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ExpressJS VS Adonis JS

Compare ExpressJS VS Adonis JS and see what are their differences

ExpressJS logo ExpressJS

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

Adonis JS logo Adonis JS

AdonisJs is a Node.js web framework with breath of fresh air and drizzle of elegant syntax on top of it
  • ExpressJS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-14
  • Adonis JS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-20

ExpressJS features and specs

  • Fast Setup
    ExpressJS provides a minimal and flexible framework that allows rapid setup and development of web and mobile applications.
  • Middleware Support
    ExpressJS has a robust middleware system, allowing developers to add reusable functions to the request-handling pipeline.
  • Extensibility
    ExpressJS is highly extensible through third-party libraries and built-in functionality, catering to the needs of various applications.
  • Performance
    Due to its minimalist core, ExpressJS provides efficient performance and is capable of handling a high number of requests per second.
  • Community and Ecosystem
    A large and active community provides extensive documentation, support, and a wide array of open-source packages to extend functionality.
  • Flexibility
    Compared to full-stack frameworks, ExpressJS gives developers the freedom to structure their applications as they see fit.
  • Compatibility
    ExpressJS works seamlessly with various template engines, databases, and other frameworks, making it versatile for different project requirements.

Possible disadvantages of ExpressJS

  • Minimalist Core
    The minimalist nature of ExpressJS may require additional time and effort to integrate required plugins and libraries for specific features.
  • Learning Curve
    While ExpressJS is straightforward, mastering the middleware pattern and effective usage can have a learning curve for new developers.
  • Callback Hell
    Developers can encounter 'callback hell' due to nested callback functions, though this can be mitigated using Promises and async/await in modern JavaScript.
  • Lack of Convention
    Unlike opinionated frameworks, ExpressJS lacks conventions, which can lead to inconsistent code structure and maintenance challenges across different projects.
  • Security
    ExpressJS does not have built-in security features and relies on third-party solutions, requiring developers to be vigilant about applying best security practices.
  • Scalability
    While ExpressJS can handle high traffic, building and maintaining a highly scalable application might require significant additional effort, particularly in terms of codebase organization and resource management.

Adonis JS features and specs

  • Modern Eco-System
    AdonisJS uses the latest JavaScript (ES6/ES7) features, providing an up-to-date and efficient development environment. This includes async/await for handling asynchronous code, making it easier to write and understand.
  • ORM Support
    The framework includes a built-in ORM called Lucid, which simplifies database interactions by allowing developers to work with database records through straightforward JavaScript models.
  • MVC Architecture
    AdonisJS follows the Model-View-Controller (MVC) design pattern, which helps organize code in a clean and maintainable manner, making it easier to manage large applications.
  • Built-In Authentication and Authorization
    AdonisJS comes with out-of-the-box solutions for user authentication and authorization, reducing the time required to set up these critical features in applications.
  • Thorough Documentation
    AdonisJS provides comprehensive and well-maintained documentation, which makes it easier for developers to get started and find solutions to their problems quickly.
  • Rich CLI
    The Command Line Interface (CLI) for AdonisJS is rich with features, facilitating a range of tasks from project scaffolding to running migrations, thus speeding up the development process.

Possible disadvantages of Adonis JS

  • Learning Curve
    Although the framework is well-documented, its rich set of features and unique conventions can present a steep learning curve for beginners or those new to JavaScript frameworks.
  • Limited Ecosystem
    Compared to more established frameworks like Express.js or Laravel, AdonisJS has a smaller ecosystem of third-party packages and community resources.
  • Performance Overhead
    Due to its comprehensive feature set, AdonisJS can have more performance overhead compared to microframeworks that offer more control and fewer built-in features.
  • Smaller Community
    While growing, the community around AdonisJS is still smaller than that of other established frameworks. This can sometimes make it more challenging to find community-driven support and solutions.
  • Rapid Changes
    As a relatively new framework, AdonisJS undergoes frequent updates and changes. Keeping up with these changes can demand additional effort from developers.

Analysis of ExpressJS

Overall verdict

  • ExpressJS is a highly recommended option for building web applications with Node.js. Its simplicity, extensive middleware options, and strong community support make it a solid choice for both beginners and experienced developers. However, it might not be the best fit for highly complex applications that require more opinionated frameworks with more built-in features.

Why this product is good

  • ExpressJS is a minimalist and flexible web application framework for Node.js. It provides a robust set of features for building web and mobile applications, making it a popular choice among developers.
  • It offers a thin layer of fundamental web application features, without obscuring Node.js features that developers use regularly.
  • ExpressJS has a large ecosystem of middleware to handle various tasks such as security, session management, and file uploads, which simplifies the development process.
  • It's known for its fast learning curve, which makes it particularly advantageous for developers who are new to backend web development but familiar with JavaScript.

Recommended for

  • Developers looking for a lightweight and flexible web framework for Node.js.
  • Projects where quick setup and ease of development are priorities.
  • Applications that require a custom architecture and a high degree of flexibility.
  • Teams who prefer to build their technology stack from the ground up and have control over the specific components used.

Analysis of Adonis JS

Overall verdict

  • AdonisJS is a good choice for developers looking for a complete, opinionated framework with a focus on developer productivity and ease of use. It is especially beneficial for those who appreciate a well-documented toolkit with out-of-the-box features necessary for web development. However, like any framework, it may not be the best fit for every project, especially if you have specific requirements beyond what AdonisJS easily provides or if you prefer using a less opinionated environment.

