Top 11 NodeJS Libraries Every NodeJS Developer Must Know

Node.js has topped the charts and become the most-used web development framework with a whopping 42.7% of developers worldwide using it. Source: statista.com

This open-source event-driven JavaScript runtime has become developers’ favorite owing to its performance, scalability, ease of learning, extensibility, large community, cost-effectiveness, and more. One such reason for its popularity is its wide set of Node JS libraries which eases the development process.

Before we jump right into the list of best NodeJS libraries that we have curated, let us first understand why the developer must consider using the library for Node JS development in the first place and how to choose one.

What is a Library in Web Development?

A library in web development is a set of prewritten code or useful resources that developers can use to perform common tasks, optimize tasks, add specific functionality, or solve specific problems.

This set of codes and resources enables the developers to eliminate the time, effort, and cost consumption of writing the same code over and again. Further, the reusable code and resources of the libraries are pre-tested for multiple environments/use cases.

However, the only struggle a developer has to face if of choosing a library as there are hundreds of libraries out there for any framework. Here are some of the considerations that you can make to choose the right library for your development requirements

• Popularity
• Type of application
• Regular updates
• Performance effect
• Security
• Coding convention
• Licenses
• Documentation
• Community
• Reviews and ratings

Now that we know the usefulness of these libraries and the difficulty of finding a suitable library for any development requirements, we have compiled a list of top NodeJS libraries to help you with effective and quick decision-making.

Best NodeJS Libraries to Consider

• Express
• Hapi.js
• Socket.io
• Lodash
• Sequelize
• Ethers.js
• Passport.js
• Mongoose.js
• Winston
• Puppeteer
• Jest

Let us dive in and explore each of these Node JS libraries further in detail.

Express.js:

Fast, unopinionated, minimalist web framework for Node.js. – expressjs.com

Created by TJ Holowaychuk, Express is a backend development JavaScript framework/ JavaScript library written using JavaScript(“plain old JavaScript). This free and open-source lightweight NodeJS library eliminates the requirement of writing your code and even the boilerplate code.

Its easy integration with widely used databases (MongoDB, MySQL, etc.) makes it simpler for Node.js developers to store and retrieve web application data along with easier management of servers and routes.

The backend web developer can use this NodeJS library when developing single-page, multipage, and hybrid web applications apart from it, Express is also used to build RESTful APIs, server-side rendering, and microservices.

Features of Express JS:

• Routing
• Database integration
• Templating
• Scalable
• MVC like structure
• Asynchronous and single-threaded
• Error handling
• Templating engine

Hapi.js:

Build powerful, scalable applications, with minimal overhead and full out-of-the-box functionality – your code, your way. – hapi.dev

Created by a mobile team led by Eran Hammer at Walmart Labs, Hapi has made its way from being a solution created to handle Walmart’s Black Friday sale to a framework of choice for developing the enterprise-grade backend.

No more need to sacrifice quality for performance with this DevOps-friendly library Hapi.

It is one of the most chosen NodeJS libraries by NodeJS developers to develop Network applications, server components for Single Page Applications (SPAs), eCommerce web apps, JSON APIs for web applications, static or data-driven websites, and HTTP-based software applications.

Features of Hapi.js:

• Predictability
• True extensibility
• Security
• Developers-first
• Microservice support
• Integrated authorization
• Caching advantage

Socket.io:

Socket.IO is a library that enables low-latency, bidirectional, and event-based communication between a client and a server. – socket.io

Created by Guillermo Rauch, this open-source cross-platform NodeJS library is built on top of the WebSocket protocol. Owing to its bidirectional client-server compatibility, it is used by the developer in applications that require real-time features (live sports updates, alerts, real-time dashboards, or live location tracking).

Its compatibility with web, mobile, and desktop platforms adds to its ability to make an application that works seamlessly on multiple platforms increasing accessibility for the end users making it one of the few Node JS libraries.

Features of Socket.io:

• HTTP long-polling fallback
• Auto-reconnect support
• Packet buffering
• Acknowledgments
• Binary streaming support
• Disconnection detection
• Multiplexing support

Lodash:

A modern JavaScript utility library delivering modularity, performance & extras. – lodash.com

Inspired by Underscore.js, this JavaScript library is created by John-David Dalton to simplify the task of coders by cutting the requirements of writing very code from scratch owing to its use of a functional programming paradigm. This NodeJS library comprises built-in utility functions for the most common programming tasks.

Node JS developers use this library for creating composite functions, iterating arrays, objects, or strings, and manipulating or testing values.

Features of Lodash:

• Functions for arrays
• Functions for collections
• Functions to manipulate objects
• Utility methods
• Chaining methods

Sequelize:

Sequelize is a modern TypeScript and Node.js Object Relational Mapper (ORM) for Oracle, Postgres, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, SQL Server, and more. – sequelize.org

This ORM enables JavaScript developers to work with relational databases (connect to a database and perform operations) with objects and promises rather than the complex, time-consuming, and easily forgettable raw SQL queries.

