Nowadays, Node.js has become an extremely popular choice for server-side web applications development. With its event-driven architecture and non-blocking I/O, it helps you build high-performance and scalable web apps efficiently. Moreover, development with Node.js comes with vast options among professional developers.

Among them two popular options are mostly used – NestJS & Express. Both are Node.js frameworks extensively used by the best web development companies to build scalable and robust web applications that meet all your user needs. Let’s deeply dive into the key differences between NestJS & ExpressJS. Let’s get started.

Shortcuts: ✂

  • Definition of NestJS
  • Key Features of NestJS
  • Key Advantages of The NestJS Framework
  • Definition of ExpressJS
  • Key Features of ExpressJS
  • Key Advantages of ExpressJS
  • NestJS vs Express: Key Comparisons
  • What to Choose: Express JS vs. NestJS
  • Final Words
  • FAQ’s

Definition of NestJS

NestJS refers to a popular open-source framework which is extensively used in web app development services. Inspired by Angular, this framework is designed on Typescript & utilizes progressive JavaScript. 3 main components of the NestJS framework include controllers, modules & providers. Let’s have a closer look at these components:

  1. Controllers: When HTTP requests are received, the routing mechanism quickly directs the request to the controller. Then the controller components manage the requests & return the proper responses.
  2. Modules: Modules are reusable code chunks that come with separate functionalities. The whole source code is structured and organized into modules. It’s recommended to utilize multiple modules to efficiently organize your applications.
  3. Providers:Providers are the fundamental components of NestJS that you may treat as repositories, factories, services, helpers, etc. You can easily inject them into controllers or other providers as they are developed to abstract logic and complexity.

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Key Features of NestJS

Some of the key features of this framework include:

  1. Built-in features:The NestJS framework is known for its several built-in features such as decorators, modules, dependency injection, etc. All these features & functionalities enable developers to structure their applications in a proper way to follow best practices.
  2. TypeScript support:The NestJS framework is developed with TypeScript which is a superset of JavaScript that offers enhanced code maintainability and type safety. NestJS utilizes TypeScript support to provide strong typing with your application that reduces runtime errors.
  3. Modular architecture:NestJS enables a modular approach to web application development. Developers can easily make reusable modules for encapsulating particular functionalities that make it easy to scale and manage applications.
  4. Dependency injection:The NestJS framework mostly relies on dependency injection that allows for improved code organization & testability. It efficiently promotes the applications of services that are mocked for unit testing easily.
  5. Opinionated project structure:NestJS offers an opinionated project structure & enforces design patterns that can be beneficial for teams who work on bigger projects. This approach allows to maintain readability and consistency in codebases.
  6. Swagger Integration:The NestJS framework includes built-in support to generate API documentation by using Swagger which makes it simpler to document & share APIs with others.

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Other Features of NestJS include:

  • NestJS effectively combines the FRP, FP, and OOPs elements.
  • It supports different databases like Apache Cassandra, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis, etc.
  • As the platform is agnostic, NestJS uses ExpressJS by default. However, you have to set it up to perform with HTTP frameworks.
  • NestJS offers a range of functionalities, libraries, and APIs and helps developers create applications with a few code lines.
  • NestJS was designed to build Microservices and Monoliths.
  • NestJS consists of a Dependency Injection container that keeps your code organized, clean, and ready to use.
  • You can integrate with multiple technologies like TypeORM, Mongoose, and GraphQL & concepts like Validation, Logging, Caching, Web Sockets, etc.

Key Advantages of The NestJS Framework

  1. Uses TypeScript (Superset of JavaScript)
  2. Well-maintained & detailed documentation
  3. Quick unit-testing
  4. Active code development
  5. Open source framework
  6. Easy to use and scale
  7. Powerful Command Line Interface (CLI)

Definition of ExpressJS

ExpressJS, on the other hand, is a free and open-source web app framework (under the MIT License). As one of the oldest frameworks of Node.js, ExpressJS offers a number of features to instantly build web applications with the help of Javascript. It helps in route and server management and it is used to build RESTful APIs with Node.js.

