Top 4 TypeScript Frameworks

TypeScript has gained significant adoption over the years and many popular frameworks have started supporting TypeScript or switching to it completely.

We will give an in-depth statistical analysis and insights into the different frameworks built with TypeScript.

Before we delve into that, let’s clear the air with TypeScript and why frameworks should make it a first-class citizen.

TypeScript is simply JavaScript with Types and has gained significant adoption and top 4 most popular programming languages according to StackOverflow's 2022 Developer Survey.

Below we will list out the top 4 best typescript frameworks to learn based on popularity, number of usages, and Github stars.

1. Nest.Js

2. FeathersJS

3. LoopbackJS

4. AdonisJS

1. Nest.js Framework

Nest.js is an angular-inspired framework and the most popular TypeScript framework in 2022. It was designed to follow the Angular module system.

NestJS is a progressive Node.js framework for building efficient, scalable Node.js web applications built with modern Javascript and Typescript.

It was created in 2018 and since then, It has experienced faster adoption rate and also has outgrown Node.js frameworks except for Koa and Express which remain very popular in the Node.js and JavaScript ecosystem.

Some of the growth statistics of Nest.js as of the time of writing include more than 48.7k Github Stars and about 170k Github Usage.

Additionally, it also has a highest 3-month download record of 1.5m between April 17, 2022, and July 10, 2022, and most importantly, the codebase is made up of about 99.9% Typescript from GitHub statistics.

3-month NestJs download record (Source NPMTrends)

Features of NestJS

NestJs aims to provide an application architecture that allows for the effortless creation of highly testable, scalable, loosely coupled, and easily maintainable applications

Let’s explore some of the features of Nest.Js and see how we can use them to speed up our application development.

- TypeScript

TypeScript occupies 99.9% of the codebase making it a TypeScript framework. This makes Nest.js framework the most popular and the most used because it drastically reduces the errors involved with Type-checking and Type inconsistencies when using JavaScript to build large-scale and enterprise applications.

- Documentation

Documentation is an essential part of any framework because it helps developers understand the framework and find solutions to problems easily.

Nest.js has very easy-to-understand, clean, and well-documented guides for beginners to build simple to complex applications.

The documentation makes it straightforward to get started and covers almost all your development questions.

- Popular Libraries

One of the reasons Nest.js is very popular is that it supports popular tools and libraries out of the box. This support lessens installation, configuration, and development hassles involved in setting up these libraries manually.

The best developer tools are already integrated, following best practices and industry standards. This increases faster application development as libraries such as TypeORM, Mongoose, GraphQL, Logging, Validation, Caching, WebSockets, etc are right out of the box, and no extra configuration is needed.

- CLI(Command-line Interface)

Command line interface (CLI) is a powerful tool that can create and manage any part of your Nest.js framework through your terminal.

NestJS provides the most powerful CLI tool. With it, you can create databases to create modules, controllers, and services files by typing in a few commands.

- Microservices

Microservice is the trending architectural pattern used in developing complex and scalable enterprise applications. NestJS supports both microservice and monolith applications natively.

The microservice architectural development style provides proper integration to many popular microservice tools such as Kafka, GPRC, RabbitMQ, etc.

Resources to Learn Nest.js

1. Official Documentation

2. Getting Started with NestJS

3. NestJS Crash Course By Brad Traversy

2. FeathersJS Framework

FeathersJS is the second most popular typescript framework according to our statistics for building real-time applications and REST APIs.

Some of the growth statistics of Feathers.js as of the time of writing include more than 14k Github Stars and about 3.6k Github Usage.

Additionally, it also has a highest 3-month download record of 52k between April. 17, 2022, and July. 10, 2022, and most importantly, the codebase is made up of about 93.9% Typescript from GitHub statistics.

3-month FeathersJs download record (Source NPMTrends)

Features of FeathersJS

Below are some of the features that make FeathersJs unique:

- Flexible Plugins

FeathersJs has a large ecosystem of plugins which is exactly what you need by default. You don't need any more installation or configurations.

