Node.js has become one of the most popular web application platforms, with many businesses and organizations choosing to build their core infrastructure with this framework.
However, with so many frameworks available, it can be difficult to know which one you should implement in your next project.
- Looking for the best node.js frameworks for web or mobile application development?
- Searching for top node.js frameworks for the year 2024?
- Hunting for topmost node.js frameworks to stay ahead in the competition?
Here, in this blog, you will get the answers to all such questions. Let’s quickly dive into it!
Table of Contents
What is a Node.js Framework?
Node.js Framework is a server-side application framework that consists of libraries and tools to help you create fast and scalable web applications. It builds the base layer for creating a web app.
Like any web framework, the most important aspects of the node.js framework are its architecture and features, such as support for customization, flexibility, security, and compatibility with other libraries. Whether you are a developer or looking to hire Node.js developers, you should know different frameworks for Node.js. Let’s take a look at the node.js frameworks list to help you make the right decision for your next web application in 2023:
- Express.js
- Meteor.js
- Koa.js
- Sails.js
- Loopback.js
- Nest.js
- Hapi.js
- Derby.js
- Total.js
- Keystone.js
- Restify.js
- Adonis.js
These frameworks are specifically designed to be used with the Node.js runtime, an event-driven, non-blocking I/O platform built on Google Chrome’s JavaScript V8 engine and integrated development environment (IDE) based on Eclipse.
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Top Node.js Frameworks for Web Applications 2023
1. Express.JS
Express is a popular, fast and flexible Model view controller Node.js framework that offers a powerful collection of features for the web as well as mobile application development.
Express includes routing, view templates, cookies, sessions, and more!
It has an amazing API that permits users to configure different routes to send/receive requests between the front end and the database (which acts as an HTTP server framework).
Moreover, Express has a view system that supports more than 14 template engines and content negotiation.
Express.js Stats
- Express.js is attaining popularity with time. You can see the statistics mentioned below.
This statistic shows that the number of websites made with express.js is increasing every year. It can be easily predicted that this trend is going to stay consistent for several upcoming years.
- Express.js has more than 41k Github stars
Express.js Advantages & Disadvantages
Advantages
- Quick application development
- Handling I/O requests
- Open-source community
- Direct coordination of outsider administration
- Saves lot of coding time
- Simple to learn
Disadvantages
- Code organization
- Logic of modules
- Event-driven callback nature
2. Meteor.JS
Meteor is a simple full-stack node.js framework for creating mobile and web applications. It is compatible with web iOS, Android, or desktop.
Moreover, this node.js framework simplifies application development by offering a platform for the complete tier of the application to be in the same language, javascript.
Meteor.js can serve large projects such as reaction commerce, one of the largest and most popular eCommerce open-source projects.
Meteorjs stats
- Meteor.js is gaining popularity with time. You can see the statistic mentioned below.
It can be seen that there was an abrupt increase in the number of websites made using meteor.js at the inception of 2018. Moreover, the graph shows a linear increase in this number in the year 2019.
On the basis of this stat, it can easily be forecasted that this trend will stay consistent in several upcoming years.
- Meteor.js has more than 40k GitHub stars
Meteor.js Advantages & Disadvantages
Advantages
- Set of packages and libraries
- Constant testing tool
- Debugging
- Consistent client-server communication
- Easy deployment
- No compilation step
Disadvantages
- No rendering on the server-side
- No inbuilt support for progressive web apps
- Absence of native widget library
- Absence of MongoDB support
- Lack of scalability
- Traffic handling limitation
3. Koa.JS
Koa.js is a new web framework created by the developers behind Express. It uses ES2017 async functions. It is considered a smaller, more expressive, and more robust foundation for creating web applications and APIs.
Koa can be used as a base to create larger frameworks, or it can be modified to fit the needs of any project. It offers a robust set of features to create web applications and APIs, utilizing the benefits of Node’s asynchronous, event-driven, non-blocking I/O model.
Koa’s middleware-based architecture makes building both APIs and web applications easy by allowing the developer to write synchronous code.
