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AngularJS VS Nest.js

Compare AngularJS VS Nest.js and see what are their differences

AngularJS logo AngularJS

AngularJS lets you extend HTML vocabulary for your application. The resulting environment is extraordinarily expressive, readable, and quick to develop.

Nest.js logo Nest.js

A progressive Node.js framework for building efficient, reliable and scalable server-side applications.
  • AngularJS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-04-15
  • Nest.js Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-26

AngularJS features and specs

  • Two-way data binding
    AngularJS's two-way data binding feature synchronizes data between the model and the view components, reducing the amount of boilerplate code required for data manipulation and improving ease of use.
  • Dependency Injection
    The built-in dependency injection mechanism in AngularJS facilitates better organization and management of services, making the code more modular, testable, and reusable.
  • Modular Development
    AngularJS allows developers to break down applications into modules. This modular approach helps in better code organization, easier maintenance, and parallel development.
  • Community and Ecosystem
    Backed by Google, AngularJS has a large and active community. This extensive support system provides a wealth of resources, plugins, and third-party tools that can facilitate the development process.
  • Directives
    Directives in AngularJS allow developers to extend HTML with new attributes and elements, enabling the creation of custom and reusable components with ease.
  • MVVM Architecture
    The Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM) architecture promotes the separation of concerns, allowing developers to work on different parts of the application without interfering with each other.

Possible disadvantages of AngularJS

  • Performance Issues
    AngularJS's two-way data binding can induce performance issues in large applications due to the constant checking and updating of the binding, which can impact the overall application speed.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    The complexity of AngularJS, with its various concepts such as directives, dependency injection, and MVVM architecture, can present a steep learning curve for new developers.
  • Migration Challenges
    Migrating from AngularJS to newer versions like Angular (2+), which are fundamentally different, poses significant challenges and often requires a complete codebase rewrite.
  • Verbose Code
    AngularJS's syntax can sometimes lead to verbose and complicated code, which can be difficult to read and maintain, especially for large-scale applications.
  • Limited Mobile Support
    Despite its strengths, AngularJS does not offer the same level of performance optimization for mobile applications, making it less ideal for mobile-first development compared to some other frameworks.
  • Legacy Framework
    AngularJS is considered a legacy framework with a focus shifted towards Angular (2+). As a result, it receives fewer updates and less community attention compared to newer frameworks.

Nest.js features and specs

  • Modular Architecture
    Nest.js uses a modular architecture which is highly organized and maintainable. This allows for better separation of concerns and makes it easier to manage large-scale applications by dividing them into smaller, reusable modules.
  • TypeScript Support
    Nest.js is built with TypeScript, providing strong typing and compile-time checks. This leads to fewer runtime errors and improved code readability and maintainability.
  • Dependency Injection
    The framework includes a powerful dependency injection system, which enables better testability and easier management of application components.
  • Built-in Middleware
    Nest.js supports middleware out of the box, allowing developers to easily add additional request-processing logic at different points in the request lifecycle.
  • Extensive Documentation
    Nest.js offers comprehensive and detailed documentation, which helps developers quickly get up to speed and resolve issues more efficiently.
  • Scalability
    The framework is designed to be scalable, making it suitable for projects of varying sizes—from small applications to large enterprise-level systems.
  • Integration with Modern Libraries
    Nest.js seamlessly integrates with modern libraries and frameworks such as GraphQL, WebSockets, and TypeORM, extending its capabilities and allowing for versatile development options.
  • Active Community
    An active and growing community around Nest.js means there are plenty of resources, tutorials, and third-party tools available to assist with development.

Possible disadvantages of Nest.js

  • Learning Curve
    Due to its rich feature set and use of TypeScript, Nest.js can have a steep learning curve for developers who are not familiar with these technologies.
  • Overhead
    The reliance on the decorators and classes can introduce additional overhead, potentially making simple projects more complex than necessary.
  • Limited Flexibility
    Nest.js follows an opinionated architecture pattern, which can be restrictive for developers who prefer a more flexible or unstructured approach.
  • Performance
    While Nest.js is generally performant, the abstraction layers and TypeScript compile steps can introduce slight performance overhead compared to more lightweight alternatives.
  • Dependency on TypeScript
    The heavy reliance on TypeScript can be a drawback for developers who prefer to use plain JavaScript, or who are not familiar with TypeScript.
  • Community Compared to Mainstream Frameworks
    Although the Nest.js community is active and growing, it is still smaller compared to more established frameworks like Express.js or Koa, potentially limiting the amount of shared knowledge and third-party packages available.

AngularJS videos

What Is AngularJS

More videos:

  • Review - AngularJS Fundamentals In 60-ish Minutes

Nest.js videos

Why I chose Nest.js over Express.js in 2020

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to AngularJS and Nest.js)
Javascript UI Libraries
100 100%
0% 0
Web Frameworks
0 0%
100% 100
JavaScript Framework
50 50%
50% 50
JS Library
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare AngularJS and Nest.js

