Here at DevZum, we strive to deliver the most up to date news for developers and are committed to providing informative blogs that are dedicated to the work of developers and the art of web design. We focus on topics such as CSS, HTML5, Web Development, Design Tutorials, JQuery, and much more. Here we will take a look at the 10 best Node.js frameworks for JavaScript developers, but first let’s get a deeper understanding of what exactly Node.js is.
Node.js is a super lightweight and amazingly efficient cross-platform, open source, server-side runtime environment and happens to be one of the most popular for developers. Written in JavaScript, Node.js can be run within the application runtime on OS X, Linux, FreeBSD and Microsoft Windows, just to name a few. This application’s package ecosystem, npm, is considered one of the largest ecosystems of open source libraries in the world. This application contains an MVC framework and a ton of libraries that can function as a server library, thus giving developers the opportunity to run a web server without incorporating any external software such as Lighttpd or Apache. The Node.js MVC frameworks are easy to use, significantly more user-friendly, and even support numerous features and functions in order to facilitate the development of huge web applications by following a few steps.
Now let’s take a look the top ten frameworks of Node.js and some of their fantastic features that makes them a great choice for developers.
1) A Node.js Framework – Sails js
This is an excellent framework available to developers that makes creating enterprise-grade, custom Node.js applications a breeze. Built from Express, this framework was designed to simulate MVC architecture stemming from Ruby on Rails but offers the support for a more data-oriented style of development. Another benefit this framework offers is the ease and ability to build dashboards, multiple games and more.
2) A Node.js Framework – Total js
This framework integrates a simple logic and a very short learning curve that can create rich web pages and applications. Total.js is a great option when building websites that use HTML, JavaScript or CSS and has the added benefit of not having any dependencies.
3) A Node.js Framework – Partial js
With this framework, developers can build applications and websites on a large scale using HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. This framework features the same characteristics and architecture as total.js.
4) A Node.js Framework – Koa js
Koa.js was designed by the team responsible for the Express and Connect frameworks. This is similar to Express but is presented as a smaller, more robust foundation that is described by the developer as an expressive middleware that uses generators to make writing applications more enjoyable.
5) A Node.js Framework – Locomotive js
This framework supports MVC patterns as well as RESTful routes that build on Express. Locomotive.js is considered as one of the most powerful frameworks for Node.js and provides developers some really great features which include:
- Convention over configuration
- Routing helpers
- MVC architecture
- Integrates with any database and template engine seamlessly
6) A Node.js Framework – Express js
This is regarded as one of the most popular frameworks among developers as well as being the base dependency in most Node.js applications. Express.js offers a hefty set of features, which allows developers to create single and multi-page applications as well as hybrid applications with ease. This also serves as the standard framework for node.js.
7) A Node.js framework – Flatiron js
This is another next generation web framework that was built for use with JavaScript and Node.js. This framework is extremely adaptable and offers advanced features that assist developers in building huge, impressive web applications.
8) A Node.js Framework – Express-io
This is another real-time framework option for developers that supports MVC architecture for creating web applications and offers simple, yet elegant features and powerful performance. This framework was designed to be a superset that is comprised of Express and Socket.io, creating a drop-in replacement that is super easy to use and makes getting started with real time web incredibly simple.
9) A Node.js Frameowrk – Socket Stream
This super-fast, open source framework is solely dedicated to building real-time single page applications. Regardless of if you are building a multiplayer game, trading platform, or any other real-time application, SocketStream allows you to get it up and running quickly by offering essential functionality as well as a rapid development environment.
10) A Node.js Framework – Geddy js
This framework is a simple, structured application and is the original MVC framework for Node.js. Geddy.js is used to quickly and efficiently build highly scalable applications and services on the server side. Simple enough for those who are new to JavaScript yet includes most everything you’ll need to perform in a production-ready environment.
Now that you have a better understanding of the top frameworks available, take a few minutes to explore the various options and see how they can work for you. In no time at all, you are sure to be well on your way to developing your applications with the help of these amazingly efficient and well-designed frameworks.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in February 2014 and has been revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