Key Features of ExpressJS

Some of the key features of the ExpressJS framework include:

  1. Minimalistic & Lightweight: ExpressJS offers a set of unique features that help developers have full control over the architecture of the application. It’s an excellent choice for Web Application Development Companywho would like to start from scratch & develop any application step by step.
  2. Middleware-based:The ExpressJS framework is developed around the middleware concept that can effectively handle responses & requests. This architecture helps developers add different functionalities to their applications by chaining the middleware functions. This flexibility makes ExpressJS popular.
  3. Large Ecosystem: The ExpressJS framework has a large ecosystem of middleware extensions and packages. This makes it easier to add new features like routing, and authentication to the application.
  4. Manual Configuration: ExpressJS enables developers to configure different aspects of any application manually such as error handling, routing, dependency injection, etc. While this offers a good level of customization, it may lead to boilerplate codes.
  5. Unopinionated Structure:The ExpressJS framework never enforces any specific design patterns or project structure. Though this flexibility is an advantage, it may lead to some inconsistencies in codebases in large-scale projects.

Key Advantages of ExpressJS

  1. Saves a huge coding time
  2. Easy to learn
  3. Easy to configure & customize
  4. Quick integration with other engines
  5. Single language for front-end & back-end.
  6. Supportive and strong online community.

NestJS vs Express: Key Comparisons

Though NestJS and ExpressJS both are Node.js frameworks, In terms of features & functionalities, they have multiple differences. Here is a table that describes the key comparisons of these frameworks:

Features NestJS ExpressJS
Architecture Follows the structured & modular MVC architecture Minimal & un-opinionated architecture
Dependency Injection Powerful dependency injection No built-in support for dependency injection
TypeScript Support Built with TypeScript support Supports TypeScript but never enforce to use
Middleware support Allow middleware support to handle response or request processing. Middleware is used for custom logic
Database integration Offers built-in ORM & allows quick integration with databases Offers no built-in databases but it allows to integrate
Validation Provides built-in validation through class validators Developers can implement validation logic
Scalability Best for large and small-scale applications Provides flexibility for multiple applications (Manual configuration required)
Authentication Offers built-in authorization and authentication No built-in authentication but it can integrated through third-party libraries
Error Handling Offers centralized error handling and built-in exception filters Developers manually manage errors using middleware

 

What to Choose: Express JS vs. NestJS

ExpressJS & NestJS frameworks are powerful and offer a set of unique features. Choosing the right framework for your project mostly depends on your team’s preferences and project requirements such as:

  1. Project Complexity & Size: For small-scale projects & prototypes, the minimalistic approach of ExpressJS can be a straightforward & sufficient choice. However, to build web applications, the structured & modular architecture of NestJS helps to maintain scalability and code quality.
  2. Team Experience: Before you choose one, you should consider your team’s expertise & familiarity with Node.js, JavaScript, and TypeScript. If the team is comfortable with TypeScrip, NestJS can be the better choice.
  3. Ecosystem & Community: Both NestJS & Express frameworks have active and large communities. However, Express has an extensive third-party middleware ecosystem. If you need a particular library or middleware, check if it is ideal for your selected framework.
  4. Learning Resources & Documentation:You should consider the availability of learning resources and documentation for the NestJS & Express frameworks. As Express is an old framework, it has a number of tutorials & available resources. However, as NestJS has a good community, it also has extensive documentation.
  5. Time-to-Market: If you have a tight deadline & want to get a basic server up & running quickly, the minimal configuration and simplicity of ExpressJS will help you meet all your requirements.
  6. Long-term Maintainability: If you need long-term maintainability, TypeScript support and the opinionated structure of the NestJS framework can be beneficial for you.

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Final Words

In terms of performance and scalability, both frameworks are powerful. They have their own strengths & are extremely ideal for several use cases. The Express framework provides flexibility & simplicity that makes it an excellent choice for small & mid scale projects.

On the other hand, NestJS offers an opinionated and structured approach that is advantageous for enterprise-level projects where scalability & maintainability are important. The choice between NestJS & Express mostly aligns with your specific project goals and requirements. Both will give a set of features and advantages that make your web app development process streamlined.

FAQ’s

Is NestJS faster than Express?

As a full-featured framework, NestJS offers structured architectural patterns and additional features. It utilizes TypeScript & offers different features like built-in WebSockets and GraphQL support, module-based organization, dependency injection, etc. Whereas Express is a minimalist framework, offering unopinionated and straightforward ways to develop web apps. The speed of NestJS & Express mostly depends on particular use cases.

Is NestJS better than Express?

If you are going to develop a complex and large-scale application with advanced business logic, the NestJS framework will be your perfect choice. This is also ideal for projects that need a general runtime environment. On the other hand, if you have requirements for small or mid-scale web applications, ExpressJS can be the best option.