework.
Examples
To view the examples, clone the Express repository:
git clone https://github.com/expressjs/express.git --depth 1 && cd express
Then install the dependencies:
npm install
Then run whichever example you want:
node examples/content-negotiation
Contributing
The Express.js project welcomes all constructive contributions. Contributions take many forms, from code for bug fixes and enhancements, to additions and fixes to documentation, additional tests, triaging incoming pull requests and issues, and more!
See the Contributing Guide for more technical details on contributing.
Security Issues
If you discover a security vulnerability in Express, please see Security Policies and Procedures.
Running Tests
To run the test suite, first install the dependencies:
npm install
Then run npm test:
npm test
People
The original author of Express is TJ Holowaychuk
TC (Technical Committee)
- UlisesGascon - Ulises Gascón (he/him)
- jonchurch - Jon Church
- wesleytodd - Wes Todd
- LinusU - Linus Unnebäck
- blakeembrey - Blake Embrey
- sheplu - Jean Burellier
- crandmck - Rand McKinney
- ctcpip - Chris de Almeida
TC emeriti members
- dougwilson - Douglas Wilson
- hacksparrow - Hage Yaapa
- jonathanong - jongleberry
- niftylettuce - niftylettuce
- troygoode - Troy Goode
Triagers
- aravindvnair99 - Aravind Nair
- bjohansebas - Sebastian Beltran
- carpasse - Carlos Serrano
- CBID2 - Christine Belzie
- dpopp07 - Dustin Popp
- UlisesGascon - Ulises Gascón (he/him)
- 3imed-jaberi - Imed Jaberi
- IamLizu - S M Mahmudul Hasan (he/him)
- Phillip9587 - Phillip Barta
- Sushmeet - Sushmeet Sunger
- rxmarbles Rick Markins (He/him)
Emeritus Triagers
- AuggieH - Auggie Hudak
- G-Rath - Gareth Jones
- MohammadXroid - Mohammad Ayashi
- NawafSwe - Nawaf Alsharqi
- NotMoni - Moni
- VigneshMurugan - Vignesh Murugan
- davidmashe - David Ashe
- digitaIfabric - David
- e-l-i-s-e - Elise Bonner
- fed135 - Frederic Charette
- firmanJS - Firman Abdul Hakim
- getspooky - Yasser Ameur
- ghinks - Glenn
- ghousemohamed - Ghouse Mohamed
- gireeshpunathil - Gireesh Punathil
- jake32321 - Jake Reed
- jonchurch - Jon Church
- lekanikotun - Troy Goode
- marsonya - Lekan Ikotun
- mastermatt - Matt R. Wilson
- maxakuru - Max Edell
- mlrawlings - Michael Rawlings
- rodion-arr - Rodion Abdurakhimov
- sheplu - Jean Burellier
- tarunyadav1 - Tarun yadav
- tunniclm - Mike Tunnicliffe
- enyoghasim - David Enyoghasim
- 0ss - Salah
- import-brain - Eric Cheng (he/him)
- dakshkhetan - Daksh Khetan (he/him)
- lucasraziel - Lucas Soares Do Rego
- mertcanaltin - Mert Can Altin