Why this product is good

  • AdonisJS is a Node.js MVC framework tailored for building scalable server-side applications. It is often praised for its opinionated structure that makes it easy to follow best practices, which can accelerate development. Additionally, it offers built-in support for authentication, data modeling, and other features that are commonly needed in web applications, reducing the need for third-party packages. Its emphasis on developer experience, with features like an intuitive CLI, ORM, and an edge templating engine, contributes to its appeal among developers who prefer an all-in-one toolkit. Furthermore, the AdonisJS community is growing, and there are increasing resources and plugins available.

Recommended for

  • Developers building server-side applications with Node.js who need a structured approach.
  • Teams that benefit from having a consistent, opinionated setup with built-in features for common tasks.
  • Developers who appreciate a strong focus on development experience and concise documentation.
  • Projects that require scalability and maintainability without relying heavily on external packages.

ExpressJS videos

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Adonis JS videos

Tutoriel NodeJS : Découverte d'Adonis

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to ExpressJS and Adonis JS)
JavaScript Framework
86 86%
14% 14
Web Frameworks
72 72%
28% 28
Developer Tools
74 74%
26% 26
Javascript UI Libraries
100 100%
0% 0

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare ExpressJS and Adonis JS

ExpressJS Reviews

Top JavaScript Frameworks in 2025
Express.JS is used to create Restful APIs, which is useful for accepting requests from the front end and sending the appropriate response. Express.JS supports Node.js, which is one of the best reasons developers choose to use it. Moreover, debugging becomes faster and helps in finding errors in less time.
Source: solguruz.com
The 20 Best Laravel Alternatives for Web Development
Express.js — or Express for the cool cats — is Node.js’s minimalist wingman. It’s the train tracks for your web app, setting the path, defining the stops, but letting you drive the engine.
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
Additionally, Express.js v4 now comes with built-in middleware for handling AJAX requests from the client side, making it even easier to get started without having to worry about 3rd party libraries. Express.js is a great tool for quickly building out web applications and APIs in Node.js.
Source: ninetailed.io
JavaScript: What Are The Most Used Frameworks For This Language?
Express.JS is a popular open-source web application framework for Node.JS, which is a server-side JavaScript runtime environment. Express.JS provides a simple, flexible and scalable way to build web applications and APIs using Node.JS. It is known for its minimalist and unimposing approach, which means it provides a basic set of features and tools but allows developers to...
Source: www.bocasay.com

Adonis JS Reviews

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, ExpressJS should be more popular than Adonis JS. It has been mentiond 470 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.

ExpressJS mentions (470)

  • 🔥 Why Everyone Is Talking About HTMX: The Game-Changer for Web Development
    🌍 Who Should Use HTMX? ✅ Django / Flask / Rails developers ✅ Express / Node.js backend lovers ✅ Fullstack devs who want LESS frontend headache ✅ Teams jo SSR + SEO ko priority dete hain. - Source: dev.to / 19 days ago
  • Not a Middy Fan
    Express.js was created around the time callbacks were _the_ architecture in Node.js. The world, including UI, quickly found callbacks do not compose well, and void return values are hard to test because of side-effects. Promises were created so you could compose functions, but still have control where your side-effects go. This negates the need for middlewares / callbacks. - Source: dev.to / 28 days ago
  • Experimental Devvit Web Views
    The Devvit team just announced a new experimental way to build WebView based apps for Reddit. Previously only static HTML/JS/CSS could be used. With this new version, it is possible to run server-side code through Node including spinning up an Express server. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • How to Handle File Uploads with Node.js and Express - Multer Edition
    Basic knowledge of JavaScript and Express. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • Reusable API proxy in just a few lines of JavaScript
    The basis of my small API proxy is the NPM package http-proxy-middleware from Steven Chim, which I utilized to build a system that can be used via configuration for various endpoints and that runs on a server under the Node.js framework Express. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
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Adonis JS mentions (79)

  • The One-Person Framework in Practice
    I'm currently building out an app using AdonisJS. Its billed as a Rails like experience but in node. https://adonisjs.com/ I did a comparison between Rails, Adonis and Fiber (a Go "framework") before settling on Adonis (mostly due to node ecosystem and type safety). It's been excellent so far, and the creator has an excellent series of tutorial videos that can get you up to speed quickly... - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
  • My Software Development Process
    Database Migration files and Models: For my backend, my go to NodeJs framework is AdonisJS. I love it because it comes with libraries for building production ready applications out of the box such as auth, emails, CORS, migrations, seeders, etc. It also uses Typescript. So, I create a basic AdonisJS app, and using my Database design, I prepare database migration files and models that match, This is easy because... - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • Validate your data structures with Vine in your Dart projects
    Vine is a data validation library developed by Harminder Virk for the Adonis framework. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Web apps built with Ruby on Rails
    Have you checked https://adonisjs.com/ ? Seems it follows the Rails / Laravel way of doing things. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • Rails is better low code than low code
    Https://adonisjs.com/ Adonis.js is just that. I have never used it beyond a quick test though so I can't say what it is like in production. - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing ExpressJS and Adonis JS, you can also consider the following products

Node.js - Node.js is a platform built on Chrome's JavaScript runtime for easily building fast, scalable network applications

Nest.js - A progressive Node.js framework for building efficient, reliable and scalable server-side applications.

Ruby on Rails - Ruby on Rails is an open source full-stack web application framework for the Ruby programming...

Koa.js - Next generation web framework for node.js

Django - The Web framework for perfectionists with deadlines

Laravel - A PHP Framework For Web Artisans