Head-to-Head: LoopBack 4 vs Express Analysis

@loopback/core

v6.1.1(18 days ago)

This package is actively maintained.Types definitions are bundled with the npm packageNumber of direct dependencies: 3Monthly npm downloads

@loopback/core is a powerful Node.js framework for building APIs and microservices. It provides a highly extensible and modular architecture that allows developers to create scalable and maintainable applications. With built-in support for dependency injection, middleware, and decorators, @loopback/core simplifies the development process and promotes best practices.

Alternatives:
nestjs+
express+
fastify+
koa+
hapi+
sails+
feathers+
restify+
adonisjs+
egg+

Tags: node.jsframeworkAPImicroservicesdependency-injectionTypeScript

express

v4.19.2(4 months ago)

This package is actively maintained.Types definitions are provided via a separate npm package: @types/expressNumber of direct dependencies: 31Monthly npm downloads

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 web application frameworks for Node.js with a large and established user base. @loopback/core, on the other hand, is a framework built specifically for creating APIs with a focus on developer productivity. While it has a growing community, it may not be as widely adopted as Express.

Scalability

Express is known for its simplicity and lightweight nature, making it suitable for small to medium-sized applications. It provides a flexible routing system and middleware architecture which allows developers to scale their applications. @loopback/core, being built on top of Express, inherits its scalability features and adds additional functionalities for building scalable APIs.

Performance

Express is known for its speed and performance. It has been optimized over the years and has proven to be reliable in production. @loopback/core also aims for high performance and provides features like dependency injection and caching that can enhance performance. However, since it builds on top of Express, there might be a slight overhead compared to using Express directly.

Developer Experience

Express has a straightforward and intuitive API that is easy to pick up and start building applications quickly. It provides a lot of flexibility and allows developers to structure their code as per their preferences. @loopback/core, being a framework, offers a more opinionated approach and provides out-of-the-box features like dependency injection, ORM integration, and API documentation generation, which can enhance the developer experience.

Community and Ecosystem

Express has a massive community and a mature ecosystem with a wide range of third-party libraries and extensions available. It has been around for a long time, which means there are numerous resources and tutorials available for beginners. @loopback/core has a growing community and ecosystem as it is a relatively newer framework. While it may not have as many resources as Express, it still has a decent number of plugins and extensions available.

Use Cases

Express is a versatile framework that can be used for a wide range of applications and APIs, from small projects to large-scale enterprise solutions. @loopback/core, on the other hand, is specifically designed for building APIs and microservices, making it a good choice for API-centric applications. It provides features like built-in model definition and CRUD operations, which can be beneficial for rapidly developing RESTful APIs.