Node.js vs Nest.js: Which Framework to Choose?

Whether your project turns out great or it will break? It all depends on choosing the right technology for the backend. One of the most talked-about frameworks for backend development is Node.js vs Nest.js. Now, lets clear what is best for you by understanding the differences and advantages as well as use cases of Node.js and Nest.js. 

What is Node.js?

Node.js, being a server-side JavaScript runtime environment, was built using Chrome’s V8 engine. With its remarkable event-driven, non-blocking I/O model, it allows developers to execute JavaScript on the server side, making Node development highly efficient and scalable. Moreover, being lightweight and supporting asynchronous programming, it is well-suited for applications that require real-time interaction, such as chat applications, streaming services, and collaborative tools.

Key Features of Node.js:

Asynchronous and event-driven:

Node.js inherently works on a non-blocking I/O model through which one can open many requests and not have to wait for one task to complete before running the next one. This suitability makes Node.js really efficient for I/O heavy applications like APIs and real-time apps.

Advantage: Very high performance for multi-connection handling. Example: Asynchronous processing of database queries, file read/writes, or API requests.

Huge NPM Ecosystem:

Node.js has an very vast library of open source packages and it boasts of being one of the largest open source libraries of the world via npm.

Advantage: It saves the effort of doing things in development by allowing the reuse of modules already built. Example: use express for servers, mongoose for the MongoDB integration, or socket.io for real-time communication.

Cross-Platform Compatibility:

Node.js is platform-independent. It runs on basically all operating system environments, i.e., Windows, macOS, Linux, and so on. This enables the developer to build applications and deploy them across environments without much effort.

• Advantage: Write code once deployed anywhere would combine with this.
• Example: Server-side code working without modifications on different OS environments.

Single-threaded but Highly Scalable:

Node.js uses a single-threaded event loop to handle all requests but efficiently manages most of the connections with the help of asynchronous operations.

• Advantage: Efficient memory usage and scalable to handle thousands of concurrent connections.
• Example: Handling a chat server with thousands of users simultaneously.

Built on V8 of JavaScript Engines:

Node.js collaborates with Google’s V8 engine, which encompasses the transformation of JavaScript code to machine code runtime, thus attaining rapid execution with efficient performance.

• Advantage: High speed in code execution.
• Example: Quickly handling computational tasks and script execution. 

Real-Time Application Support:

It is an event-based structure; thus, using it would ease creating real-time applications like chatting, games, etc. and might also be used for online streaming applications.

• Advantage: Instant communication and updates between the server and client.
• Example: real-time chat applications like Slack or live tracking systems.

Stream-Based Processing:

A good example of stream-based processing is in Node.js, where you wouldn’t necessarily have to load all the data into memory, and it is really good when the definition stands for example purposes like streaming video or uploading files.

• Advantage: Efficiently processes large files without consuming too much memory.
• Example: streaming videos directly from the server without fully loading them into memory.

JSON Support:

Node.js is based on JavaScript; thus, JSON data is equally native to node.js, which is a well-known data format used in web applications and APIs.

• Advantage: simplifying data transfer between server and client.
• Example: Creating RESTful APIs that send and receive JSON objects.

 Use Cases for Node.js: 

• Real-time applications such as chatting and gaming provide services.
• Microservices are pretty light.
• RESTful API.
• Online-Streaming Applications
• Server-Side Rendering (SSR).
• Data-heavy Applications.
• E-commerce Website.
• Social media websites.
• Single Page Applications (SPAs).
• Content Delivery Networks (CDNs).
• Cross-Platform Applications.
• Financial Applications.

Node.js in Action 

So many high-traffic companies like Netflix, PayPal, and LinkedIn run their operations on Node.js and deliver a superfast performance. 

what is Nest.js?

Nest.js is a progressive framework for Node.js written in TypeScript and inspired by the modular architecture in Angular. Whereas Node.js gives you all of the main building blocks, Nest.js adds structure to that, making it really effective for enterprise applications. 

Key Features of Nest.js:

Module-Based Architecture:

The modular architecture is also from nest.js. This will enable any flexibility of the developers with a capability to separate entire components of applications into modules, thus making it a more maintainable and scalable codebase.

• Advantage: Encourages reuse of components—simple organization of the application.
• Example: User management, authentication, and payments can be different modules.

Support from TypeScript:

Nest.js was developed through TypeScript, resulting in the strong use of typing, interfaces, and modern JavaScript features.

• Advantage: Improved developer experience with fewer runtime errors and solid tooling.
• Example: Using TypeScript’s type checking for integrity of data across components.

Dependency Injection:

Nest.js offers an intricate dependency injection mechanism that effectively manages application components and their life cycles.

• Advantage: Enhances the testability and makes it possible to swap dependencies in different environments with ease.
• Example: injecting a database service into several controllers or services.

Merging New Trends:

• Nest.js merges with the usual libraries and frameworks:
• TypeORM, Sequelize, Mongoose: Database.
• Passport.js, JWT: Authentication and authorization.
• Swagger: Documenting the API.
• GraphQL: Schema-first approach for building APIs.

