The best frameworks for Node.js

// pages/dogs/[id].vue

SvelteKit

SvelteKit is the full-stack framework for the Svelte front end. It’s similar to Next and Nuxt, with the main difference being the front-end technology.

In SvelteKit, a back-end route looks like so:

// src/routes/api/dogs/[id]/+server.js

import { json, error } from '@sveltejs/kit';

// This is our data source for the example.
const dogBreeds = [
  "Shih Tzu",
  "Australian Cattle Dog",
  "Great Pyrenees",
  "Tibetan Mastiff",
];

/** @type {import('./$types').RequestHandler} */
export function GET({ params }) {
  // The 'id' comes from the [id] directory name.
  const id = parseInt(params.id, 10);

  if (id >= 0 && id < dogBreeds.length) {
    // The json() helper creates a valid JSON response.
    return json({ breed: dogBreeds[id] });
  }

  // The error() helper is the idiomatic way to return HTTP errors.
  throw error(404, 'Dog breed not found');
}

SvelteKit usually splits the UI into two components. The first component is for loading the data (which can then be run on the server):

// src/routes/dogs/[id]/+page.js

import { error } from '@sveltejs/kit';

/** @type {import('./$types').PageLoad} */
export async function load({ params, fetch }) {
  // Use the SvelteKit-provided `fetch` to call our API endpoint.
  const response = await fetch(`/api/dogs/${params.id}`);

  if (response.ok) {
    const dog = await response.json();
    // The object returned here is passed as the 'data' prop to the page.
    return {
      dog: dog
    };
  }

  // If the API returns an error, forward it to the user.
  throw error(response.status, 'Dog breed not found');
}

The second component is the UI:

// src/routes/dogs/[id]/+page.svelte




  
  
Breed Name: {data.dog.breed}

Conclusion

The Node.js ecosystem has moved beyond the “default-to-Express” days. Now, it is worth your time to look for a framework that fits your specific situation.

If you are building microservices or high-performance APIs, where every millisecond counts, you owe it to yourself to look at minimalist frameworks like Fastify or Hono. This class of frameworks gives you raw speed and total control without requiring decisions about infrastructure.

If you are building an enterprise monolith or working with a big team, batteries-included frameworks like Nest or Adonis offer useful structure. The complexity of the initial setup buys you long-term maintainability and makes the codebase more standardized for new developers.

Finally, if your project is a content-rich web application, full-stack meta-frameworks like Next, Nuxt, and SvelteKit offer the best developer experience and the perfect profile of tools.

It’s also worth noting that, while Node remains the standard server-side runtime, alternatives Deno and Bun have both made a name for themselves. Deno has great heritage, is open source with a strong security focus, and has its own framework, Deno Fresh. Bun is respected for its ultra-fast startup and integrated tooling.