Furthermore, Koa employs async functions to simplify error handling.
- Koa.js has more than 23k Github stars.
Koa.js Advantages & Disadvantages
Advantages
- Robust middleware system
- Built-in error handling
- Synchronous flow control
Disadvantages
- Not compatible with Node.js framework middleware
- Fewer features
- Doesn’t provide traditional middleware support
4. Sails.JS
.Sails.js is a rapidly-growing Node.js framework that makes it easy to build custom, enterprise-grade Node apps.
It takes care of all the inconvenient infrastructure so that you can focus on building your product rather than maintaining servers and configurations. Sails.js is also simple to learn because of its clean API and high productivity.
Sails is a web framework written in Node.js that follows the MVC (Model View Controller) architecture pattern, which means developers can use it to create real-time applications that are scalable and robust. The MVC architecture resembles frameworks like Ruby on Rails. Moreover, it supports the more modern, data-driven style of web app and API development.
Sails.js is able to generate API bookstores. For instance, sails offer you some basic blueprints, and you do not need to write any code.
Furthermore, Sails.js is also compatible with almost all frontend technologies ranging from React, Angular, Android/Java, Windows Phone, etc.
Sails.js stats
- Sails.js is gaining popularity with time. You can look at the statistics mentioned below.
The above statistic shows that the number of websites made using sails.js is increasing with time. On the basis of this statistic, it can be clearly predicted that usage of sails.js is going to increase in the upcoming years.
- Sails.js has more than 19.8k Github stars
Sails.js Advantages & Disadvantages
Advantages
- Socket.io support
- Amazing built-in features
- Store data at any location
- API building process is fast
- Differentiates business logic from user-interface
- Free generation of JSON API
Disadvantages
- Slow framework
- Poor management
- Time-consuming development
- Doesn’t give you access to all of the APIs offered by Node.js
5. Loopback.JS
Loopback.js is a popular node.js framework with a simple-to-use CLI and a dynamic API explorer. Moreover, it permits you to create models based on your schema. If you’re looking to build APIs that can be consumed by other applications, Loopback is a great choice because of its features and API compatibility with ExpressJS and HapiJS.
Loopback is compatible with many REST services and a wide variety of databases, including MySQL, Oracle, MongoDB, Postgres, etc.
Furthermore, it can allow a user to create a server API that maps to another server. Also, Loopback supports native mobile and browser SDKs for several clients such as Android/Java, iOS, and Browser javascript (Angular).
- Loopback.js has more than 11.9k Github stars.
Loopback.js Advantages & Disadvantages
Advantages
- Full-stack development
- Fast development process
- Built-in user & access role feature
- Code is modular & structured
Disadvantages
- Steep learning curve
- Hard to use in huge and long-term projects
- Monolithic architecture
6. Nest.JS
Nest.js is quite a flexible and progressive node.js rest API framework for creating streamlined, reliable, and scalable server-side applications.
Nest is a framework that combines the benefits of Redux and RxJS by using React as its view layer.
It utilizes the potential of modern javascript, and it is created with TypeScript. Moreover, it combines elements of OOP, FP, and FRP.
With Nest, you can use any type of data storage mechanism, including built-in support for SQL databases like PostgreSQL and MySQL or NoSQL databases like MongoDB and CouchDB.
Nest CLI can be used to create nest.js applications with various features.
- Nest.js has more than 10k stars
Read More: Node.JS Vs PHP: Which is better Programming Language?
7. Hapi.JS
Hapi.js is one of the most popular node.js frameworks that helps serve data by intermediating between the server side and the client. Moreover, it is a good substitute for Express.
Also, it is a configuration-driven pattern conventionally modeled to control web server operations.
Hapi has the ability to create a server on a specific IP with several features, such as onPreHandler.
Hapi’s Features
- There is effective control over request handling
- More functions to create web servers
- Plugin-based architecture for scaling
- Offers the availability of caching, authentication, and input validation
Hapi.js has more than 10k Github stars
8. Derby.JS
Derby.js is a full-stack code.js framework for creating modern web applications. Derby.js offers you data synchronization between your server and client with automatic conflict resolution.
