With every passing year, the demand for web app development is increasing day by day. Observing this rising demand, business owners and app development companies continuously search and test for the best frameworks that offer supreme features and stability to web applications. As per the Node.js user survey report, four out of every five back-end and full-stack developers suggest NodeJS frameworks as an excellent choice for web app development.
This article will explain why NodeJS frameworks are the current preferred choices among developers and product owners and why you should hire NodeJS developers for efficient web app development. Moreover, we will also discuss some of the top-class NodeJS frameworks and their features that make them a great pick. So, let’s get started!
NodeJS frameworks: A brief introduction
NodeJS is a JavaScript runtime environment – a platform where you can execute and run JS codes on the server-side. Its frameworks are used to create functions. They provide a basic structure to the web app, based on which you can develop an entire app. There are different NodeJS frameworks used for specific app development cases.
There are primarily three types of NodeJS frameworks:
- MVC frameworks
- Full-stack MVC frameworks
- REST API frameworks
MVC Frameworks
MVC frameworks provide you with a valuable design pattern that distributes application logic into three crucial parts: Models, Views, and Controller. This type of distribution helps in making the development process extremely simple to manage and scale the app. One of the examples of MVC frameworks is Express.js.
Full-stack MVC Frameworks
Full-stack MVC frameworks are pretty helpful when you are building real-time applications. They offer you a great deal with libraries, template engines, development platforms, and many other app designing capabilities. Moreover, these frameworks can take care of both the front-end and back-end development of web applications. Derby.js is one such example of full-stack MVC frameworks.
REST API Frameworks
You can develop faster web apps with an interactive REST (Representational State Transfer) API build experiences with these frameworks. It means, with the REST API frameworks, you do not need to worry about the architectural styles of the network apps. Almost all of these frameworks provide a ready-to-go programming interface that saves time and effort while building apps that require an internet connection to run.
Top 5 promising NodeJS frameworks you should know about in 2021
Express.js
Express.js or Express is one of the top-most and widely used NodeJS frameworks. It is known for its minimalistic and straightforward approach. Initially launched in 2010, it has been adopted as the de facto standard for NodeJS under the MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) license. If you have a basic knowledge of the NodeJS environment and programming skills, you can efficiently work on this framework. Express is a preferable choice for high-speed I/O operations, and its interactive API manages the client-to-server requests in a more streamlined way.
Features:
- It provides high performance using asynchronous programming.
- Increased test coverage assists you in building apps with maximum testability.
- MVC architectural pattern
- Various server-side programming packages for rapid app development.
Meteor.js
If you want a NodeJS framework that uses only one language and is specific to JS, then Meteor.js can be your ideal choice. It is an open-source JS framework that was officially released in 2012. One of the best things about Meteor.js is that it is compatible with almost all the operating systems, including Android, iOS, etc., for mobile devices and desktop apps in one-language JavaScript. Moreover, it consists of many robust libraries and testing features to boost client-server communication.
Features:
- Isomorphic framework
- Rapid prototyping with CLI
- Easy integration with other frameworks
- Full-stack solutions to the developers
Socket.io
If you want a real-time application that needs to update requests and responses timely, you should go for Socket.io. It is a JavaScript library, not a framework used to build real-time apps and setting up bilateral communication between clients and servers. It is ideal if you are making a chat app, like WhatsApp, that requires live updates and refreshing background for messages. You can also get real-time analytics in fewer lines of code with Socket.io.
Features:
- Ideal for real-time apps
- Auto-connection support
- Error detection and troubleshooting
- Multiplexing support
Total.js
Total.js is a full-fledged, open-source framework that grants maximum flexibility to you. It is available in different versions, like CMS (Content Management System), Eshop, and HelpDesk. Your app has a broader scope with these variants in the future for IoT integration, REST service, and speedy applications with low maintenance costs and benefits.
Features:
- API testing
- Real-time tracking
- Low maintenance and development cost
- Compatible with different front-end frameworks and libraries
Derby.js
Derby.js is a full-stack MVC NodeJS framework that uses easy-to-write coding nomenclature. It is one of the perfect choices to build real-time apps as it enables the same code to run on the server and browser. Therefore, you do not need to write different codes for the view part. Its powerful Racer engine provides real-time synchronization between the interface, database, and users. In addition, it is also an excellent choice from the SEO perspective as it enhances user experience and helps reduce the delay in content delivery.
Features:
- Online usage support
- Customization of codes
- Easy code sharing across client-side and server-side
- Synchronized data with operational transformation
Final Thoughts
With continuous changes in technology, you need to make sure that you do not lag in the race. This article has introduced you to some of the widely used NodeJS frameworks and their features that make them an apt choice for effortless web app development. All you need is to hire dedicated NodeJS developers to build robust and highly engaging web applications to boost your business growth. These NodeJS experts can help you choose the proper framework as per your business ideas and demands.
