@feathersjs/feathers is a minimalist and flexible Node.js framework for building real-time applications. It provides a simple yet powerful API for creating RESTful services and WebSocket-based real-time applications. Feathers is designed to be agnostic to the underlying transport layer, allowing developers to seamlessly switch between HTTP and WebSocket protocols.
Alternatives:
sails-+
loopback-+
nest-+
hapi-+
koa-+
express-+
fastify-+
adonisjs-+
meteor-+
actionhero-+
Tags: node.jsreal-timeRESTfulWebSocketflexible
express
v4.19.2(4 months ago)
Express is a fast, unopinionated, and minimalist web framework for Node.js. It provides a robust set of features for building web applications and APIs, including routing, middleware support, template engines, and error handling. Express is known for its simplicity and flexibility, allowing developers to create scalable and efficient server-side applications with ease.
Alternatives:
koa-+
fastify-+
hapi-+
restify-+
sails-+
polka-+
micro-+
feathers-+
nestjs-+
adonisjs-+
Tags: node.jsweb frameworkroutingmiddlewareAPI
Fight!
Popularity
Express is one of the most popular and widely-used Node.js frameworks for building web applications. It has a large community and a rich ecosystem of plugins and middleware. @feathersjs/feathers, on the other hand, is a framework built on top of Express and is less popular but still widely adopted in the Feathers.js community.
Scalability
Both packages are scalable, but @feathersjs/feathers provides additional functionality and abstractions to build scalable and real-time applications out of the box. It includes features like service-oriented architecture, real-time communication with websockets, and built-in support for REST and GraphQL APIs.
Developer Experience
Express focuses on simplicity and minimalist design, making it easy to get started and understand. It provides a straightforward routing mechanism and allows developers to structure their applications based on their preferences. @feathersjs/feathers builds upon Express and adds additional abstractions and features, making it more opinionated and providing a higher level of abstraction for common use cases. This can be beneficial for developers who prefer a more structured and convention-driven approach.
Middleware Ecosystem
Express has a vast and mature middleware ecosystem, with numerous middleware available for handling different aspects of web applications, such as authentication, logging, compression, and more. @feathersjs/feathers can also use most of the Express middleware, but it also provides its own set of middleware and plugins that are specifically designed for Feathers.js applications, such as authentication strategies and database adapters.
Community and Support
Express has a larger community and has been around for a longer time, which means there is an extensive amount of resources, articles, tutorials, and community support available. @feathersjs/feathers has a smaller community but still provides good documentation and a helpful community, specifically focused on the Feathers.js framework.