NestJS vs Loopback : Whick one to choose in 2023?

Choosing between NestJS vs Loopback or any node.JS frameworkis very confusing, especially when there are so many great options. Choosing the right one requires an understanding of not only the project you are working on, but also both frameworks and when to use them.

I was not a fan of using frameworks to build backend node apps before. You could say we had a love-hate relationship, but a few years ago I tried using NestJS and was amazed! Back then, I thought Nest was the best out there…

…but only till I started doing experiments with Loopback 4. Now I’m clear!

Hey guys my name is Ilyas Hassan and I am a freelancer and a professional Web And Android developer and also i have been working in the tech industry for the past 3 years. So basically in this post, we will be doing a comparison between NestJS vs Loopback and we will see which framework is better with different prospects, we will be comparing them on several key points and after that we will decide which one to choose.

What is NestJS?

Next js

NestJS is a Node.js are such framework which is used to build efficient, scalable, and enterprise-level server-side applications. It uses a technology called Progressive JavaScript and has full support for TypeScript.

Nest uses the default Express.js but can be configured using options such as Fastify.

Nest aims to solve software architecture problems. The architecture of nestJS is heavily inspired by Angular, a frontend platform and framework which is used for building single-page applications. Thanks to its software architecture, Nest enables teams and developers to build easily maintainable, testable, scalable, and loosely coupled server-side applications.

What is Loopback?

Loopback

Loopback 2022 is one of the leading Nodejs server-side frameworks that works after the Express framework.The concept of loopback is based on an open-source Node.js, highly extensible and TypeScript framework. By implementing loopback, developers can quickly build APIs.

In addition, the framework supports microservices composed of various backend technologies such as REST or SOAP services. Using loopback developers can build libraries of reusable components in a standard format.

It also has a facility that integrates with web services and other systems through connectors.

Additionally, the Loopback community provides full support for developers, and the documentation is well organized to guide them in the proper direction.

Developers get learning-oriented solutions that provide them with practical experience by working on the code practically.

LinearLoop has a strong command over loopback technology and our experts accelerate the development process using the framework.

So if you are looking to hire dedicated Node.JS developers in India, we are your most trusted and reliable service partner.

What is the difference between NestJS vs Loopback 4?

The main difference between NestJS vs Loopback 4 is in the usage that developers can build from the two platforms. As we already mentioned, Loopback 4 is used to create dynamic end-to-end REST APIs, and the reason why many developers have chosen it is because it allows you to do Or doesn’t do coding at all. It allows you to build on top of your existing services and data, connect to multiple data sources, write business logic in Node.js, and more.

NestJS, as we mentioned, is not designed to work on APIs, but on server-side applications. SO, while Loopback 4 can be classified as a microframework back-end interface, NestJS would be grouped in the framework (full stack) category.

Now let us compare both of the frameworks on different factors below :

Popularity and growth

Both frameworks have gained popularity among developers and various technical communities.

At the time of writing this article, Loopback has 4.2k GitHub stars and 947 forks, while NestJS has 47k stars and around 5.3k forks. As you can see in the graph below, interest in both frameworks has been increasing over time on Google.
As mentioned earlier, Loopback is a microframework (backend), whereas NestJS is a framework (full-stack). This may be one reason why NestJS has more GitHub stars than Loopback.

Another reason behind the disparity between GitHub stars and the general popularity of NestJS may be because the NestJS software is highly opinionated. It is also strongly supported and easily adopted by the Angular community.

Looking at the comparison infographic and seeing which framework has the highest GitHub star count, it still doesn’t cut it for me. Let’s continue with the other factors.

Overall performance

Performance is one of the main factors of a good framework. It’s no surprise that NestJS is so popular among developers or that Loopback has won awards for being one of the most innovative frameworks out there.

The loopback benchmark measures how fast we can create new records and retrieve data. This test was done on a mid-2015 MacBook Pro with a 22.5GHz Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of memory, and 1600MHz of DDR3.

The average result was 4,569 requests per second to retrieve data, while it took 348 requests per second to create a new record.

