Koa vs restify
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
Small Node.js web framework built on async functions for writing HTTP middleware.
Open source · MIT
A Node.js framework for building REST APIs using connect-style middleware.
The short answer
Choose Koa if you need…
- Node.js developers who want a minimal web framework they can shape themselves
- Teams building APIs or web servers who prefer async/await middleware
- Developers familiar with Express-style middleware who want a smaller core
Choose restify if you need…
- Node.js developers building JSON or REST web services
- Teams that want connect-style middleware on a server purpose-built for APIs
- Developers who want a companion client library (restify-clients) for calling their own API
Side-by-side
| Koa | restify | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Framework |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 35.7k | 10.7k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 14 days ago |
What each one is
Koa
Koa is a web framework for Node.js that lets developers build HTTP servers and APIs by chaining middleware functions. It uses modern async/await syntax, so each step can pause, wait for work like a database call, and then pass control onward. Developers use it as a lightweight base they can extend with their own choice of add-ons.
restify
Restify is a JavaScript framework for building REST APIs on Node.js. It uses middleware in the style of the connect library, so you add reusable pieces like body parsers and query parsers to a server and then define routes for GET, POST and other HTTP methods. Developers use it to build web services that other programs call over HTTP.
Best for
Koa
- Node.js developers who want a minimal web framework they can shape themselves
- Teams building APIs or web servers who prefer async/await middleware
- Developers familiar with Express-style middleware who want a smaller core
restify
- Node.js developers building JSON or REST web services
- Teams that want connect-style middleware on a server purpose-built for APIs
- Developers who want a companion client library (restify-clients) for calling their own API
Strengths
Koa
- Uses ES2017 async functions, so control flow reads top to bottom without callback nesting
- Minimal core keeps the framework small and lets you choose extra pieces
- MIT licensed and widely used, with a large star count on GitHub
restify
- Built specifically for REST APIs, with a small, focused API surface shown in the README
- Uses familiar connect-style middleware, so composing plugins is straightforward
- Released under the permissive MIT license with an active repository (last push 2026-10-23)
Not ideal for
Koa
- Complete beginners new to Node.js, since Koa ships with little built in and assumes familiarity with HTTP and middleware
- Projects that need a full batteries-included framework out of the box, because routing, body parsing and similar features come from separate packages
restify
- People who want a full-stack web app framework with views, templates and front-end tooling, since the README only describes API building
- Beginners with no Node.js experience, since the examples assume working knowledge of JavaScript and npm
- Projects needing a runtime other than Node.js, since the README only lists supported Node.js versions
Trade-offs
Koa
- Little is included by default, so routing and parsing require additional packages
- Public README was truncated here, so detailed API and version-specific behavior could not be verified from this entry
restify
- The README is truncated and short on detail, so deeper features must be checked on the project's website or docs
- Supported Node.js versions are listed as v22.x, v24.x and v26.x, so older Node.js installs will not be supported
- The README points to external sites for full documentation and to a Google group for discussion, which may be harder to navigate
Getting started
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Koa and restify?
Koa: Small Node.js web framework built on async functions for writing HTTP middleware. restify: A Node.js framework for building REST APIs using connect-style middleware. Koa suits node.js developers who want a minimal web framework they can shape themselves, while restify suits node.js developers building json or rest web services.
Are Koa and restify free?
Koa: Free and open source. restify: Free and open source.
Is Koa or restify more popular?
Koa has more GitHub stars (35.7k) than restify (10.7k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Koa and restify?
Other options people compare them with include Express, Fastify, Hono, Apollo Server.
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.