chi vs Fiber
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A small, standard-library-compatible router for building Go HTTP and REST API services.
Open source · MIT
An Express-style web framework for building fast HTTP servers and APIs in Go.
The short answer
Choose chi if you need…
- Go developers building REST API services
- Teams that want routing built on the standard net/http package
- Projects that need route groups, nested sub-routers, or mounted handlers
- Developers who want optional middleware and route documentation generation
Choose Fiber if you need…
- Go developers building REST APIs or web backends
- Developers coming from Node.js and Express who want a familiar style in Go
- Projects that need routing, middleware, static files, or WebSocket and SSE support
Side-by-side
| chi | Fiber | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 23k | 40.2k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | Go | Go |
| Last code update | 19 days ago | 5 days ago |
What each one is
chi
chi is a routing library for Go that maps incoming web requests to the code that should handle them, such as sending /articles/123 to a function that loads article 123. It is built on Go's standard net/http package and context package, so handlers and middleware written for the standard library generally work with it. It is aimed at larger REST API projects that need to stay organized as they grow.
Fiber
Fiber is a web framework for the Go programming language. It lets you define routes and handlers so your program can respond to web requests, and its API is modeled on Express, the popular Node.js framework. It is built on the Fasthttp HTTP engine, and the README emphasizes speed and low memory use.
Best for
chi
- Go developers building REST API services
- Teams that want routing built on the standard net/http package
- Projects that need route groups, nested sub-routers, or mounted handlers
- Developers who want optional middleware and route documentation generation
Fiber
- Go developers building REST APIs or web backends
- Developers coming from Node.js and Express who want a familiar style in Go
- Projects that need routing, middleware, static files, or WebSocket and SSE support
Strengths
chi
- Small core router (the README says under 1000 lines of code) with no external dependencies
- Compatible with net/http, so existing standard-library handlers and middleware can be reused
- Supports route groups, sub-routers, and mounting for organizing large APIs
Fiber
- The Express-inspired API is designed to ease the move from Node.js to Go
- The README reports strong performance and low memory footprint, with benchmark results linked
- Includes a wide set of built-in features and middleware, such as routing, rate limiting, and WebSockets
Not ideal for
chi
- Developers who want a full web framework with templates, ORM, and built-in auth, since chi covers routing and relies on separate packages for other needs
- People not writing Go, since the library is Go-only
- Beginners with no Go experience, since the README assumes familiarity with Go handlers and context
Fiber
- People who are not writing Go; it is a Go library, not a standalone product
- Teams that need strict standard-library net/http compatibility, since it is built on Fasthttp instead
- Projects that cannot use Go 1.26 or higher, which the README lists as the requirement
Trade-offs
chi
- Routing only; features like rendering, validation, and database access need separate packages or your own code
- The README's examples use string keys for context values, which is a pattern the README itself shows and not a fully type-safe approach
Fiber
- Handlers reuse context values across requests, so developers must not keep references to them after returning, which adds a subtle rule to learn
- Requires Go 1.26 or higher, a recent version requirement
- Built on Fasthttp rather than the standard library, which can matter for some ecosystem integrations
Getting started
Fiber
Install Fiber into a Go module project
go get -u github.com/gofiber/fiber/v3Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between chi and Fiber?
chi: A small, standard-library-compatible router for building Go HTTP and REST API services. Fiber: An Express-style web framework for building fast HTTP servers and APIs in Go. chi suits go developers building rest api services, while Fiber suits go developers building rest apis or web backends.
Are chi and Fiber free?
chi: Free and open source. Fiber: Free and open source.
Is chi or Fiber more popular?
Fiber has more GitHub stars (40.2k) than chi (23k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to chi and Fiber?
Other options people compare them with include Gin, Echo, Kratos, dio, react-three-fiber.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.