Head-to-Head: NestJS vs Fastify Analysis

@nestjs/core

v10.3.8(8 days ago)

This package is actively maintained.Types definitions are bundled with the npm packageNumber of direct dependencies: 6Monthly npm downloads

@nestjs/core is the core module of the NestJS framework, a progressive Node.js framework for building efficient, reliable, and scalable server-side applications. It provides a solid architectural design based on TypeScript and decorators, allowing developers to easily create modular and maintainable code. NestJS leverages the power of Express.js under the hood while adding additional features like dependency injection, middleware, and decorators for routing.

Alternatives:
@nestjs/platform-express+
@nestjs/platform-fastify+
express+
fastify+
koa+
hapi+
restify+
sails+
feathers+
loopback+

Tags: node.jstypescriptframeworkserver-sidedependency-injection

fastify

v4.26.2(about 2 months ago)

This package is actively maintained.Types definitions are bundled with the npm packageNumber of direct dependencies: 16Monthly npm downloads

Fastify is a high-performance web framework for Node.js focused on speed and low overhead. It is designed to be highly efficient and lightweight, making it ideal for building fast and scalable web applications. Fastify boasts a low latency and high throughput, achieved through its use of a powerful plugin architecture and a schema-based approach for request validation. It also provides built-in support for features like logging, error handling, and serialization.

Alternatives:
express+
koa+
hapi+
restify+
polka+
micro+
sails+
egg+
nestjs+
adonisjs+

Tags: node.jsweb frameworkperformancescalabilitylow latency

Fight!

Popularity

@nestjs/core is a popular npm package in the Node.js ecosystem, specifically for building web applications using the NestJS framework. It has gained significant popularity due to its intuitive design and extensive feature set. Fastify, on the other hand, is a highly popular and lightweight web framework for Node.js known for its impressive performance and scalability.

Architecture

@nestjs/core is designed as a framework built on top of Express.js, providing an opinionated and modular architecture for building scalable applications with TypeScript. It follows the MVC (Model-View-Controller) architectural pattern. Fastify, on the other hand, is a standalone web framework that aims to be highly performant and focuses on handling high traffic loads efficiently.

Developer Experience

@nestjs/core provides an excellent developer experience with its extensive documentation, strong typing support with TypeScript, and a rich ecosystem of plugins and modules. It also offers built-in support for features like dependency injection, decorators, and module-based architecture. Fastify also offers a good developer experience, with comprehensive documentation and a simple and straightforward API.

Performance

Fastify is known for its exceptional performance and low overhead. It achieves this by leveraging the powerful Node.js core APIs and optimizing the request-response lifecycle. On the other hand, while @nestjs/core provides good performance, it incurs some overhead due to its additional abstractions and features.

Scalability

Both @nestjs/core and Fastify are designed with scalability in mind. @nestjs/core provides features like modular architecture, dependency injection, and built-in support for microservices, making it suitable for building large-scale applications. Fastify, with its focus on performance and efficient resource utilization, is well-suited for handling high-traffic scenarios and vertical scaling.

Community and Ecosystem

@nestjs/core has a strong and growing community, mainly due to its association with the popular NestJS framework. It benefits from an active ecosystem with numerous plugins, packages, and community support. Fastify also has a vibrant community and offers a wide range of plugins and integrations to extend its functionality.