NestJS and Express both are Node frameworks used in web app development projects. This blog will help you compare NestJS vs Express and provide key aspects.

1. NestJS vs. Express: The Ultimate Comparison of
Node Frameworks
Custom software development plays a pivotal role in harnessing the full potential of Node.js for
server-side web applications. Tailoring applications to specific business requirements is a key
advantage of custom software development, allowing for the creation of highly optimized and
specialized solutions. This approach ensures that Node.js is not just a popular choice but a
customized and efficient tool for building web applications that precisely meet the unique needs
of businesses.
Among them two popular options are mostly used – NestJS & Express. Both are Node.js
frameworks extensively used by the best web application development companies to build
scalable and robust web applications that meet all your user needs. Let’s deeply dive into the
key differences between NestJS & ExpressJS. Let’s get started.
Definition of NestJS
NestJS refers to a popular open-source framework which is extensively used in web app
development services. Inspired by Angular, this framework is designed on Typescript & utilizes
progressive JavaScript. 3 main components of the NestJS framework include controllers,
modules & providers. Let’s have a closer look at these components:

2. 1. Controllers: When HTTP requests are received, the routing mechanism quickly directs the
request to the controller. Then the controller components manage the requests & return the
proper responses.
2. Modules: Modules are reusable code chunks that come with separate functionalities. The
whole source code is structured and organized into modules. It’s recommended to utilize
multiple modules to efficiently organize your applications.
3. Providers: Providers are the fundamental components of NestJS that you may treat as
repositories, factories, services, helpers, etc. You can easily inject them into controllers or other
providers as they are developed to abstract logic and complexity.
Key Features of NestJS
Some of the key features of this framework include:
1. Built-in features: The NestJS framework is known for its several built-in features such as
decorators, modules, dependency injection, etc. All these features & functionalities enable
developers to structure their applications in a proper way to follow best practices.
2. TypeScript support: The NestJS framework is developed with TypeScript which is a superset
of JavaScript that offers enhanced code maintainability and type safety. NestJS utilizes
TypeScript support to provide strong typing with your application that reduces runtime errors.
3. Modular architecture: NestJS enables a modular approach to web application development.
Developers can easily make reusable modules for encapsulating particular functionalities that
make it easy to scale and manage applications.
4. Dependency injection: The NestJS framework mostly relies on dependency injection that
allows for improved code organization & testability. It efficiently promotes the applications of
services that are mocked for unit testing easily.

3. 5. Opinionated project structure: NestJS offers an opinionated project structure & enforces
design patterns that can be beneficial for teams who work on bigger projects. This approach
allows to maintain readability and consistency in codebases.
6. Swagger Integration: The NestJS framework includes built-in support to generate API
documentation by using Swagger which makes it simpler to document & share APIs with others.
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Other Features of NestJS include:
• NestJS effectively combines the FRP, FP, and OOPs elements.
• It supports different databases like Apache Cassandra, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB,
Redis, etc.
• As the platform is agnostic, NestJS uses ExpressJS by default. However, you have to
set it up to perform with HTTP frameworks.
• NestJS offers a range of functionalities, libraries, and APIs and helps developers create
applications with a few code lines.
• NestJS was designed to build Microservices and Monoliths.
• NestJS consists of a Dependency Injection container that keeps your code organized,
clean, and ready to use.
• You can integrate with multiple technologies like TypeORM, Mongoose, and GraphQL &
concepts like Validation, Logging, Caching, Web Sockets, etc.
Key Advantages of The NestJS Framework
1. Uses TypeScript (Superset of JavaScript)
2. Well-maintained & detailed documentation
3. Quick unit-testing
4. Active code development
5. Open source framework
6. Easy to use and scale
7. Powerful Command Line Interface (CLI)
Definition of ExpressJS
ExpressJS, on the other hand, is a free and open-source web app framework (under the MIT
License). As one of the oldest frameworks of Node.js, ExpressJS offers a number of features to
instantly build web applications with the help of Javascript. It helps in route and server
management and it is used to build RESTful APIs with Node.js.
Key Features of ExpressJS
Some of the key features of the ExpressJS framework include:

