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ExpressJS VS Blitz.js

Compare ExpressJS VS Blitz.js and see what are their differences

ExpressJS logo ExpressJS

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

Blitz.js logo Blitz.js

Rails-like framework for React apps, built on Next.js
  • ExpressJS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-14
  • Blitz.js Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-11-06

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.

Blitz.js features and specs

  • Fullstack Framework
    Blitz.js provides a cohesive experience by integrating both frontend and backend, enabling developers to focus more on building features than managing infrastructure.
  • Built on Next.js
    Being built on Next.js, Blitz.js benefits from the mature, well-maintained foundation of Next.js including its advanced routing, rendering optimizations, and powerful features.
  • Zero-API Data Layer
    Blitz.js eliminates the need for REST or GraphQL for client-server communication by allowing direct database access across the app, simplifying data management.
  • Community and Plugins
    A vibrant community and a growing ecosystem of plugins make it easier to extend and customize Blitz.js applications.
  • Authentication
    Blitz.js comes with built-in authentication and authorization, reducing the time and effort needed to implement security features in applications.

Possible disadvantages of Blitz.js

  • Learning Curve
    For developers coming from traditional REST or GraphQL backgrounds, adjusting to Blitz.js's paradigm, especially the data layer, may take some time.
  • Early Stage
    As Blitz.js is relatively new, it may lack the stability, full-fledged documentation, and extensive community support found in more established frameworks.
  • Opinionated
    Blitz.js follows specific conventions and patterns, which might limit flexibility for developers wanting to deviate significantly from its architecture.
  • Compatibility
    Some existing libraries or tools might not yet fully support or integrate seamlessly with Blitz.js, potentially requiring additional effort or workarounds.
  • Performance Overhead
    The zero-API approach, while simplifying development, might introduce unanticipated performance overheads in certain scenarios, especially with large-scale data operations.

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.

ExpressJS videos

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Blitz.js videos

Build apps at lightning speed with Blitz.js | Blitz.js Tutorial

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  • Review - Let's Checkout... Blitz.js

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to ExpressJS and Blitz.js)
JavaScript Framework
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
93 93%
7% 7
Open Source
0 0%
100% 100
Web Frameworks
97 97%
3% 3

User comments

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Reviews

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

Blitz.js Reviews

10 Best Next.js Alternatives to Consider Today
Blitz.js is tailored for developers seeking to expedite full-stack React development. Blitz.js minimizes the time and effort required to set up and maintain a full-stack React application by offering a set of conventions, developer tools, and integrations. Its embrace of zero-API data fetching simplifies server-side data retrieval, eliminating the need for manual API...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, ExpressJS seems to be a lot more popular than Blitz.js. While we know about 470 links to ExpressJS, we've tracked only 4 mentions of Blitz.js. 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 / 23 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 / about 1 month 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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Blitz.js mentions (4)

What are some alternatives?

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