Best 15 Node.js Frameworks for App Development

Node.js has emerged as a leading platform for scalable network applications using JavaScript. Its event-driven, non-blocking I/O model simplifies the development of fast and efficient web apps, APIs, real-time services, and microservices. The ecosystem boasts several frameworks and libraries, streamlining full-stack development.

This blog explores the top Node.js frameworks in 2024, widely adopted by companies and developers for building high-performance backend services, web servers, REST APIs, real-time apps, and full-stack JavaScript applications.

Node.js, introduced in 2009, is a cross-platform, open-source JavaScript runtime environment enabling server-side execution of JavaScript. Utilising an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model and powered by Chrome's V8 engine, Node.js is lightweight and efficient. Its core modules, such as HTTP, DNS, and FS, simplify file and network operations. Node.js allows developers to use a single language (JS) across the full stack.

Node JS frameworks complement Node.js by providing essential features for building robust applications. These frameworks, written in JavaScript, run within the Node.js environment, offering benefits such as easy request routing, built-in security, templating support, and database integration helpers. By streamlining the development process, Node JS frameworks empower developers to focus on app logic, avoiding repetitive rebuilding of core infrastructure.

No, Node.js is not a framework. It is a runtime environment that allows developers to execute JavaScript on servers. Node.js provides a JavaScript environment on top of which frameworks can be built upon.

Some popular Node.js frameworks include Express.js, Sails.js, Hapi, Koa etc. These frameworks simplify the building of web applications and sites using Node.js. They provide helpful functionality and conventions on top of raw Node.js.

Node.js web frameworks can be grouped into three main categories: MVC frameworks, full-stack MVC frameworks, and REST API frameworks.

Here are some of the top reasons to use a Node.js framework:

• Simpler Web Server: A Node.js server on its own has no native routing capabilities. Frameworks provide easy APIs to map app routes, middlewares etc.
• Reduce Boilerplate Code: Useful abstractions that help reuse code and follow best practices for the organisation.
• Built-in Security Features: Protection against common web app attacks like CSRF, XSS, Parameter Tampering etc.
• Active Open Source: Regular updates and fixes from large developer communities committed to the project.
• Wider Feature Set: Caching, request validation, localisation, template engine - features that accelerate app development.
• An Ecosystem of Libraries: 1000s of complementary packages to further extend capabilities as per custom needs.

While Node frameworks have specific advantages based on their purpose and philosophy, most share some common and useful capabilities:

• Routing - Map app endpoints and REST API patterns easily
• Middleware and Modules - Extend with independent building blocks of code
• Database ORM/ODM - Simplifies data model and queries
• Templating Engine - Supports reuse of frontend markup code
• Data Validation - Automatic sanitisation and validation helpers
• Authentication and Authorisation - User login, access control and roles
• Event Listeners - Useful triggers across the lifecycle of an application
• Asset Bundling - Optimisation of JS, and CSS assets
• Internationalisation - Multi-language and localisation support

These shared general-purpose features allow developers to start new apps faster without reinventing the wheel.

Now let's look at some of the leading and most widely used Node.js frameworks:

Express.js

Express.js is the cornerstone of Node.js web frameworks, renowned for its simplicity and ease of use. It provides robust routing, middleware capabilities, and seamless migration options for apps from other platforms. Express.js boasts an extensive ecosystem with support for over 1400 add-ons via middleware. While it excels in building regular web and mobile apps swiftly, managing boilerplate code can be tedious for complex cases. Express.js is the most widely used node framework.

Use When:

• To quickly build regular web and mobile apps.
• Migrating apps from Django, Rails, etc.

Companies Using:

• Uber 
• PayPal
• IBM
• Netflix
• Oracle

NestJS

NestJS, utilising expressive OOP patterns, is a Node.js framework fully supporting TypeScript. It offers a structured development approach similar to Angular, making it ideal for highly scalable server-side applications. Despite being relatively new with a smaller community, NestJS excels in integration flexibility and has gained adoption from companies like Adidas, Drift, Philips, and OpenClassrooms.

Use When:

Highly scalable server-side apps with an Angular-like structure.

Companies Using:

• Adidas
• Drift
• Philips
• OpenClassrooms

Koa.js

Koa.js represents the next generation of Node.js frameworks, leveraging async/await for cleaner code and providing a small footprint with an elegant middleware flow. It focuses on better error handling through ES6+ support, making it suitable for building progressive next-gen Node applications. While it's relatively young and may have stabilisation issues, Koa.js has gained adoption by several companies.

Use When:

Building progressive next-gen Node applications with ES6+ support.

Companies Using:

• Algolia
• Tapad
• BugSnag
• YLD

Sails.js

Sails.js is an MVC framework that facilitates rapid prototyping with auto-generated APIs and supports websockets for real-time communication. With a very organised structure out of the box, Sails.js is ideal for working solo or achieving fast full-stack development. While it offers rapid development, documentation improvements are needed, and it may lack some advanced features.

Use When:

Ideal for working solo or achieving fast full-stack development.

Companies Using:

• GE
• Cisco
• NBC
• Oracle
• Uber

Hapi

Hapi stands out with a strong configuration foundation, a building block approach, and a focus on input validation. It is great for lean yet robust and enterprise-grade applications. However, it comes with a steep learning curve for some developers and is not a battery-included system. It's best suited for highly scalable and fault-tolerant backend services and JSON APIs.

