DevTools VS

Koa vs NestJS

Updated Aug 23, 2026

Quick Verdict

NestJS has 2.1x more GitHub stars.

GitHub Stars
Koa 35.7K
vs
NestJS 76.4K
Downloads/wk
Koa 0
vs
NestJS 0
Contributors
Koa 254
vs
NestJS 727
Bundle Size
Koa 63.3 KB
vs
NestJS 48.7 KB

Expressive middleware for Node.js using async functions

nodejsmiddlewareasyncminimal

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
Koa
NestJS
GitHub Stars
35.7K
76.4K
Weekly Downloads
0
0
Forks
3.2K
8.5K
Open Issues
42
25
Contributors
254
727
Bundle Size (gzip)
63.3 KB
48.7 KB
Dependencies
18
5
Latest Version
3.2.1
11.2.1
Last Commit
Aug 23, 2026
Aug 22, 2026
License
MIT
MIT
First Published
Nov 6, 2013
May 14, 2017

Feature Comparison

Framework capabilities at a glance

Feature
Koa
NestJS
Typescript
Middleware
Websockets
Validation
Openapi
Edge Runtime
Decorators

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Koa vs NestJS

Is Koa better than NestJS?

It depends on your use case. Koa is expressive middleware for node.js using async functions, 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 Koa still maintained in 2026?

Yes, Koa was last updated on August 23, 2026 and has 254 contributors.

Can I migrate from Koa to NestJS?

Migration complexity depends on how deeply Koa 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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