• Advantage: Time-saving because the proven libraries are often used for common tasks.
• Example: With Swagger, you can automatically generate APIs.

Out-of-the-Box MVC Support:

Nest.js has the Model-View-Controller Pattern for a simplified application structure.

• Advantage: Separate concerns between the data (model), the business logic (controller), and the user interface or API response (view).
• Example: A REST API has distinct entities for the user data and business logic.

Multiple Transport Layer Support:

Nest.js has built-in support for additional transport methods for microservices and APIs, which includes:

• HTTP (for RESTful APIs).
• WebSockets (for real-time communications).
• GraphQL.
• Message brokers such as RabbitMQ, Kafka, and Redis.

• Advantage: Different ways of communication can be implemented flexibly.
• Example: WebSockets for real-time chats and RabbitMQ for asynchronous task queues.

Scalability via Microservices:

Allowing modular and distributed system building, Nest.js provides inbuilt architecture for microservices.

• Advantage: Streamlines development of distributed applications.
• Example: Breaking down an e-commerce site into separate services for user management, inventory, and payments.

Testing tools: 

Unit and end-to-end come along with Nest.js, among other in-built advantages, specifically support tools like Jest. 

• Advantage: Manageable test setup improves application reliability.
• Example: Setting unit tests of controllers and services with ready test environments.

Platform Independent: 

Nest.js can function on different platforms and can integrate effortlessly with:

• Web servers of Express.js or Fastify.
• Cloud environments like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.
• Frontend frameworks like Angular, React, or Vue.

• Advantage: The framework is versatile for different deployment scenarios.
• Example: Deploying a REST API to AWS Lambda using the @nestjs/serverless package.

CLI (command line interface):

Nest. the company’s application bootstrapping and managing CLI tool.

• Advantages: It automates repetitive tasks like the generation of modules, services, or controllers.
• Example: Density generates a new service from the command line: nest generate service my-service.

Use Cases for Nest.js:

• Enterprise applications have huge and scalable architectures.
• Projects need high-maintenance and consistent architecture.
• APIs have complex business logic.

Nest.js in Action

A lot of enterprises like Trilon.io and Adidas, for example, implement robust and scalable backend systems with Nest.js. 

Node.js vs. Nest.js: The Key Differences

Comparison of the two technologies in different aspects:

Aspect Criteria	Node.js	Nest.js
Flexibility	High; you choose libraries and frameworks.	Moderate; follows an opinionated architecture.
Learning Curve	Easier for beginners with JavaScript knowledge.	Steeper due to TypeScript and modularity.
Performance	Lightweight and fast.	Slightly heavier due to added abstractions.
Scalability	It requires effort to organize.	Built for scalability out of the box.

When to prefer Node.js?  

Node.js is the best for you if:  

• Your application is small to medium.
• Your team wants to work on an iterative adventure.
• You are creating real-time systems, such as chats or collaboration tools.

When to prefer Nest.js? 

Nest.js is the best for you if: 

• You are designing a maintainable application on a large scale.
• This requires a workflow-orientated team environment.
• Your application hosts complex business logic and needs scalability.

Pros and Cons of Each

Node.js:

Pros:

• Easily set up for less complex projects.
• Huge system for packages and libraries.
• Highly flexible.
• Large Ecosystem.
• Cross-platform.
• Real-time applications.

Cons:

• Unstructured leads to codebases that are almost impossible to manage in bigger projects.
• Needs extra work for dependency management and testing.
• Asynchronous code is complicated and often results in calls being nested as previously mentioned (although promises and async/await now help with this).
• Routing, dependency injection, and validation require extensive setup and boilerplate.
• Requires troublesome management to prevent vulnerabilities and possible security hazards in NPM libraries.

Nest.js:

Pros:

• Create an inherent structure for large applications.
• TypeScript has a reduced quantity of runtime failures.
• Out of Box supports microservices and GraphQL.
• It has many other features built in, such as routing, validation, caching, and WebSocket support, and does not need tons of manual setup.
• An increasingly popular and vibrant community supports plugins and integrations for common cases.

Cons:

• There is a steep learning curve for those who don’t know TypeScript or Angular.
• It might be too cumbersome for simple, smaller projects.
• It offers lesser customizations compared to Node.js due to its very strict architectural templates.
• Compared to the minimalist Node.js application, it’s a bit overhead with the abstractions.

Examples from the real world

Node.js:

• Netflix
• LinkedIn
• Walmart
• PayPal
• Uber
• Trello
• NASA
• eBay
• Yahoo

Nest.js:

• Adidas
• Trilon.io
• Roche
• Decathlon
• Binance

Conclusion

Both Node.js and Nest.js are excellent backend technologies that serve different functions. While Node.js is fit for making lightweight and flexible applications, it makes sense in an organized and enterprise arena with Nest.js. However, the ultimate choice here will depend on the complexity of the project, scalability needs, and your team’s handling of technologies. 

If you are still wondering which one is the best for your project, let us discuss the requirements.