4. 1. Minimalistic & Lightweight: ExpressJS offers a set of unique features that help developers
have full control over the architecture of the application. It’s an excellent choice for Web
Application Development Company who would like to start from scratch & develop any
application step by step.
2. Middleware-based: The ExpressJS framework is developed around the middleware concept
that can effectively handle responses & requests. This architecture helps developers add
different functionalities to their applications by chaining the middleware functions. This flexibility
makes ExpressJS popular.
3. Large Ecosystem: The ExpressJS framework has a large ecosystem of middleware
extensions and packages. This makes it easier to add new features like routing, and
authentication to the application.
4. Manual Configuration: ExpressJS enables developers to configure different aspects of any
application manually such as error handling, routing, dependency injection, etc. While this offers
a good level of customization, it may lead to boilerplate codes.
6. Unopinionated Structure: The ExpressJS framework never enforces any specific design
patterns or project structure. Though this flexibility is an advantage, it may lead to some
inconsistencies in codebases in large-scale projects.
Key Advantages of ExpressJS
1. Saves a huge coding time
2. Easy to learn
3. Easy to configure & customize
4. Quick integration with other engines
5. Single language for front-end & back-end.
6. Supportive and strong online community.
NestJS vs Express: Key Comparisons
Though NestJS and ExpressJS both are Node.js frameworks, In terms of features &
functionalities, they have multiple differences. Here is a table that describes the key
comparisons of these frameworks:
Features NestJS ExpressJS
Architecture Follows the structured & modular
MVC architecture
Minimal & un-opinionated
architecture

5. Dependency
Injection
Powerful dependency injection No built-in support for dependency
injection
TypeScript
Support
Built with TypeScript support Supports TypeScript but never
enforce to use
Middleware
support
Allow middleware support to
handle response or request
processing.
Middleware is used for custom logic
Database
integration
Offers built-in ORM & allows quick
integration with databases
Offers no built-in databases but it
allows to integrate
Validation Provides built-in validation through
class validators
Developers can implement validation
logic
Scalability Best for large and small-scale
applications
Provides flexibility for multiple
applications (Manual configuration
required)
Authentication Offers built-in authorization and
authentication
No built-in authentication but it can
integrated through third-party
libraries
Error Handling Offers centralized error handling
and built-in exception filters
Developers manually manage errors
using middleware
What to Choose: Express JS vs. NestJS

6. ExpressJS & NestJS frameworks are powerful and offer a set of unique features. Choosing the
right framework for your project mostly depends on your team’s preferences and project
requirements such as:
1. Project Complexity & Size: For small-scale projects & prototypes, the minimalistic approach
of ExpressJS can be a straightforward & sufficient choice. However, to build web applications,
the structured & modular architecture of NestJS helps to maintain scalability and code quality.
2. Team Experience: Before you choose one, you should consider your team’s expertise &
familiarity with Node.js, JavaScript, and TypeScript. If the team is comfortable with TypeScrip,
NestJS can be the better choice.
3. Ecosystem & Community: Both NestJS & Express frameworks have active and large
communities. However, Express has an extensive third-party middleware ecosystem. If you
need a particular library or middleware, check if it is ideal for your selected framework.
4. Learning Resources & Documentation: You should consider the availability of learning
resources and documentation for the NestJS & Express frameworks. As Express is an old
framework, it has a number of tutorials & available resources. However, as NestJS has a good
community, it also has extensive documentation.
5. Time-to-Market: If you have a tight deadline & want to get a basic server up & running
quickly, the minimal configuration and simplicity of ExpressJS will help you meet all your
requirements.
6. Long-term Maintainability: If you need long-term maintainability, TypeScript support and the
opinionated structure of the NestJS framework can be beneficial for you.
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Final Words
In terms of performance and scalability, both frameworks are powerful. They have their own
strengths & are extremely ideal for several use cases. The Express framework provides
flexibility & simplicity that makes it an excellent choice for small & mid scale projects.
On the other hand, NestJS offers an opinionated and structured approach that is advantageous
for enterprise-level projects where scalability & maintainability are important. The choice
between NestJS & Express mostly aligns with your specific project goals and requirements.
Both will give a set of features and advantages that make your web app development process
streamlined.