If you are a Fullstack developer who is looking for good NodeJS backend frameworks to build your backend services, then read this article till the end to learn about the best NodeJS backend frameworks that you can use for your next project.
If you wish to immediately get started with your exploration, then here are the names of the frameworks - Hapi, ExpressJS, NestJS, Koa.js, and Adonis.js !!
In this article, I will share with you PROs and CONs for all of these frameworks, talking about which one is better for what use case, which one is more secure, learning curve, speed of development, everything that you should know before picking up the best NodeJS backend framework for your next project.
Why NodeJS?
Well, if we have to start with the question of Why NodeJS at all, then here is a chart to share with you the popularity of NodeJS when it comes to software development.
NodeJS is amongst the top and the popularity is growing. Currently, the number of developers using NodeJS environment for frontend and backend development is the highest in the world.
So, if you have to develop a robust and fast backend, then NodeJS based framework should be your number one choice.
Best NodeJS Backend Frameworks
We will start with the most popular one and then move down to the most latest one.
1. ExpressJS
ExpressJS is the most popular NodeJS backend framework. It is open source and a minimal framework which is suitable for both beginners and Pro developers.
It's mainly used for writing Restful APIs.
Top ExpressJS Features
1. Amazing and simple routing
Handling HTTP requests of different Type is super simple in ExpressJS. Here is a simple example,
// app.js
const express = require('express');
const app = express();
const port = 3000;
// Route for Home
app.get('/', (req, res) => {
res.send('Welcome to the Studytonight!');
});
// Route 2
app.get('/user/:id', (req, res) => {
const userId = req.params.id;
res.send(User Profile - ID: ${userId} );
});
In the code example above, we have used the HTTP GET request, but for other requests too you have to follow the same pattern.
2. Middleware support
You can use the use() function to set up middleware. ExpressJS allows having multiple middlewares forming a middleware chain.
app.use((req, res, next) => {
console.log("Do something with the Request here...");
next();
});
In the middleware, you can verify the incoming JWT token, verify authorization for the request sender, perform exception handling, log the request and response and what not.
3. Quick Learning curve
ExpressJS is very easy to learn and getting started. ExpressJS has made writing APIs so simple that you can easily write APIs for a simple project in a day.
4. Easy DB Integration
ExpressJS can be used with almost all the databases and cache. There are different ORMs and Database packages that you can use with ExpressJS. ExpressJS being the most popular NodeJS backend framework, hence anyone who is working on any ORM package for a Database will make sure that it is compatible with ExpressJS.
2. NestJS
NestJS is a modern framework which brings in a lot of features and opinion to the table. It is compatible with TypeScript and pure JavaScript.
It supports Functional programming, Object oriented programming, and even Function reactive programming.
Top NestJS Features
1. Create Modules
You can create modules in NextJS to write code in more structured and scalable way. For example,
import { Module } from '@nestjs/common';
@Module({
imports: [
CacheModule,
AuthModule
],
controllers: [CRMController],
providers: [CRMService],
})
export class CRMModule {}
In the code above, we have created a CRMModule in which controllers and providers are specified. We have also imported the common CacheModule and AuthModule in this module.
Once you have created a module you can use it whenever and wherever you want.
2. Scalable
In NestJS you can create modules, divide your application into microservices, perform asynchronous operations, manage high loads of traffic, hence making your scalability journet smooth.
3. Dependency Injection
You can make components injectable in NestJS. Dependency injection means to inject some functional component into another only when it is required at the runtime. You can make a class in JavaScript injectable using the @Injectable annotation.
import {
HttpException, Injectable, NotFoundException
} from '@nestjs/common';
@Injectable()
export class CRMService {
constructor() {}
getReceipt() {
return 'Payment Receipt';
}
}
And then to use such a class in code, you can do it like this:
import { Controller, Get, Post, Body } from '@nestjs/common';
import { CRMService } from './crm.service';
@Controller('crm')
export class CRMController {
constructor(private readonly crmService: CRMService) {}
@Get()
getPaymentReceipt() {
return this.crmService.getReceipt();
}
}
And thw CRMService will be made available to the CRMController when instance of this class is created.
3. Koa.js
Kao is developed by the team that created Express. Kao is a minimalistic fraemwork, which is more expressive, has better error handling, and uses async functions for backend development.
To get started with Kao, all you have to do is run the following commands:
npm i koa
# create kao project
node my-koa-app.js
Top KaoJS Features
1. Context Object
In Kao, the request and reponse objects are wrapped in a context object, which is available everywhere and is also passed to each middleware.
Let's see an example,
const Koa = require('koa');
const app = new Koa();
app.use(async(ctx) => {
const { method, url, request, response } = ctx;
console.log('Method :' + method + ' Request : ' + request);
});
app.listen(5000);
2. Middleware support
Just like Express, Kao.js also support Middlewares. Kao application is an object with an array of Middleware functions that are executed in a Stack-like maner.
For example,
const Koa = require('koa');
const app = new Koa();
// logger
app.use(async (ctx, next) => {
await next();
// do something...
});
// verify token maybe
app.use(async (ctx, next) => {
const start = Date.now();
await next();
// do something...
});
// response
app.use(async ctx => {
ctx.body = 'Hello World';
});
app.listen(3000);
In the code above, we have set multiple middlewares on the Kao application.
3. Error Handling
Error handling is very carefully implemented in Kao.js and it won't be a surprise if we rate it as the number one feature of this backend framework.
4. Hapi.js
Hapi is the short for HTTP-api. It is an open source framework for writing scalable web applications.
Hapi.js was developed by Walmart to handle their high volume traffic on festive seasons.
To get started with Hapi, run the following command to install it,
npm install @hapi/hapi
Top HapiJS Features
-
Hapi is super secure and implemented using the best industry practice for security.
-
Hapi is powerful and can be used to develop super fast and performing REST services.
-
It comes with an inbuilt support for Authentication, Authorization and form input validation.
-
Hapi doesn't have middlewares but it has plugins using which you can get the same results faster. Here is an example of plugins:
const start = async function () {
const server = Hapi.server();
await server.register([{
plugin: require('plugin1'),
options: {}
}, {
plugin: require('plugin2'),
options: {}
}]);
};
5. Adonis.js
It is a full-fledged MVC framework for NodeJS, using which you can do Fullstack development. It is just like Laravel. It comes with features like an ORM, Authentication, Routing, etc. out of the box.
It comes pre-packaged with almost everything that you may require while building a robust backend.
Top Adonis Features
Here are the features that it has out of the box, which you generally install as 3rd party package in your project.
-
Integrated ORM (Lucid)
-
A driver based Auth system support with support for sessions, tokens, etc.
-
Limiter for rate limiting
-
Has Bento Cache in built for storing data in cache.
-
Mailer to send emails from your backend services.
-
FlyDrive to manage user uploads in Amazon S3, or GCP, etc.
-
Bouncer to implement Rbac or ACL for authorization layer.
What else do you need? Go check out the Adonis documentation, chances are what you need might already be available in Adonis.
End Note
So now you know the Top 5 NodeJS backend frameworks that you should explore before finalizing one for your next project.
Each framework mentioned above has its own strengths. You can always pick the safest choice ExpressJS, or a more enterprise solution like NestJS. Or, you can be a little outgoing and go with the minimal Kao.js framework.
If you are looking for fast development, I would suggest to go with Adonis.js, but at the end of the day, it is your project, so you pick the one that you think is the best.
