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Nest.js VS Fastify

Compare Nest.js VS Fastify and see what are their differences

Nest.js logo Nest.js

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

Fastify logo Fastify

Fastify is a low overhead web framework, for Node.js.
  • Nest.js Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-26
  • Fastify Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-03

Nest.js features and specs

  • Modular Architecture
    Nest.js uses a modular architecture which is highly organized and maintainable. This allows for better separation of concerns and makes it easier to manage large-scale applications by dividing them into smaller, reusable modules.
  • TypeScript Support
    Nest.js is built with TypeScript, providing strong typing and compile-time checks. This leads to fewer runtime errors and improved code readability and maintainability.
  • Dependency Injection
    The framework includes a powerful dependency injection system, which enables better testability and easier management of application components.
  • Built-in Middleware
    Nest.js supports middleware out of the box, allowing developers to easily add additional request-processing logic at different points in the request lifecycle.
  • Extensive Documentation
    Nest.js offers comprehensive and detailed documentation, which helps developers quickly get up to speed and resolve issues more efficiently.
  • Scalability
    The framework is designed to be scalable, making it suitable for projects of varying sizes—from small applications to large enterprise-level systems.
  • Integration with Modern Libraries
    Nest.js seamlessly integrates with modern libraries and frameworks such as GraphQL, WebSockets, and TypeORM, extending its capabilities and allowing for versatile development options.
  • Active Community
    An active and growing community around Nest.js means there are plenty of resources, tutorials, and third-party tools available to assist with development.

Possible disadvantages of Nest.js

  • Learning Curve
    Due to its rich feature set and use of TypeScript, Nest.js can have a steep learning curve for developers who are not familiar with these technologies.
  • Overhead
    The reliance on the decorators and classes can introduce additional overhead, potentially making simple projects more complex than necessary.
  • Limited Flexibility
    Nest.js follows an opinionated architecture pattern, which can be restrictive for developers who prefer a more flexible or unstructured approach.
  • Performance
    While Nest.js is generally performant, the abstraction layers and TypeScript compile steps can introduce slight performance overhead compared to more lightweight alternatives.
  • Dependency on TypeScript
    The heavy reliance on TypeScript can be a drawback for developers who prefer to use plain JavaScript, or who are not familiar with TypeScript.
  • Community Compared to Mainstream Frameworks
    Although the Nest.js community is active and growing, it is still smaller compared to more established frameworks like Express.js or Koa, potentially limiting the amount of shared knowledge and third-party packages available.

Fastify features and specs

  • Performance
    Fastify is known for its high performance, being capable of handling a large number of requests per second while maintaining low overhead, thanks to its efficient architecture.
  • Schema-based Validation
    Fastify employs JSON schema for validation and serialization, which ensures data integrity and reduces the boilerplate code required for validation.
  • Extensibility
    It offers a robust plugin architecture that allows developers to easily extend or modify functionalities, enhancing modularity and scalability.
  • Developer Experience
    Fastify provides a pleasant developer experience with excellent documentation, a simple API, and integrated TypeScript support, which helps in code maintainability and faster development.
  • Asynchronous Support
    Built on top of Node.js, Fastify fully supports asynchronous programming, making it simple to handle asynchronous tasks such as I/O operations.

Possible disadvantages of Fastify

  • Community Size
    While growing, Fastify's community is smaller compared to more established frameworks like Express, which may result in fewer third-party plugins or community support.
  • Learning Curve
    For developers familiar with other Node.js frameworks, Fastify's concepts and differences might present a learning curve, especially its use of schemas and its plugin architecture.
  • Overhead for Simple Applications
    For very simple APIs or applications that don't demand high performance, the additional features Fastify offers may be unnecessary and can add complexity.
  • Maturity of Ecosystem
    Despite its growing popularity, Fastify’s ecosystem and range of plugins might not yet cover all use cases, requiring developers to build custom solutions.

Nest.js videos

Why I chose Nest.js over Express.js in 2020

Fastify videos

Master Fastify Tutorial

More videos:

  • Review - Fastify v3
  • Review - FASTIFY.CC BIG SCAM UPDATES || FASTIFY.CC LEGIT/SCAM LIVE PROOF CryptoTricks-Find New Site

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Nest.js and Fastify)
Web Frameworks
85 85%
15% 15
JavaScript Framework
84 84%
16% 16
Developer Tools
83 83%
17% 17
Development
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 Nest.js and Fastify

Nest.js Reviews

Top JavaScript Frameworks in 2025
Nest (NestJS) is a framework for building efficient and scalable server-side backend applications using Node.Js. Internally, it actually makes use of JavaScript Back-end frameworks like Express (which is the default, and optionally Fastify can be configured to use as well!
Source: solguruz.com
10 Best Next.js Alternatives to Consider Today
For TypeScript aficionados seeking a framework with a modular, scalable architecture, NestJS stands out. Built on top of Node.js, NestJS offers a powerful set of abstractions for building server-side applications. Its modular structure facilitates the creation of scalable and maintainable codebases, making it a preferred choice for enterprise-level applications where a...
The 20 Best Laravel Alternatives for Web Development
NestJS is a Node.js framework that’s inspired by Angular, and guess what? It’s written in TypeScript. Building with Typescript is like you’re navigating with the stars. It’s all about sturdy architecture, a server-side framework that enjoys the scripting superness while piling on extra sturdiness.
Top 10 Best Node. Js Frameworks to Improve Web Development
It is a structure, which is used for making expert, versatile Node.js applications on the server-side. It employs powerful JavaScript plus designed with TypeScript. Working with TypeScript indicates Nest brings uninterrupted writing and incorporates elements like the following
Top 14 Node.JS Frameworks: Which Will Rule in 2020?
Nest utilizes Express.JS and provides an unusual app architecture that allows for the easy development of easily maintainable, loosely paired and highly scalable and testable apps. Developers can use Nest CLI for developing NestJS apps with different features.

Fastify Reviews

Forget Express.js — opt for these alternatives instead
This also means that we can rely on Fastify to respond with a sane error when parsing fails. For example, when the client sends invalid JSON to Fastify, the response will look something like this:

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Nest.js should be more popular than Fastify. It has been mentiond 217 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.

Nest.js mentions (217)

  • Next.js vs Nest.js: Understanding the Difference
    Read more about Next.js here and Nest.js here. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • Secure Your REST API Using Keycloak Role-Based Access Control
    In this article, we will walk through a step-by-step process to secure a Nest.js RESTful API using Keycloak. This includes setting up an application client and configuring authentication and RBAC for your API endpoints. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • Next.js vs Nest.js: What to Choose in 2025?
    The rapid evolution of web development in 2025 makes it imperative to choose a framework that truly fits your project. Whether this involves a dynamic web application, scalable API, or high-performance SaaS product, the decision to select Next.js or Nest.js becomes all the more key. While both do their thing really well, in this sense, they don't do the same thing. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • Why Ruby on Rails still matters
    Ok, you're right. I was referring to the usual ones (Next, Nuxt, SvelteKit, Remix, etc). Joytick looks cool. Besides this there's also NestJS https://nestjs.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • Secure Your NestJS App: Implementing Authentication with Auth0
    Basic knowledge of NestJS and Javascript/Typescript. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
View more

Fastify mentions (32)

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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Nest.js and Fastify, you can also consider the following products

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

Adonis JS - AdonisJs is a Node.js web framework with breath of fresh air and drizzle of elegant syntax on top of it

Laravel - A PHP Framework For Web Artisans

Next.js - A small framework for server-rendered universal JavaScript apps

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

Sails.js - Realtime MVC Framework for Node.js