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ExpressJS VS Sandpack by CodeSandbox

Compare ExpressJS VS Sandpack by CodeSandbox and see what are their differences

ExpressJS logo ExpressJS

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

Sandpack by CodeSandbox logo Sandpack by CodeSandbox

Sandpack is a toolkit for building live coding experiences that run fully in the browser.
  • ExpressJS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-14
  • Sandpack by CodeSandbox Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-03

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.

Sandpack by CodeSandbox features and specs

  • Real-time Collaboration
    Sandpack allows developers to collaborate in real-time, enabling teams to work together efficiently without dealing with latency or desynchronization issues.
  • Easy to Embed
    Sandpack makes it easy to embed live code examples in documentation, blog posts, or tutorials, enhancing the learning and sharing experience.
  • Customizable Environment
    Developers can customize their development environment to suit their specific needs by choosing different bundlers, editors, and themes.
  • Integration with CodeSandbox
    Sandpack seamlessly integrates with CodeSandbox, allowing users to switch between simplified live previews and full-featured development environments.
  • Open Source
    Being open source, Sandpack encourages community contributions, ensuring continuous improvement and support from a broader group of developers.

Possible disadvantages of Sandpack by CodeSandbox

  • Limited Language Support
    Sandpack might support fewer programming languages compared to other development platforms, potentially limiting its usability for some projects.
  • Performance Constraints
    The performance of Sandpack might be constrained by browser limitations, affecting the speed and responsiveness of larger projects or complex applications.
  • Learning Curve
    New users may face a learning curve when adapting to Sandpack's environment and features, especially if they are used to other development tools.
  • Dependency on Internet Connection
    As a web-based tool, Sandpack requires a stable internet connection for optimal performance, which could be a drawback in areas with unreliable connectivity.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to ExpressJS and Sandpack by CodeSandbox)
JavaScript Framework
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
97 97%
3% 3
Open Source
0 0%
100% 100
Web Frameworks
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 ExpressJS and Sandpack by CodeSandbox

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

Sandpack by CodeSandbox Reviews

We have no reviews of Sandpack by CodeSandbox yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, ExpressJS seems to be a lot more popular than Sandpack by CodeSandbox. While we know about 469 links to ExpressJS, we've tracked only 8 mentions of Sandpack by CodeSandbox. 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 (469)

  • 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 / 2 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 / 6 days ago
  • How to Handle File Uploads with Node.js and Express - Multer Edition
    Basic knowledge of JavaScript and Express. - Source: dev.to / 8 days 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 / 23 days ago
  • How To Fetch Image From Database and Display In React JS
    Express Documentation This site has comprehensive guides on setting up routes, handling requests, and working with middleware in Express. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
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Sandpack by CodeSandbox mentions (8)

  • Inside the Box: August Community Update
    Sandpack static file support 🖼️ — You can now serve static files inside a Sandpack instance! This beta feature allows serving SVGs, fonts, images, and much more, which helps take isolated, interactive code examples to a new level! - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • This weird IFRAME thing wasted my 2 days (and counting...)
    But as soon as I wrote the first iteration, I got to know that it wasn't a cakewalk. The page I was trying to capture screenshot of did not render the preview as soon as it loaded. I am using Sandpack by codesandbox to render react/nextjs components and it takes around 35-40 seconds to load up the preview(it runs every thing on machine[WASM baby], such a 😎 cool tech). - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • Celebrating Hacktoberfest With Tips for Open-Source
    For us at CodeSandbox, we stand by it as a company but also as individuals. We released our browser editor, Sandpack, and parts of Nodebox as open source and we want to give back any time we can! - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • I spent 5 months building a free leetcode for React/Frontend 🎉
    As for the portal itself then I was thinking of making another post that explains how the site is built. But sandpack by codebox is the standard solution for live code execution. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Creating fluffy trees with Three.js
    Https://sandpack.codesandbox.io/ Sandpack is what they're using. Go check out the docs, and I'm sure there's plenty of tutorials if you search it up. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing ExpressJS and Sandpack by CodeSandbox, 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

replit - Code, create, andlearn together. Use our free, collaborative, in-browser IDE to code in 50+ languages — without spending a second on setup.

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

Runops - Run one-off scripts as production-ready automations

Laravel - A PHP Framework For Web Artisans

CodeSandbox - Online playground for React