Axios is a popular promise-based HTTP client for the browser and Node.js. It provides an easy-to-use API for making HTTP requests and handling responses, supporting features like interceptors, request and response transformations, and automatic JSON data parsing. Axios is widely used for its simplicity, flexibility, and robust error handling capabilities.
Superagent is a lightweight and flexible HTTP client library for Node.js and browsers. It provides an intuitive API for making HTTP requests, handling responses, and working with streams. Superagent supports various HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, and more, along with features like setting headers, handling cookies, and managing timeouts.
Alternatives:
axios-+
got-+
node-fetch-+
axios-fetch-+
request-promise-native-+
undici-+
needle-+
ky-+
fetch-h2-+
wretch-+
Tags: node.jshttp-clientrequestresponsestream
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Popularity
Both Axios and Superagent are popular npm packages for making HTTP requests in JavaScript. Axios has gained significant popularity due to its simplicity, ease of use, and extensive community support. On the other hand, Superagent also has a decent user base and is known for its flexibility and powerful features.
Size
In terms of size, Axios is relatively lightweight and has a smaller footprint compared to Superagent, which can be advantageous if you're concerned about bundle size and performance.
API Design
Axios provides a clean and intuitive API, with methods like `axios.get()`, `axios.post()`, etc., making it easy to understand and use. Superagent, on the other hand, follows a more chainable and fluent API style, allowing you to build requests in a more flexible and expressive manner.
Browser and Node.js Support
Both Axios and Superagent support both browser and Node.js environments, making them versatile choices. They handle common features like handling cookies, setting headers, and handling file uploads. However, Axios has better support for handling request cancellations and promises, while Superagent provides more options for low-level request control.
Features and Plugins
Axios has built-in support for interceptors, request/response transformations, automatic JSON response parsing, and error handling. It also has a large number of community-developed plugins. Superagent also provides similar features like request/response transformations and error handling, but it may require additional plugins for more complex features.
Flexibility
Superagent offers more flexibility in terms of configuring and customizing requests. It allows you to directly control low-level aspects like setting timeouts, handling redirects, and attaching various types of payloads. Axios, on the other hand, abstracts away some of these low-level details and provides a higher level of convenience and ease of use.
