Head-to-Head: Got vs Request (deprecated) Analysis
got
v14.4.2(about 2 months ago)
Got is a popular and lightweight HTTP request library for Node.js that simplifies making HTTP requests with a clean and concise API. It supports both HTTP and HTTPS requests, providing features like automatic retries, timeouts, and streaming responses. Got also offers built-in support for promises and async/await syntax, making it easy to work with asynchronous operations.
Alternatives:
axios-+
node-fetch-+
superagent-+
request-+
ky-+
needle-+
bent-+
snekfetch-+
undici-+
phin-+
Tags: node.jshttprequestpromiseasync-await
request
v2.88.2(over 4 years ago)
Request is a popular and versatile npm package used for making HTTP requests in Node.js applications. It provides a simple and flexible API for sending HTTP requests to servers and handling responses. Request supports various HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc., and allows customization of headers, query parameters, and request body.
Alternatives:
axios-+
node-fetch-+
got-+
superagent-+
needle-+
ky-+
undici-+
fetch-+
phin-+
httpie-+
Tags: node.jshttprequestdeprecatedhttp-client
Fight!
Popularity
Both Got and Request are popular npm packages for making HTTP requests in Node.js. However, historically, Request has been more widely used and well-established in the community.
API Design
Got is designed with a more modern and intuitive API, providing a chainable and promise-based interface for making HTTP requests. Request, while still widely used, has a more traditional callback-based API.
Features and Functionality
Both packages offer a rich set of features for handling HTTP requests and responses. Got focuses on providing a comprehensive set of modern features out-of-the-box, including support for JSON parsing, request cancellation, retries, and more. Request, on the other hand, offers a wide range of plugins and allows for more customization options.
Performance
Got is known for its performance optimizations, including leveraging HTTP/2, connection pool management, and automatic decompression. Request, while still performant, may not have the same level of built-in optimizations as Got.
Community Support
Both Got and Request have active communities and are actively maintained. However, due to its historical popularity, Request may have a larger community and more resources available, including extensive documentation, tutorials, and examples.
Size and Dependencies
Got is known for its lightweight and dependency-free nature, making it ideal for small and minimalistic projects. On the other hand, Request has more dependencies and may have a larger footprint, which might be a consideration for projects with stricter size constraints.
