Head-to-Head: Joi vs Zod Analysis

joi

v17.13.3(about 1 month ago)

This package is actively maintained.Types definitions are bundled with the npm packageNumber of direct dependencies: 5Monthly npm downloads

Joi is a powerful schema description language and data validator for JavaScript. It allows you to define a schema for your data and validate input against that schema, ensuring data integrity and consistency. Joi provides a rich set of validation rules and options, making it flexible and customizable for various use cases. It is widely used in Node.js applications for input validation, data transformation, and error handling.

Alternatives:
yup+
ajv+
zod+
class-validator+
superstruct+
express-validator+
validator+
schema-utils+
joi-browser+
prop-types+

Tags: javascriptvalidationschemadatavalidator

zod

v3.23.8(3 months ago)

This package is actively maintained.Types definitions are bundled with the npm packageNumber of direct dependencies: 0Monthly npm downloads

Zod is a TypeScript-first schema declaration and validation library for JavaScript and TypeScript projects. It allows developers to define data schemas using a fluent API and perform type-safe runtime validation of data objects. Zod provides a simple and intuitive way to ensure data integrity and validate input/output data against predefined schemas.

Alternatives:
yup+
joi+
class-validator+
ajv+
superstruct+
io-ts+
tcomb+
prop-types+
typescript-is+
runtypes+

Tags: typescriptvalidationschemadata integritytype-safe

Fight!

Popularity

Joi has been a popular choice for data validation in the Node.js ecosystem for a long time. It has a large user base and is widely adopted. Zod, on the other hand, is a relatively newer library but has gained popularity due to its simplicity and developer-friendly API.

Size

Zod is a lightweight library with a smaller bundle size compared to Joi. It focuses on providing a minimalistic and efficient solution for data validation. Joi, while more feature-rich, has a larger codebase and may result in a larger bundle size.

Developer Experience

Both Joi and Zod offer a great developer experience. Joi has a more mature and comprehensive API with a wide range of validation methods and options. Zod, on the other hand, provides a simpler and more intuitive API, making it easier to learn and use. It also offers better TypeScript support out of the box.

Functionality

Joi is a powerful validation library with extensive features such as complex schema validation, custom validation rules, and support for asynchronous validation. It also provides advanced features like conditional validation and schema composition. Zod, while not as feature-rich as Joi, covers most common validation scenarios and provides a clean and expressive syntax.

TypeScript Support

Both Joi and Zod have good TypeScript support. However, Zod is designed with TypeScript in mind and provides better type inference and type safety. It leverages TypeScript's static type checking to ensure accurate validation and provides a seamless integration with TypeScript projects.

Community and Maintenance

Joi has a large and active community with a long history of contributions and bug fixes. It is a well-maintained library with regular updates. Zod, although newer, has gained a growing community and is actively maintained by its creators. Both libraries have good documentation and community support.