DevTools VS

Koa vs NestJS

Updated Mar 4, 2026

Quick Verdict

NestJS has 2.1x more GitHub stars.

GitHub Stars
Koa 35.7K
vs
NestJS 74.8K
Downloads/wk
Koa 0
vs
NestJS 0
Contributors
Koa 250
vs
NestJS 653
Bundle Size
Koa 62.8 KB
vs
NestJS N/A

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
74.8K
Weekly Downloads
0
0
Forks
3.2K
8.2K
Open Issues
26
51
Contributors
250
653
Bundle Size (gzip)
62.8 KB
N/A
Dependencies
18
6
Latest Version
3.1.2
11.1.15
Last Commit
Feb 28, 2026
Mar 4, 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 February 28, 2026 and has 250 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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