NestJS VS. Fastify _ Which One to Use & When

Introduction:

Today, Node.js is among the top 10 JavaScript frameworks, primarily because it’s light, scalable and open-source. With the ever-increasing popularity of Node.js, several other frameworks have emerged to help developers build high-performing, reliable, and scalable server-side apps quickly and easily. Two of the most prominent Node.js frameworks are NestJS and Fastify.

While both frameworks are equally competitive, there are a few things that set them apart. In this blog, we will look at the key differences between the two so you can decide which one’s ideal for you. If that sounds exciting, let’s get going.

NestJS VS Fastify: Top 5 Differences

NestJS and Fastify are fundamentally Node.js frameworks designed to ease out the development process. Let’s look at the top 5 key differences between them.

Overview:

NestJS:

NestJS was first released in 2017 by Kamil Myśliwiec, who is a Google Expert in Web Technologies and Angular. As a framework, NestJS is heavily inspired by AngularJS. As it is a platform-independent framework, you can create and reuse some of the core elements in different applications. Furthermore, there are no limits to what you can build with the framework. You can develop everything from a minimal web application to a highly intricate enterprise solution.

Fastify:

Fastify was developed by Matteo Collina and Tomas Della Vedova back in 2017. They introduced it at a Node.js Interactive held in Vancouver. Here’s a framework that’s primarily focused on speed and performance (more about that later). It is easy to learn and developer-friendly. In 2019, Fastify joined the OpenJS foundation as an incubating project, and since then, the framework has evolved in leaps and bounds.

Marketshare:

NestJS:

Since the day it launched, NestJS has been consistently growing in numbers. Today, it has over 41.1k GitHub stars and gets downloaded over 764,859 times every week. It is also widely popular among the developer community for it has a shallow learning curve and good performance benchmarks. On StackShare, a popular community-driven SaaS platform that ranks software tools and technologies, NestJS has more followers and votes than Fastify. Last but not least, if we talk about the web, again, NestJS beats Fastify in numbers – for total web traffic and global site rank.

Fastify:

Fastify, despite being an equally competent Node.js framework, is less popular as compared to NestJS. With over 20.7k stars on GitHub and 234,034 downloads a week, it is known for its speed and performance. Fastify has got its own set of loyal followers on StackShare – which are quite less than NestJS. Keeping the numbers aside, Fastify delivers exceptional performance and can increase your throughput up to 100%.

Core Features:

NestJS:

• Versatile: You can use NestJS to build any and every type of server-side application irrespective of its intricacy.

• Highly Scalable: With NestJS, you can start small by building a simple application and scale your way up to an enterprise-class server-side app.

• Well-documented: Getting started with NestJS becomes super-easy with the huge library of resources available for free on the official website of the framework.

• TypeScript: Because NestJS uses the latest version of TypeScript, it can change to the JS whilst simplifying context switching.

Fastify:

• Performance: Being one of the fastest web frameworks, Fastify can serve up to 30,000 requests/second.

• Extensible: You can seamlessly use Fastify via its hooks, decorators, and plugins. This makes the development process hassle-free.

• Easy to Learn: Fastify is easy to learn and implement. It is expressive in nature. This means if you know Node.js, you can easily get your hands on Fastify.

• Giant Ecosystem: Fastify has a huge ecosystem of core and community plugins that are freely accessible and can be used per your needs.

Community & Support:

NestJS:

With hundreds of contributors and thousands of users globally, you can be assured that you will get enough help and support in case you run into any troubles. That’s not all. NestJS also has a thriving community on various other developer forums like Spectrum, npm, Dev.to, and Discord. Additionally, you can also network with other NestJS nerds at various conferences held by community members from across the globe.

Fastify:

Fastify is also backed up by a huge pool of people who maintain and manage the framework. They roll out frequent updates to add new features to the framework and safeguard it from potential vulnerabilities. You can find Fastify forums on Dev.to, GitHub, and Stackoverflow. In case you’re looking for professional help, you can also hire a Fastify developer via platforms like arc or upstack. In case you’re looking for a reliable agency – give us a line, and we will be happy to help.

Popular Usecases:

NestJS:

NestJS is used by some of the most popular companies like Adidas, Decathlon, Capgemini, Autodesk, etc. You can use it to build robust and reliable server-side applications that are both high-performing and secure.

Fastify:

Several popular companies, including Hotstar, Genesys, Habit, Radity, Microsoft, and NearForm use Fastify for different purposes. It is fast, reliable, and can efficiently handle intricate processes. With a giant ecosystem of 45 core and 155 community plugins, you simply cannot go wrong with Fastify.

Conclusion:

Both NestJS and Fastify are reliable and high-performing Node.js frameworks. Picking one over the other can be really intimidating. Rather than asking which one’s more popular – it’s better to go with the one that’s most optimized for the job. You may consider looking through their documentation and the source code before making a decision.

If you’re still unsure which one would be right for you, let us help. Having worked with Node.js and similar frameworks for quite a while now, we can not only help you pick the right framework but also develop a robust and reliable application that stands true to the time. To get started, simply give us a line, and our team will be happy to help.

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