AngularJS Reviews

Top JavaScript Frameworks in 2025
AngularJS is an open-source framework used for developing web applications. Google developed it and made it open-source in 2010. It is one of the top choices of developers when it comes to building web applications using JavaScript. Hire web developers from SolGuruz and allow us to help you build white-label solutions.
Source: solguruz.com
20 Next.js Alternatives Worth Considering
Yes, Angular Universal provides server-side rendering capabilities for Angular applications. This tool allows Angular apps to benefit from SSR, improving performance and SEO by rendering pages on the server before sending them to the client.
The 20 Best Laravel Alternatives for Web Development
NestJS is a Node.js framework that’s inspired by Angular, and guess what? It’s written in TypeScript. Building with Typescript is like you’re navigating with the stars. It’s all about sturdy architecture, a server-side framework that enjoys the scripting superness while piling on extra sturdiness.
Top 9 best Frameworks for web development
The best frameworks for web development include React, Angular, Vue.js, Django, Spring, Laravel, Ruby on Rails, Flask and Express.js. Each of these frameworks has its own advantages and distinctive features, so it is important to choose the framework that best suits the needs of your project.
Source: www.kiwop.com
9 Best JavaScript Frameworks to Use in 2023
Angular.js is a powerful JavaScript-based web development framework. It has been designed to make web development more efficient and easy to use. Angular.js is based on the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture, which makes it easy to develop dynamic web applications. It also provides many features that make web development more efficient, such as data binding, dependency...
Source: ninetailed.io

Nest.js Reviews

Top JavaScript Frameworks in 2025
Nest (NestJS) is a framework for building efficient and scalable server-side backend applications using Node.Js. Internally, it actually makes use of JavaScript Back-end frameworks like Express (which is the default, and optionally Fastify can be configured to use as well!
Source: solguruz.com
10 Best Next.js Alternatives to Consider Today
For TypeScript aficionados seeking a framework with a modular, scalable architecture, NestJS stands out. Built on top of Node.js, NestJS offers a powerful set of abstractions for building server-side applications. Its modular structure facilitates the creation of scalable and maintainable codebases, making it a preferred choice for enterprise-level applications where a...
The 20 Best Laravel Alternatives for Web Development
NestJS is a Node.js framework that’s inspired by Angular, and guess what? It’s written in TypeScript. Building with Typescript is like you’re navigating with the stars. It’s all about sturdy architecture, a server-side framework that enjoys the scripting superness while piling on extra sturdiness.
Top 10 Best Node. Js Frameworks to Improve Web Development
It is a structure, which is used for making expert, versatile Node.js applications on the server-side. It employs powerful JavaScript plus designed with TypeScript. Working with TypeScript indicates Nest brings uninterrupted writing and incorporates elements like the following
Top 14 Node.JS Frameworks: Which Will Rule in 2020?
Nest utilizes Express.JS and provides an unusual app architecture that allows for the easy development of easily maintainable, loosely paired and highly scalable and testable apps. Developers can use Nest CLI for developing NestJS apps with different features.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Nest.js should be more popular than AngularJS. It has been mentiond 217 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

AngularJS mentions (50)

  • Between Diapers and Development – How My Blog Came to Life with Eleventy
    To maximize learning, I could choose something new. Normally, I consider that a valid reason. But given my limited time, that wasn't a priority for me. Another criterion could be long-term viability: Is there a large core team and an active community? Well, who still remembers AngularJS? From Google? And didn’t Facebook/Meta start Jest? I wouldn’t rely too much on that. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • 11 Quick and Easy Tips for Optimizing AngularJS Performance
    AngularJS is an open-source JavaScript framework that developers use to build frontend applications. It comes with modular support, an extensive community, and all the tools that help develop and manage dynamic frontend web apps. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Angular Tutorial: Host Element Binding
    Ok, what we'll use now is something that existed back in the day, after we switched from AngularJS to Angular 2 or modern Angular. We'll use the old/new host property on the component decorator. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • ⏰ It’s time to talk about Import Map, Micro Frontend, and Nx Monorepo
    Just to give you more context, I led the migration of several AngularJS applications to the newer Angular Framework. My client finally decided to make that move following the AngularJS deprecation announcement (stay up to date please 🙏)️. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • JS Toolbox 2024: Essential Picks for Modern Developers Series Overview
    The next post in the series provides a thorough comparison of popular frameworks like React, Vue, Angular, and Svelte, focusing on their unique features and suitability for different project types. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
View more

Nest.js mentions (217)

  • Next.js vs Nest.js: Understanding the Difference
    Read more about Next.js here and Nest.js here. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • Secure Your REST API Using Keycloak Role-Based Access Control
    In this article, we will walk through a step-by-step process to secure a Nest.js RESTful API using Keycloak. This includes setting up an application client and configuring authentication and RBAC for your API endpoints. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • Next.js vs Nest.js: What to Choose in 2025?
    The rapid evolution of web development in 2025 makes it imperative to choose a framework that truly fits your project. Whether this involves a dynamic web application, scalable API, or high-performance SaaS product, the decision to select Next.js or Nest.js becomes all the more key. While both do their thing really well, in this sense, they don't do the same thing. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Why Ruby on Rails still matters
    Ok, you're right. I was referring to the usual ones (Next, Nuxt, SvelteKit, Remix, etc). Joytick looks cool. Besides this there's also NestJS https://nestjs.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Secure Your NestJS App: Implementing Authentication with Auth0
    Basic knowledge of NestJS and Javascript/Typescript. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing AngularJS and Nest.js, you can also consider the following products

Vue.js - Reactive Components for Modern Web Interfaces

ExpressJS - Sinatra inspired web development framework for node.js -- insanely fast, flexible, and simple

React - A JavaScript library for building user interfaces

Adonis JS - AdonisJs is a Node.js web framework with breath of fresh air and drizzle of elegant syntax on top of it

ember.js - A JavaScript framework for creating ambitious web apps

Laravel - A PHP Framework For Web Artisans