Backend Framework Data v2.0.0 Updated 2026-01-29
Express
Fast, unopinionated, minimalist web framework
N/A N/A Unknown N/A
67 /100
Quick Verdict
Best For
- Legacy projects and maintenance
- Teams with existing Express expertise
- Projects prioritizing ecosystem over performance
- Prototypes where speed-to-market matters most
Consider Alternatives If
- High-performance APIs (use Fastify/Hono)
- Edge/serverless deployments (use Hono)
- New TypeScript projects (use Fastify/Elysia)
Top Alternatives
Score Breakdown
6 dimensions evaluated with transparent methodology
Performance
30 −70
Slowest major framework, ~8K req/sec vs 22K for Fastify
- Reliable and predictable performance
- Mature and stable codebase
- Works well for low-to-medium traffic
Why not 100%:
- −17 2-3x slower than Fastify (8K vs 22K req/sec)
- −17 450ms cold start vs 120ms for Hono
- −17 Middleware overhead adds ~5ms per request
Developer Experience
41 −59
Simple but dated API, TypeScript support is add-on
- Simple, well-known API
- Massive learning resources available
- Easy to find developers who know it
Why not 100%:
- −14 No native TypeScript support (requires @types/express)
- −14 Callback-based API feels dated
- −14 No built-in validation or schema support
Ecosystem
100
Largest middleware ecosystem in Node.js
- 29M+ weekly downloads - most used Node.js framework
- Thousands of middleware packages
- Every hosting platform supports Express
Maintainability
56 −44
Stable but slow development, Express 5 long delayed
- Extremely stable API (rarely breaks)
- Massive community knowledge base
- Predictable behavior over time
Why not 100%:
- −11 Express 5 has been in development for years
- −11 Slow to adopt modern JavaScript features
- −11 Core team has limited bandwidth
Cost Efficiency
90 −10
Free and widely supported, but inefficient at scale
- MIT license, fully open-source
- No vendor lock-in
- Cheap to hire Express developers
Why not 100%:
- −5 Higher infrastructure costs at scale (slower)
- −5 More servers needed for same throughput
Compliance
85 −15
Security middleware available, helmet.js standard
- helmet.js for security headers
- cors middleware widely used
- express-rate-limit for DoS protection
Why not 100%:
- −7 Security is entirely developer responsibility
- −7 No built-in validation or sanitization
Compare Alternatives
How Express stacks up against similar technologies
Sources & Methodology
How we calculate these scores: transparent and reproducible
primary
GitHub
Repository activity, stars, contributors, issue resolution time
primary
NPM Registry
Weekly downloads, package dependencies, version history
secondary
Bundlephobia
Bundle size, tree-shaking efficiency, dependency weight
secondary
OSV Database
Known vulnerabilities, security advisories, CVE tracking
Data version:
2.0.0 Last updated: 2026-01-29 Confidence: 95%