From defining models to associations between models, this NodeJS library enables the developer the ease of defining models and better handle heavy lifting.

Features of Sequelize:

• Object-Relational Mapping Library(ORM)
• Single schema definition
• Uses a JavaScript object
• Supports various databases
• Lazy loading
• Transaction support
• Read replication
• Soft deletion

Ethers.js:

The ethers.js library aims to be a complete and compact library for interacting with the Ethereum Blockchain and its ecosystem. – ethers.org

Created by Richard Moore, Ethers.js is an open-source (via MIT License) often used for Ethereum Blockchain development. it is one of the best NodeJS libraries as this simple and complete library is a replacement for web3 and ethereum.js.

It is used by JavaScript developers to establish a seamless connection with Ethereum nodes through Etherscan, Alchemy, Metamask, JSON-RPC, Cloudflare, or Infura. The Ethereum developer utilizes this NodeJS library for deploying smart contracts, working with Ethereum-based virtual machines (EVM), and developing decentralized apps.

Features of Ethers.js:

• Import and export JSON wallets
• Large collection of test cases
• Fully TypeScript ready
• Facilitates ENS names
• Features meta-classes

Passport.js:

Passport is middleware for Node.js that makes it easy to implement authentication and authorization. – passportjs.org

With a lightweight code base, this flexible and modular library works as an express-compatible authentication middleware for Node.js using an extensible set of plugins known as strategies. This NodeJS library can be easily integrated into any Node and Express-based app to plug in any strategy to get the functionality for authentication in the app.

Features of Passport.js:

• Supports persistent sessions
• Single sign-on with OpenID and OAuth
• Dynamic scope and permissions
• Does not mount routes in the application
• Easily handle success and failure

Mongoose.js:

Elegant Mongodb object modeling for node.js. – mongoosejs.com

Mongoose.js is a node.js- and schema-based Object Data Modeling (ODM) library for MongoDB and Node. Js. The object modeling and handling are facilitated by the configuration for the Mongoose model – Schematypes. This is one of the very few Node JS libraries which enables the Node.js coders to manage the relationships between data and provide schema validation.

With it, they can also reduce the time consumption for writing the validations and boilerplate business logic. The cherry on the top is its additional functionalities like built-in type casting, business logic hooks query building, and more.

Features of Mangoose.js:

• Built-in validation of schema
• Predefined structure
• Custom validation
• Virtual Properties

Winston:

Winston is designed to be a simple and universal logging library with support for multiple transports. – github.com

This is one of the most popular logging Node JS libraries. It is flexible, open-source, simple, and community-driven which offers support for multiple transports (storage device for your logs). It eases the task of searching and analyzing logs by providing log archives.

This NodeJS library’s flexibility and extensibility are better reflected in decoupling different aspects such as log storage, levels, and formatting making the APIs independent. Further its, variety of logging options and transport mechanisms enables the Node developers to have logs that write multiple outputs (file, remote server, or console).

Features of Winston:

• Logging levels
• Transports
• Formats
• Profiling
• Streams

Puppeteer:

Puppeteer is a Node.js library that provides a high-level API to control Chrome/Chromium over the DevTools Protocol. – pptr.dev

Built by Google, It is an open-source NodeJS library rather referred to as a browser testing framework or an automation tool by the coder community. It is utilized by NodeJS programmers to perform performance testing, web scraping, screenshot testing, and automation. Further, the developer can also seamlessly integrate tools like TeamCity, Jenkins, and TravisCI with this NodeJS library.

Features of Puppeteer:

• Automate form submission
• Uses Headless mode
• Test Chrome extensions
• Web page scraping and crawling SPA

Jest:

Jest is a delightful JavaScript Testing Framework with a focus on simplicity. – jestjs.io

Designed and built by Christoph Nakazawa, Jest is an open-source, intuitive, user-friendly framework with the readable syntax used for extensive testing of JavaScript applications to ensure the codebase’s preciseness and accuracy. With its CLI tool, Node.js developers can control the tests. This testing library works with some of the best and most used web development frameworks like Node, React, Babel, TypeScript, Angular, Vue, and more.

Features of Jest:

• Zero configuration
• Asynchronous code testing
• Snapshots
• Built-in code coverage
• Well-documented API
• Mock functions

NodeJS libraries: In a Nutshell

Node JS has a rich suite of libraries that help the developer with various particular development requirements.

By using these Node JS libraries they avail the following benefits:

• Ease of use
• Make the most out of a small budget
• Less coding
• Save development time
• Quicker turnaround
• Developer community support

The developer can either utilize a specific NodeJS library from the above-listed top Node JS libraries or can use multiple of them in their Node.js code.

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