by Sanjay Ratnottar
10 Node.js Frameworks Worth Checking Out: Express, Loopback, Hapi, and Beyond
As technology is changing at a rapid pace, developers are moving to use new technologies and adopting more convenient frameworks for their web development needs. Node.js is getting huge exposure from developers who love to use JavaScript for app development.
Being a developer, you can manage the same language for both client-side and server-side scripting, and this has brought huge adoption and use of Node.
Node.js frameworks are getting huge demand in the market and 2019 is bringing a lot more features and advantages. There are so many top programming languages available in the market but the best Node.js Frameworks of 2019 have drastically changed the development process.
But before we go in deep discussion, it is important to understand what a Node Framework is
Node.js is an open-source and a cross-platform JavaScript run-time environment that runs JavaScript code outside the browser. You cannot ignore it when you prepare a list of JavaScript frameworks.
JavaScript is utilized chiefly for client-side scripting, in which scripts written in JavaScript are embedded in a website page’s HTML and run client-side by a JavaScript engine in the browser.
Node.js lets developers utilize JavaScript to get written command line tools. For server-side scripting, it runs the required scripts server-side to develop dynamic web page content before the page is driven to the available user’s browser. As a result, Node.js embodies a “JavaScript everywhere” paradigm, combining web application development across a particular programming language for both server side as well as client side scripts.
Top Benefits of Node.js Frameworks
The use of Node.js frameworks is growing because they have tremendous functionalities like the best productivity, high speeds, and scalability. All these features make Node.js the first choice for developing enterprise level applications for huge companies.
Node.js allows you to use the same language for both the front-end and backend. This saves you from the stress of learning new languages and implementing them for running the whole code structure and program.
With the help of Node.js frameworks, you can use different tools, refer to different guidelines and also you can recommend practices that will ultimately save you a lot of time. With such an approach, you can become a pro in the coding field.
Here are some of the main benefits:
- Functions with high speed
- Supports data streaming
- Works in real-time
- Has a solution to all the database queries
- Straightforward coding
- Open Source
- Cross Platform
- In charge with the proxy server
- Higher productivity
- Competent with Sync problems
- User and community friendly
Let’s have a look at the top Node.js frameworks that will shine in 2019 and the upcoming years.
1. AdonisJs
AdonisJs is one of the most popular Node.js frameworks that runs on all the major operating systems. This framework has a static ecosystem for writing server-side web apps, and this way you can target your business needs and decide which package to use. It is the simplest framework and especially targets development.
Features of AdonisJs
- Supports ORM which is made up from SQL databases
- Efficient SQL query creation which is based on active record idea
- An easy-to-learn query builder that allows you to quickly build simple queries
- It provides good support to No-SQL databases like MongoDB
2. Express.js
Express.js is the simplest, fastest, non-opinionated Node.js framework. It is a simple technology which is built on Node.js and acts as middleware to manage the servers and routes.
Node.js has an asynchronous nature and Express.js has the ability to develop light-weight apps that can process multiple requests seamlessly and depends on the capability of the express technology.
Features of Express.js
- Fully customizable
- Standard for Node.js web middlewares
- Low learning curve
- More focus on browser
3. Hapi.js
Hapi.js is the best Node.js web framework that is utilized for developing application program interfaces. This framework has a strong plug-in system which helps developers to manage the whole development process.
Hapi.js comes under the top Node.js frameworks for web application development and is loved by developers as they find it easy to work with and manage the whole script.
Features of Hapi.js
- Strong input validation
- Configuration-based functionality
- Caching implementation
- Improved error handling
4. Meteor.js
Meteor.js is used for building modern web and mobile applications and is defined as a full-stack JavaScript platform. The most important feature of Meteor.js is that it provides real-time updates so that all your changes on the web will get updated on the template instantly.
The framework has a simplified platform for the whole tier of the app and it’s in the same language (JavaScript). This makes this framework work in a more efficient manner on the server side as well as the client side.