Derby.js comes with built-in database ORMs and tools to speed up your development process, including code generators, JavaScript compilation, and more. These features make it an excellent choice for developers who want to build database-driven web applications quickly and easily.
Moreover, it allows you to add customized codes to create highly efficient web applications.
Features of Derby.js includes:
- Derby.js has more than 4.35k stars
- Easy to integrate with other frameworks and libraries
- It supports ES6 and TypeScript
9. Total.JS
Total.js is a quick development node.js framework that needs little maintenance, good performance, and an efficient scaling transition.
Moreover, it has various versions, such as Total.js Eshop, with a user interface specifically optimized for mobile devices.
Key features of Total.js includes:
- Total.js has more than 3.85k stars.
- It supports mapping and minifying JavaScript, HTML files, real-time merging, and CSS.
10. Keystone.JS
Keystone.js is an open-source, lightweight, flexible, and extensible node.js full-stack framework created on express and MongoDB.
It was designed to create database-driven websites, applications, and APIs.
Also, it uses a plugin system, which lets you plug and play any keystone module needed to get the job done.
Furthermore, it supports dynamic routes, database building blocks, form processing, and session management.
Keystone can be used as a full-stack framework, but it’s not opinionated. You can choose what modules you want to use and how you want them configured.
Keystone.js has more than 350 GitHub stars
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11. Restify.JS
Restify.js is a node.js REST API framework that uses connect-style middleware.
Restify.js is a framework for building RESTful web services on Node.js. It’s fast, light, and has a tiny memory footprint, making it easy to deploy on resource-constrained devices like the Raspberry Pi.
Furthermore, it is optimized for creating semantically correct RESTful web services ready for large-scale production use.
If you want to use an ORM library with Restify, then Sequelize is an excellent choice, as it has built-in support for all of Restify’s functionality and more!
Restify.js has more than 9.4k stars
12. Adonis.JS
Adonis.js is a popular node.js web framework that is simple and stable with good-looking syntax.
It is the perfect framework for creating a server-side app with a Node.js backend while using React or Vue as your frontend framework.
Adonis.js was designed to be both asynchronous and non-blocking, which makes it a perfect choice for modern web development.
Moreover, it is an MVC framework that offers a stable ecosystem to write stable and server-side web applications from scratch.
Key features of Adonis.js includes:
- Adonis.js has more than 6.8k stars
- It has its own ORM called Eloquent, which simplifies how you interact with databases to make building CRUDs easier than ever before.
Also Read: Node.js vs. Python
Conclusion
In conclusion, choosing the best Node.js framework for your web application will depend on which features you need and what kind of application you are building.
I hope that now you are aware of all the top node.js frameworks to stay ahead in the competition in the year 2023.
If you are a business looking for someone to create a node. js-based web or mobile apps for you, then there are certain node js development companies in India that you can consider turning your dream idea into reality.
Best Node.js Frameworks 2023 Infographic
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the Node.js Frameworks?
Node.js frameworks are a combination of libraries, helpers, and tools that offer a way to create and operate web applications in an uncomplicated manner.
2. Is there any framework for Node.js?
There are various frameworks for Node.js. These frameworks offer a way to create and operate web applications in an uncomplicated manner. Some of the Node.js frameworks include:
- Express.js
- Meteor.js
- Koa.js
- Sails.js
- Loopback.js
3. What is the most common framework used in Node.js?
Following is the list of the most commonly used frameworks in Node.js:
- Express.js
- Meteor.js
- Koa.js
- Sails.js
- Loopback.js
- Nest.js
- Hapi.js
- Derby.js
- Total.js
- Keystone.js
- Restify.js
- Adonis.js
4. Which is better, express or loopback?
If you are working on a small application, Express.js is better, and if you are working on an Enterprise application, you should go with Loopback.js.
5. Is LoopBack a good framework?
Yes, LoopBack is a good framework. It is among the popular node.js frameworks with a simple-to-use CLI and a dynamic API explorer. Moreover, it permits you to create models based on your schema.
