Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

RESTClient VS ExpressJS

Compare RESTClient VS ExpressJS and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

RESTClient logo RESTClient

RESTClient can be used to test variety of HTTP communications and RESTful webservices.

ExpressJS logo ExpressJS

Sinatra inspired web development framework for node.js -- insanely fast, flexible, and simple
  • RESTClient Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-13
  • ExpressJS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-14

RESTClient features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    RESTClient offers a straightforward and intuitive interface that makes it easy for developers to craft HTTP requests and read responses without unnecessary complexity.
  • Support for Multiple HTTP Methods
    The tool supports a wide range of HTTP methods such as GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, and more, making it versatile for testing various API endpoints.
  • Customizable Headers and Body
    Users can customize HTTP headers and request bodies, allowing for detailed and precise API testing.
  • Open Source
    Being open-source, RESTClient is free to use and can be modified to suit specific user needs. It also benefits from community improvements and updates.
  • Support for Authentication
    The tool includes support for various authentication methods, including Basic and OAuth, which is essential for testing secured APIs.

Possible disadvantages of RESTClient

  • Limited Advanced Features
    Compared to some other HTTP clients, RESTClient may lack certain advanced features like scripting or automated testing capabilities.
  • GUI Dependent
    As it's primarily a GUI-based tool, it's less suitable for users looking for a command-line interface (CLI) solution for automated testing or integration into CI/CD pipelines.
  • Platform Specific
    Being a Java-based application, it requires a Java Runtime Environment, which might not be ideal for every user or scenario.
  • Limited Community Support
    Compared to more popular tools, RESTClient might have less community support, which can lead to delays in getting help or updates.

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.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to RESTClient and ExpressJS)
Developer Tools
4 4%
96% 96
JavaScript Framework
0 0%
100% 100
API Tools
100 100%
0% 0
APIs
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 RESTClient and ExpressJS

RESTClient Reviews

5 Open Source API / REST Development Tools – Postman Alternatives
RESTClient can be used to test variety of HTTP communications and RESTful webservices. Friendly GUI, rich functionalities. RESTClient supports all HTTP methods RFC2616 (HTTP/1.1) and RFC2518 (WebDAV). You can construct custom HTTP request (custom method with resources URI and HTTP request Body) to directly test requests against a server.

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 more popular. It has been mentiond 469 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.

RESTClient mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of RESTClient yet. Tracking of RESTClient recommendations started around Mar 2021.

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 / 7 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 / 11 days ago
  • How to Handle File Uploads with Node.js and Express - Multer Edition
    Basic knowledge of JavaScript and Express. - Source: dev.to / 13 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 / 28 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 / 2 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

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

Postman - The Collaboration Platform for API Development

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

soapUI - SoapUI Pro is one of the most prominent API testing platforms around, allowing developers to quickly prototype the functions of their apps and get them to market with little hassle.

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

Insomnia REST - Design, debug, test, and mock APIs locally, on Git, or cloud. Build better APIs collaboratively for the most popular protocols with a dev‑friendly UI, built-in automation, and an extensible plugin ecosystem.

Django - The Web framework for perfectionists with deadlines