DevTools VS

Express vs NestJS

Updated Oct 18, 2026

Quick Verdict

Both Express and NestJS are popular choices in the Backend Frameworks space.

GitHub Stars
Express 69.6K
vs
NestJS 76.9K
Downloads/wk
Express 0
vs
NestJS 0
Contributors
Express 395
vs
NestJS 786
Bundle Size
Express 239.2 KB
vs
NestJS 52.1 KB

Express

Website

Fast, unopinionated, minimalist web framework for Node.js

nodejshttpmiddlewareminimal

NestJS

Website

A progressive Node.js framework for building efficient server-side applications

nodejstypescriptenterprisedecorators

Detailed Comparison

Side-by-side metrics from GitHub and npm

Metric
Express
NestJS
GitHub Stars
69.6K
76.9K
Weekly Downloads
0
0
Forks
25.3K
8.6K
Open Issues
240
33
Contributors
395
786
Bundle Size (gzip)
239.2 KB
52.1 KB
Dependencies
28
5
Latest Version
5.3.0
12.1.3
Last Commit
Oct 17, 2026
Oct 17, 2026
License
MIT
MIT
First Published
Dec 29, 2010
May 14, 2017

Feature Comparison

Framework capabilities at a glance

Feature
Express
NestJS
Typescript
Middleware
Websockets
Validation
Openapi
Edge Runtime
Decorators

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Express vs NestJS

Is Express better than NestJS?

It depends on your use case. Express is fast, unopinionated, minimalist web framework for node.js, while NestJS is a progressive node.js framework for building efficient server-side applications. Compare the stats and features above to decide which fits your needs.

Is Express still maintained in 2026?

Yes, Express was last updated on October 17, 2026 and has 395 contributors.

Can I migrate from Express to NestJS?

Migration complexity depends on how deeply Express is integrated into your project. Both tools serve similar purposes in the Backend Frameworks space, so migration is generally feasible with proper planning.

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