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axios VS RxJS

Compare axios VS RxJS and see what are their differences

axios logo axios

Promise based HTTP client for the browser and node.js - axios/axios

RxJS logo RxJS

Reactive Extensions for Javascript
  • axios Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-17
  • RxJS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-29

axios features and specs

  • Simple API
    Axios provides a straightforward and easy-to-use API for performing HTTP requests, which can be simpler and more intuitive than the native Fetch API.
  • Promise-based
    Axios uses Promises, making it easier to handle asynchronous operations with `.then()` and `.catch()`, which integrates well with modern JavaScript and async/await syntax.
  • Interceptors
    Axios allows you to set up request and response interceptors, enabling you to handle tasks like modifying requests, handling errors globally, or adding authorization tokens in a centralized place.
  • Automatic JSON Transformation
    Axios automatically transforms JSON data, saving developers the hassle of performing manual JSON.parse() or JSON.stringify() operations.
  • Node.js Support
    Axios supports Node.js, making it a versatile choice for both frontend and backend development.
  • Request Cancellation
    Axios supports cancelling requests using the AbortController API, allowing better control over long-running or redundant requests.
  • Wide Browser Support
    Axios works across many older browsers and environments where the Fetch API might not be fully supported.

Possible disadvantages of axios

  • Bundle Size
    Since Axios is an external library, including it in a project will increase the overall bundle size, which can be a concern for performance-sensitive applications.
  • Dependency Management
    Adding Axios introduces one more dependency to manage in your project, which can lead to potential conflicts or issues with package updates.
  • Redundant for Simple Tasks
    For very simple HTTP requests, using Axios might be overkill, especially as the Fetch API can handle many straightforward use cases with minimal code.
  • Learning Curve for Interceptors
    While interceptors are powerful, they add an additional layer of complexity that developers need to learn, which might be overwhelming for beginners.
  • Inconsistent Error Handling
    Error handling in Axios can sometimes be inconsistent and may require extra boilerplate code to handle different types of errors such as network errors, HTTP errors, or unexpected payloads.
  • Global Configuration Complexity
    Managing global Axios configuration for large applications can become complex and might lead to less readable and maintainable code if not handled carefully.
  • No Native TypeScript Support
    While Axios can be used with TypeScript, it does not provide type definitions out of the box and relies on the DefinitelyTyped community for typings, which might lag behind the main library updates.

RxJS features and specs

  • Asynchronous Programming Model
    RxJS allows you to work with asynchronous data streams with ease, enabling you to handle events, Ajax requests, and other asynchronous operations more effectively.
  • Composability
    RxJS operators enable developers to compose complex asynchronous operations concisely. This provides greater flexibility and power over handling streams of data.
  • Functional Programming Paradigm
    By using a functional programming approach, RxJS promotes cleaner and more predictable code. It encourages immutability and side-effect-free functions, enhancing code maintainability.
  • Rich Operator Set
    RxJS has a comprehensive set of operators, which allows developers to transform, combine, and filter data streams in various ways without needing to write a lot of boilerplate code.
  • Community and Ecosystem
    With its active community and extensive ecosystem, RxJS provides robust support, an abundance of learning resources, and numerous integrations with other libraries and frameworks.

Possible disadvantages of RxJS

  • Steep Learning Curve
    For developers unfamiliar with reactive programming concepts or functional programming, understanding RxJS can be challenging, potentially leading to difficulty in adopting it.
  • Overhead for Simple Tasks
    Using RxJS for simple asynchronous tasks might add unnecessary complexity compared to native JavaScript promises or async/await due to its powerful abstractions.
  • Bundle Size
    In certain circumstances, incorporating RxJS might lead to increased bundle sizes, which can be a concern for web performance if not managed properly.
  • Complex Debugging
    RxJS introduces a level of abstraction that can make debugging more complex, especially when dealing with multiple combined and transformed data streams.
  • Performance Overhead
    While RxJS is powerful, its generalized approach to handling asynchronous stream processing can introduce performance overhead if not used judiciously.

Analysis of axios

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Axios is generally considered a good library for making HTTP requests due to its robust feature set, ease of use, and active community support. It simplifies the process of interacting with web services and is well-documented, making it a reliable choice for both beginners and experienced developers.

Why this product is good

  • Axios is a promise-based HTTP client for Node.js and the browser. Its popularity stems from its simplicity, ease of use, and ability to handle HTTP requests and responses effectively. It provides features such as interceptors, automatic JSON transformation, and protection against XSRF. This makes it particularly useful for developers working on projects that require communication with APIs.

Recommended for

  • Developers building single-page applications (SPAs)
  • Projects that require HTTP client functionalities both in Node.js and browsers
  • Applications that need to handle complex request/response transformations
  • Developers looking for a simple API for making asynchronous calls

axios videos

A Spec Monster Diver! The Axios Ironclad!

More videos:

  • Review - Axios Ironclad Review - Upcoming Affordable Diver
  • Review - The dive watch you've been waiting for. Axios Flagship Automatic Review

RxJS videos

RxJS is My Favorite Library

More videos:

  • Review - Reactive Programming with RxJS - James Churchill
  • Review - Tero Parviainen "Reactive Music Apps in Angular and RxJS"

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to axios and RxJS)
Javascript UI Libraries
85 85%
15% 15
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Front-End Frameworks
68 68%
32% 32
JS Library
70 70%
30% 30

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, axios seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 116 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.

axios mentions (116)

  • My Type of Library: Axios TypeScript Conversion
    This is the first post in an ad-hoc series where I convert libraries to TypeScript, and analyze the results. In the same vein as my re-conversion of the Turbo Framework to TypeScript, I decided to take a popular JavaScript library, this time one that had always been in JavaScript, and see what converting the codebase to TypeScript revealed. I chose Axios, because itโ€™s:. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • How To Use React JS In a Laravel Project
    Axios: This library is great for making HTTP requests from React to your Laravel backend. More details can be found on Axios GitHub. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • How To Work With API In React JS
    Axios GitHub Repository: If you decide to try Axios, the Axios GitHub page is a good place to see how it works and to get installation instructions. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • Journeying from React to React Native
    React and React Native share many core libraries. You can use the same state management libraries like Redux, MobX, and data fetching libraries like Axios or the Fetch API. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • How to Read a JSON File in JavaScript
    When you need to read a json file in your project, it is easy to get the idea using fetch or axios. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
View more

RxJS mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of RxJS yet. Tracking of RxJS recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing axios and RxJS, you can also consider the following products

React - A JavaScript library for building user interfaces

Zustand - Bear necessities for state management in React

Redux.js - Predictable state container for JavaScript apps

Finagle - Finagle is aย protocol-agnostic RPC system.

MobX - Simple, scalable state management

Create React App - Create React apps with no build configuration