When we look at latency, the average time to fetch data in milliseconds was 1.68, while it took 28.27 milliseconds to create a new one.

Whereas Loopback tried to use a real-world working scenario to test and measure requests per second, NestJS used a “hello world” application for testing, which benchmarks according to NestJS code. , indicating that a NestJS and Fastify application handles approximately 30,001 . requests per second.

Scalability

The scalability of a web app is its main feature to handle an increasing number of repeating users.

NestJS is scalable for large apps due to its application architecture. It allows software developers to create easily maintainable, highly testable and loosely coupled applications.

In addition, its scalability for large apps is greatly improved by the use of an HTTP server framework such as Express (the default) or Fastify. Being build with Type Script is one of its main big plus.

Loopback is also very scalable for developing many complex Node.js apps. This solves a big problem with loosely coupled apps: the different parts have to work together without knowing much about each other in order to introduce the patterns that help solve these problems.

Loopback gives control to software engineers. This enables problem solving, allowing developers to bring more capabilities without breaking the core foundation of the app.

We can also build a set of actions in a meaningful flow/sequence with loopback, such as setting up an efficient pipeline to process HTTP requests and responses.

One of the main features of loopback is that it is built on Express Framework and it uses TypeScript, that makes it highly scalable for developing apps with extensibility, composability, and great flexibility.

Pros and Cons of nestJS :

Since we have discussed popularity, scalability, and performance of both frameworks.Now its time to know about pros and cons of both frameworks.

PROS :

  • The framework is an open source.
  • NestJS is a TypeScript based framework which is a superset of JavaScript.
  • NestJS is quite easy to learn and operate.
  • The framework provides detailed documentation.
  • It is highly scalable and facilitates rapid development.

CONS :

  • There are a lot of objections in NestJS which sometimes creates problems for developers.
  • Lack of features compared to other frameworks.

Pros and Cons of Loopback :

we had discussed the pros and cons of nestJS,Now lets see pros and cons of loopback.

PROS :

  • With Loopback, a developer can quickly build APIs.
  • IBM is behind the concept and therefore highly trustworthy.
  • The structure of the code is modular and organized.
  • There are so many add-ons offered by Loopback which further synchronize all development and management.
  • Loopback is conceived as a solid ORM (object-relational mapping) containing connectors.
  • Loopback makes development and testing more efficient by providing built-in Swagger API docs.

CONS :

  • People who are just starting JS should avoid loopback.
  • Big budget is needed.
  • The concept is not recommended for long term projects.
  • The architecture of loopback is monolithic.

Use NestJS if:

  • You are already familiar with Angular and want to leverage that knowledge.
  • You need a highly customizable framework that supports complex enterprise applications.
  • You prefer a strong and active community and an ecosystem tightly integrated with TypeScript.

Use Loopback if:

  • You want to rapidly prototype and create APIs using a visual interface.
  • You are new to Node.js and want an easier learning curve.
  • You prioritize simplicity and convention over customization.

Conclusion

Comparing between NestJS vs Loopback was no easy feat as they are both amazing and very innovative.

We traveled a journey from defining these frameworks to comparing their popularity and growth. We also discussed at their features and how they grow up,Finally, we looked at testing and how easy it is to set up in both frameworks.

It’s been a long piece, and if you’ve stayed at this point I must say a big thank you! Overall, I hope you liked this article as much as I enjoyed writing it. Once again, thanks for sticking with me so far! Happy coding, mates!


FAQ:

How many node.Js frameworks are there?

There are three types of Node JS frameworks namely MVC, Full-stack MVC, and Rest API. This type of framework is used to develop scalable and secure web applications.

What about the use of Node.Js in 2023?

Node js is very popular for web development. According to Statista, Node JS ranks 6th in the most preferred programming language list with a ratio of 33.91%.


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Hi, I'm Ilyas Hassan Founder And Author Of This Website DevXilyas. A Blog Where You Can Find The Latest Information About Tech, Programing, And Gaming. I love learning new things about Tech, Programming, And Gaming. That’s why I created this Website to share information. Read More

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