Fastify vs hapi: What are the differences?

Introduction

Fastify and hapi are both popular Node.js frameworks for building web applications. While they have some similarities, they also have key differences that set them apart. In this article, we will explore six key differences between Fastify and hapi.

1. Performance: Fastify is known for its impressive performance, as it is designed to be one of the fastest web frameworks available. It achieves this through various optimization techniques such as a highly efficient routing system and a powerful plugin architecture. On the other hand, hapi focuses more on the ease of use and developer experience, sacrificing some performance in favor of a more intuitive and expressive API.

2. Plugin Ecosystem: Both Fastify and hapi have an extensive plugin ecosystem that allows developers to easily extend their applications. However, the approaches differ. Fastify focuses on providing a minimal core while leveraging the wider Node.js ecosystem for additional functionality. It encourages the use of existing modules and follows the "do one thing and do it well" principle. In contrast, hapi provides a more comprehensive set of features out of the box, with many functionalities built directly into the framework itself.

3. Routing: Fastify and hapi have different approaches when it comes to routing. Fastify uses a schema-based routing system, where routes are defined using JSON schemas. This allows for easy validation and serialization of request and response payloads. On the other hand, hapi uses a more traditional callback-based routing system, where routes are defined using JavaScript code. While this offers more flexibility, it may require more boilerplate code.

4. Extensibility: Fastify is designed to be highly extensible, allowing developers to easily add custom functionality through plugins. It provides a powerful plugin architecture that allows for granular control over the request lifecycle. Hapi also supports extensibility through plugins, but it provides a more opinionated approach with a set of predefined extension points and lifecycle events.

5. Community and Documentation: Fastify has gained popularity in recent years, and it has a growing community of developers who contribute to its ecosystem. The documentation for Fastify is comprehensive and well-maintained, making it easy for developers to get started and find answers to their questions. Hapi, on the other hand, has been around for longer and has a larger community and ecosystem. It has extensive documentation and a wide range of plugins and resources available.

6. Usage Scenarios: Fastify is an excellent choice for building high-performance web applications that require minimal overhead and maximum efficiency. It is particularly well-suited for microservice architectures and APIs. On the other hand, hapi is a more versatile framework that can be used for a wide range of applications, from small websites to large-scale enterprise applications. It provides a rich set of features out of the box and is suitable for teams with varying levels of experience.

In summary, Fastify and hapi have their own strengths and use cases. Fastify excels in performance and extensibility, making it ideal for high-performance applications. Hapi, on the other hand, focuses on ease of use, a comprehensive feature set, and a larger community. The choice between the two depends on the specific needs and requirements of your project.