$0
Price
Open source, no paid tiers
Report
Should I Use Express.js?
Fast, unopinionated, minimalist web framework for Node.js
Worth it
Worth itAdopt for Node.js APIs and web backends: it's free, ubiquitous, and the safe hiring default.
Free, battle-tested default for Node.js backends. Skip if you want batteries included or vendor support.
Confidence: Medium
594,710
Adoption
companies, per Enlyft
132
G2 reviews
filtered reviews on G2
OpenJS Foundation
Steward
donation-funded project
Value for money
5
Free and open source, zero licensing
Ease of use
4
Minimal API, huge tutorial ecosystem
Feature depth
2
Intentionally bare; middleware fills gaps
Support quality
3
Community-driven; no vendor SLA
Security posture
2
Recurring CVEs; hardening is DIY
Pros
Cons
Gotchas
- highNo vendor, no SLA — upgrades and CVE triage land entirely on your team.
- highKnown open-redirect CVE (2024-29041); you must track the security-updates page yourself.⁷
- mediumOfficial best-practices docs push security work onto you: helmet, TLS, dependency audits.
- lowFramework is free, but you still pay hosting costs elsewhere.
Best for
- REST APIs and backends
- Teams wanting full architectural control
- Zero-budget prototypes and MVPs
- Beginners — biggest tutorial base
Not for
- Teams wanting batteries-included structure or opinions
- Buyers needing vendor support or SLAs — nothing to buy
- Performance-critical APIs where Fastify/Hono benchmark higher
- Non-technical buyers: this is a dev tool, not deployable software
Pricing
Express (open source)
$0
- Full framework, no licensing fees
- Community support via GitHub
- You pay only for hosting
Security
Active CVE history (2024-2025); official security-updates page exists — patching and hardening are your job.
- Open redirect vulnerability (CVE-2024-29041)Attackers can exploit open redirects; fixed in later releases per SentinelOne.⁷
- CVE-2025-67731NVD entry dated Dec 12, 2025; snippet truncated — verify affected versions before deploying.⁸
- Data exfiltration vulnerabilityResearcher-documented exfiltration risk in Express apps; appears configuration-dependent.
What users say
Reddit and G2 users still call Express relevant and dependable while debating whether newer frameworks have overtaken it.
“express.js is still very relevant”
“I always choose Express.js.”
“No complaints, all worked well.”
Alternatives
Compare Express.js with each alternative.
Fastify
Faster, schema-first Node framework; the common performance upgrade path.
Express.js vs FastifyHono
Ultra-light, TypeScript-friendly; runs on edge runtimes too.
Express.js vs Honoh3
Modern replacement ex-Express users cite for performance gains.
Express.js vs h3Hapi
Batteries-included, config-driven framework when you want structure.
Express.js vs HapiFull analysis
Based on ~20 public sources; most snippets truncated, so some details are partial.
Sources
- Express.js official siteexpressjs.comofficial
- Express.js Reviews — G2g2.comreview
- The Good and the Bad of Express.js — AltexSoftaltexsoft.comreview
- Is Express JS still relevant? — Redditreddit.comreview
- Companies using Express.js — Enlyftenlyft.comnews
- 13 Best Express.js Alternatives — SolGuruZsolguruz.comnews
- CVE-2024-29041 — SentinelOnesentinelone.comsecurity
- CVE-2025-67731 — NVDnvd.nist.govsecurity
- Express security updatesexpressjs.comsecurity
- Express on Open Collectiveopencollective.comofficial
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