Use When:

Highly scalable and fault-tolerant backend services & JSON APIs.

Companies Using:

• Mailchimp
• Walmart
• Disney
• Instacart

Meteor

Meteor is a full-stack framework designed for rapid prototyping and MVP development, offering shared code between the client and server. While efficient for such purposes, it may not be the most suitable choice for complex and highly structured applications.

Use When:

Rapid full-stack prototyping and MVPs.

Companies Using:

• Mazda
• Honeywell
• Socure

FeathersJS

FeathersJS is an open-source framework tailored for building REST APIs and real-time apps with a focus on speed. It excels in quickly developing chat and real-time application backends.

Used When:

Building chat and real-time application backends.

Companies Using:

• Getty/AIGA
• Del

Socket.io

Socket.io facilitates real-time bidirectional communication between clients and servers via websockets. Known for its ease of use, it's ideal for adding real-time data sync capabilities to applications requiring fast messaging.

Use When:

Adding real-time data sync capabilities to apps requiring fast messaging.

Companies Using:

• Microsoft
• Trello

Fastify

Fastify is renowned for its blazing-fast performance, efficient memory usage, and strong support for TypeScript. It's an excellent choice for building high-performance APIs supporting thousands of concurrent connections. Fastify is the fastest web framework for NodeJS.

Use When:

Building high-performance mobile APIs supporting thousands of concurrent connections.

Companies Using:

• NearForm
• LetzDoIt
• ValueStream

Restify

Restify is a lean framework with low overhead, enforcing REST best practices and efficient handling of server workloads. While it may have fewer features than Express and Koa, it's steadily improving and is suitable for developing high-performance REST APIs.

Use When:
Developing high-performance REST APIs that match modern standards.

Companies Using:

• GoDaddy
• Mozilla
• Modberry

LoopBack

LoopBack serves as an open-source API framework, offering a toolkit for the rapid creation of dynamic end-to-end REST APIs with minimal coding. It is praised for facilitating rapid backend CRUD services and external API development, although advanced customisations can introduce complexity.

Use When:

Rapidly building backend CRUD services and external APIs.

Companies Using:

• Symantec
• Linode
• Trainerize

AdonisJS

AdonisJS positions itself as a fully featured framework highly focused on developer ergonomics, stability, and confidence. Although it's gaining users, the community is still evolving, and it may lack some advanced features.

Use When:

Building server-side applications where stability and structure are critical.

Slim.js

Slim.js positions itself as a lightweight web framework with robust routing and a terse syntax. While excellent for clean and concise code, it may require custom building for complex cases.

Use When:
Quickly building microservices, REST APIs, and web applications.

Companies Using:

• Red Ventures
• Creflo Dollar Ministries

Total.js

Total.js positions itself as a modular web application framework suitable for server or desktop deployment. With an inbuilt multi-process architecture, it prioritises efficient performance for scalable cloud-ready apps.

Use When:

Building efficient and scalable cloud deployment-ready applications.

Companies Using:

• Adopted by startups across the Asia-Pacific region

Derby

Derby stands out as an MVC framework that facilitates real-time synchronisation of data across connected browsers and servers. While excellent for multi-user real-time collaboration apps, it may be overkill if such features are not required.

Use When:

Suitable for multi-user real-time collaboration applications like chat, and audio/video platforms.
 

With so many options, here are some criteria you can use to determine the right Node framework:

• App type: Blog, e-commerce store, real-time app, API server?
• Skill sets: JS skills of your team and ease of uptake
• Performance needs: Request volumes/second, response times expected
• Scalability plans: Growth stages of your user base over time
• App complexity: Simple MVP or extensive business logic?
• Security needs: Level and type of vulnerabilities to protect against
• Codebase reuse: Integrate legacy code written with some platform

Once the technical and business requirements are well understood, you can use the framework comparison above to pick the one that best fits your needs.

Within the options above, Express.js and Koa.js stand out as the most popular and battle-tested frameworks for a majority of use cases. Both have fantastic dev communities constantly improving them making them reliable platforms for today's needs.

For businesses seeking to leverage the power of Node.js for web application development, partnering with a reputable Node.js development company is crucial. A specialised Node.js development company can provide expertise in choosing the right Node.js framework based on your specific project requirements, ensuring efficient web development and successful project delivery. These services may also extend to Node.js CMS development, Node.js backend development, and Node.js API development.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of web development, the adoption of Node.js microservices has gained prominence. Leveraging lightweight and modular microservices architecture with Node.js enables scalability, flexibility, and ease of maintenance. Moreover, when considering cross-platform app development, the combination of Node.js and React or Angular and Node.js becomes a powerful choice. This approach allows for the development of cross-platform applications with shared codebases, reducing development time and effort.

In the realm of mobile app development, React Native app development and Angular web development are prominent choices. These frameworks enable the creation of high-performance, native-like applications across multiple platforms, enhancing the user experience.

Node.js offers a fast and efficient runtime to build scalable network applications using JavaScript libraries end-to-end. Node frameworks build on this environment by providing simpler APIs, useful patterns, and essential features so developers can focus more on app-specific code.

Express, Koa, Sails, Hapi, Fastify, etc are the widely used Node JS web frameworks - each with specific advantages based on the use case at hand. Evaluating them against your needs will help pick the right framework to accelerate development and deliver on business goals! At Webandcrafts, we provide you with Node.js experts who will assist with your development needs. Contact us right away!