- Datastore Agnostic

FeathersJs has adapters for 12+ databases out of the box. You can have multiple databases in a single app and swap them out painlessly due to a consistent query interface.

- Universal

FeathersJs is a universal framework that enables you to use Node.js applications that can be integrated into many frontend frameworks such as React, Angular, VueJS, or on mobile with React Native.

- Instant Real-time REST APIs

You can instantly create CRUD functionality and other database-related features using the Services feature of FeathersJs exposing both a RESTful API and real-time backend through WebSockets automatically.

- Built for JavaScript and TypeScript

Using the latest language features, FeathersJs is a small library that provides the structure to create complex applications but is flexible enough to not be in the way.

Resources to Learn FeathersJS

Below are the resources you can get started with FeathersJs

1. Getting started with Feathers

2. Get started with Feathers & React

3. LoopbackJS Framework

Loopback 4 is a highly scalable and extensible Typescript framework for building microservices and APIs.

Loopback recently upgraded to Typescript fully in version 4 of the framework which is what we are considering in this article. Some of the growth statistics of Loopback as of the time of writing include more than 4.2k Github Stars and about 7,000+ Github Usage.

Additionally, it also has a highest 3-month download record of 58.9k between April 17, 2022, and July 10, 2022, and most importantly, the codebase is made up of about 74.5% Typescript from GitHub statistics.

3-month Loopback download record (Source NPMTrends)

Features of Loopback

- OPenAPI Spec Driven REST API

You can create powerful APIs easily with a new creative experience for defining REST APIs and handling API requests/responses.

- Unbelievably Extensible

The new and improved programming model with Dependency Injection and new concepts such as Components, Mixins, Repositories, etc. make this the most extensible framework.

- GraphQL Support

The Loopback framework uses OpenAPI-to-GraphQL, you can create a GraphQL interface for any REST API and vice versa.

- Authentication

The OpenAPI-to-GraphQL provides viewers with support for passing API keys for authentications. It provides OAuth 2.0 integration right out of the box.

- A Brand New Core

The brand new LoopBack 4 core is developed with TypeScript and it delivers great extensibility and flexibility.

Resources to Learn Loopback

Below are the free resources you can get started with Loopback 4

1. Official Documentation

2. Create REST APIs in minutes with LoopBack 4

3. Getting started with LoopBack 4

4. AdonisJS Framework

AdonisJS is a Node.js framework that is focused on developers’ ergonomics, stability, and speed. AdonisJS is written from the ground up with a strong principle and goals in mind to be a strong integrated system.

AdonisJS 5 is easy to jump right into and get complex projects out if you have prior experiences with Laravel, Spring, or Ruby on Rails.

Some of the growth statistics of Adonis.js as of the time of writing include more than 12.7k Github Stars and about 4.9k Github Usage.

Additionally, it also has a highest 3-month download record of 13.5k between April. 17, 2022, and July. 10, 2022, and most importantly, the codebase is made up of about 99.9% Typescript from GitHub statistics.

3-month AdonisJs download record (Source NPMTrends)

Features of FeathersJS

- SQL First Design

AdonisJS treats SQL as a first-class citizen and supports all the mainstream SQL servers such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, MSSQL, etc.

- Security

AdonisJS 5 has some Web Security best practices built into the framework, such as CSRF Protection, a web shield for common attacks such as XSS, ClickJacking, Script Injection, and many more.

- Lucid Active Record ORM

AdonisJS supports a great ORM that is inspired by Laravel Eloquent and Rails Active Record. It offers a great API for consuming complex SQL queries and managing relationships.

Resources to Learn AdonisJS

Below are the free resources you can get started with AdonisJS.

1. Official documentation

2. AdonisJS Tutorial: The Ultimate Guide (2021)

3. AdonisJS Framework Tutorial: build a full-stack web application

Final Thoughts

Choosing a particular one for your project will solely depend on the type of project and the programming language, and team strength.

This gives a rough overview of these different frameworks and their trends over a year, it also gives you the knowledge of what to expect when choosing one which is a good knowledge of TypeScript.

Let me know your thoughts in the comment section!

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