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helidon VS ExpressJS

Compare helidon VS ExpressJS and see what are their differences

helidon logo helidon

Helidon Project, Java libraries crafted for Microservices

ExpressJS logo ExpressJS

Sinatra inspired web development framework for node.js -- insanely fast, flexible, and simple
  • helidon Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-08-28
  • ExpressJS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-14

helidon features and specs

  • Lightweight
    Helidon is designed to be a lightweight framework, which makes it an excellent choice for microservices and applications where performance and resource utilization are critical.
  • Microservices Focus
    Helidon is crafted with microservices architecture in mind, offering features and support that align well with cloud-native development strategies.
  • Helidon SE and MP Options
    Helidon provides both Helidon SE (simple, functional style development) and Helidon MP (MicroProfile standard), giving developers the flexibility to choose the programming model that best fits their needs.
  • GraalVM Support
    Helidon has support for GraalVM native image, which can significantly reduce startup time and memory usage, benefiting deployment and execution in cloud environments.
  • Reactive Programming
    With Helidon SE, developers can easily create reactive applications using a non-blocking, asynchronous programming model.

Possible disadvantages of helidon

  • Limited Ecosystem
    Compared to more established frameworks like Spring or Quarkus, Helidon's ecosystem of extensions, plugins, and third-party integrations is less extensive.
  • Smaller Community
    Helidon's community is not as large as some other Java microservices frameworks, which may mean fewer resources or community-driven support options are available.
  • Lack of Built-In Features
    While being lightweight is a benefit, it also means that Helidon might lack more comprehensive, built-in features that are found in larger frameworks, potentially requiring additional effort to implement common capabilities.
  • Newer in the Market
    Being a relatively newer framework, Helidon might not have as proven a track record or the same level of maturity and stability as older frameworks.

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.

helidon videos

From Zero to Hello - Helidon MP / MicroProfile

More videos:

  • Review - Everything you must know about Helidon | MicroStream Hackathon Weekly Q&A | Edition 4

ExpressJS videos

No ExpressJS videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to helidon and ExpressJS)
Web Frameworks
6 6%
94% 94
JavaScript Framework
0 0%
100% 100
Runtime
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
3 3%
97% 97

User comments

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Reviews

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

helidon Reviews

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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

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, ExpressJS seems to be a lot more popular than helidon. While we know about 466 links to ExpressJS, we've tracked only 14 mentions of helidon. 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.

helidon mentions (14)

  • Year After Switching from Java to Go: Our Experiences
    But Javas has so many of these web frameworks?! * Spring (https://spring.io/) * Spring Boot (https://spring.io/projects/spring-boot) * Helidon (https://helidon.io/) * Micronaut (https://micronaut.io/) * Quarkus (https://quarkus.io/) * JHipster (https://www.jhipster.tech/) * Vaadin (https://vaadin.com/) That's just to mention the bigger ones, there's lots of mini frameworks like Javalin (https://javalin.io/) and... - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Java web framework wihout annotations ?
    Maybe take a look at Helidon SE from Oracl (you find a short tutorial at https://www.baeldung.com/microservices-oracle-helidon). Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Javalin v5 has been released! (web micro-framework)
    If you’ve used NodeJS & ExpessJS, in Java world, Vert.x, Helidon and Javalin should be familiar. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Is it worth to learn Spring Boot ?
    If you’ve used ExpressJS, you could try Vert.x and Helidon. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Average Oracle move
    You would think that if the site of one of the biggest programming languages is an abomination for both consumers and developers, then the one for a rest framework that the same company develops on the side should be even worse, but that's not the case as we are talking about oracle. How is the helidon website absolutely stunning on both mobile and desktop? It's still developed by oracle, just how is it possible... Source: almost 3 years ago
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ExpressJS mentions (466)

  • 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 / 7 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 1 month ago
  • Show HN: MetroJS – JavaScript HTTPS Client with Middleware
    Hi, I've made a javascript https client, based on the browsers Fetch API, with added middleware support. Prebuilt middleware includes JSON, OAuth2.1 and OIDC (OpenID Connect). Differences with for example Axios, is that middleware can capture both request and response in a single function. Middleware is stackable. It is also completely backwards compatible with the Fetch API. Direct inspiration came from Express... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • Which Go Web Backend Framework Is Right for Your Next Project? A Detailed Analysis of Features and Performance
    Fiber draws direct inspiration from Express.js, a widely used web framework in the Node.js ecosystem. It is built on top of Fasthttp, known for its exceptional speed and low memory usage. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • How To Fetch (Get) HTML From Server 🛤️
    To do this, let's create an API route, through which we will receive HTML from the server. For the backend part, we will use Node.js. The framework on which we will do this is Express.js. It is one of the most popular today and it is perfect for the task we are solving. First, we specify the controller that will process the HTML:. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
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What are some alternatives?

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

Micronaut Framework - Build modular easily testable microservice & serverless apps

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

vert.x - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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

Spark Framework - Spark Framework is a simple and lightweight Java web framework built for rapid development.

Laravel - A PHP Framework For Web Artisans