Features of Meteor.js
- It has the capability to manage larger projects
- Has rich and organized documentation community
- It leverages the Facebook GraphQL data stack
- It’s easy to understand for most developers
5. Sails.js
Sails.js is yet another popular Node.js framework that is used to develop custom enterprise-grade Node.js applications. It has all the capability to build the best apps with the support that modern apps need. Sails.js consists of the APIs which are data-driven attached to a scalable service-oriented architecture.
Features of Sails.js
- A lot of automated generators
- No need for additional routing
- Awesome frontend compatibility with different frontend technologies
- Clear support for Web Sockets
- Compatible with all databases
6. Koa.js
The team that created Express.js developed Koa.js. It has been developed for filling the gaps of Express.js. Koa has a unique script and methods that make it work on different browsers. It helps you to work without any callbacks and will provide you with a strong effort in error handling.
Features of Koa.js
- Utilizes required generators to manage and handle callbacks
- Has strong and efficient error handling processes
- Building blocks based on components
- Cascading middlewares and ditched callback hell
7. LoopBack.js
LoopBack.js is yet another famous and well-used Node.js framework having an easy-to-use CLI and an API explorer which is dynamic in nature. It helps you create different models depending on your required schema (or even if there is no requirement of a schema). It has good compatibility with different REST services and different varieties of databases that cover MySQL, MongoDB, Oracle, Postgres and more.
Features of LoopBack.js
- Rapid creation of dynamic end-to-end REST APIs
- Better connection amid different devices and browsers
- Improved correlation between diverse data and services
- Utilization of Android, iOS and Angular SDKs for creating client apps
- Runs on its own premises and even in the cloud
8. Derby.js
Derby.js provides seamless data synchronization between the server and the client. Derby.js is well-known as a full stack Node.js framework for writing modern web apps. It provides you an opportunity to add customized code and build highly efficient web apps. Derby.js is going to get massive exposure in 2019 as it has some great features.
Features of Derby.js
- MVC architecture for both client-side and server-side
- Best utilized for creating mobile and web applications
- It uses server rendering for fast page loading, HTML templates and search engine support
9. Total.js
Total.js needs very little maintenance and gives a strong performance and a flawless scaling transition. The whole team of Total.js is working hard to match user requirements and make it a lovable and highly usable Node.js framework worldwide. This indicates that the Total.js framework will likely get good exposure in the coming years.
Features of Total.js
- Model-view-controller software architecture
- Highly extensible and asynchronous framework
- Provides full support to RESTful routing mechanism
- Full support to web sockets and media streaming
10. Nest.js
Nest.js is a type of Node.js framework which is used for developing professional and scalable Node.js server-side applications. It uses JavaScript and has been written in TypeScript. Since it’s built with TypeScript, this means it comes with powerful typing and combines all the elements of Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Functional Programming (FP), and Functional Reactive Programming (FRP).
Features of Nest.js
- It has an out of the box application architecture
- Effortless creation of highly testable and scalable applications
- Nest CLI is used for generating Nest.js applications
How to select a Node Framework
This can be a tough decision to make as there are so many Node.js frameworks in the market as we’ve seen here. But the decision solely depends on your project and business requirements. Different Node.js frameworks have different specialties ranging from speed, learning curve, coding structure, flexibility, configuration, and more.
Key Takeaways
The pervasion of technology is getting greater in today’s digital world. This means that the level of competition between frameworks and different technologies is getting higher and higher. There are so many Node.js frameworks available in the market but you just need to choose the best one to meet your business’s demands.
The features and functions of Node.js frameworks have all the capabilities to allow you to build a strong and error-free application for your enterprise. You can also hire the best Node.js developers for that.
Choosing the best NodeJS framework is a tough task as it takes a lot of research and analysis to understand the details of each particular framework. It’s up to you to do that further research and select the framework that will help you develop top website applications.