ky vs superagent
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 tiny HTTP client for JavaScript that wraps the Fetch API with simpler calls and error handling.
Open source · MIT
A small JavaScript library for making HTTP requests in Node.js and browsers.
The short answer
Choose ky if you need…
- JavaScript or TypeScript developers who already use fetch and want less boilerplate
- Projects that call a REST API and want JSON parsing and error handling in one call
- Developers who want a small package with no dependencies
- Teams that want typed responses or validation with Zod or Valibot via Standard Schema
Choose superagent if you need…
- JavaScript developers who want one HTTP client API that works in both Node.js and browsers
- Projects that need to call web APIs with JSON request bodies and custom headers
- Developers who want to extend request behavior with plugins
- Teams that prefer callback, then/catch, or async/await styles
Side-by-side
| ky | superagent | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 17.1k | 16.6k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Beginner |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Last code update | 28 days ago | 44 days ago |
What each one is
ky
Ky is a small JavaScript library for making HTTP requests, such as loading data from or sending data to a web server. It builds on the browser's built-in fetch function and adds conveniences like JSON handling, automatic retries, timeouts, and treating error status codes as errors. The README says it has no dependencies and works in modern browsers, Node.js, Bun, and Deno.
superagent
Superagent is a JavaScript library that sends HTTP requests, such as fetching data from or posting data to a web server. It uses the same API in Node.js and in the browser, and it supports common client features like JSON bodies, headers, query strings, and promises or callbacks. The README describes it as small and extensible through plugins.
Best for
ky
- JavaScript or TypeScript developers who already use fetch and want less boilerplate
- Projects that call a REST API and want JSON parsing and error handling in one call
- Developers who want a small package with no dependencies
- Teams that want typed responses or validation with Zod or Valibot via Standard Schema
superagent
- JavaScript developers who want one HTTP client API that works in both Node.js and browsers
- Projects that need to call web APIs with JSON request bodies and custom headers
- Developers who want to extend request behavior with plugins
- Teams that prefer callback, then/catch, or async/await styles
Strengths
ky
- Small package with no dependencies, according to the README
- Adds retries, timeouts, hooks, and error handling on top of plain fetch
- Typed responses: .json() defaults to unknown rather than any
superagent
- Same API works in Node.js and browsers, as the README states
- Extensible through a list of existing plugins such as superagent-cache and superagent-mock
- Supports callback, promise, and async/await usage styles
Not ideal for
ky
- People who are not writing JavaScript or TypeScript code, since this is a code library
- Projects that need a feature the README does not mention, such as a built-in cookie jar, because the README does not cover that
- Anyone needing to support environments without fetch support, since Ky is built on the Fetch API
superagent
- Projects that only need the built-in fetch API and want zero dependencies, since the README does not compare sizes or dependency counts beyond the browser bundle size
- Users on older environments below Node v14.18.0 or the listed browser versions, because the README lists these as supported minimums
Trade-offs
ky
- Requires a runtime with fetch support, so it is not a fit for older environments
- The README describes the next version of Ky, so the docs may differ from the version most people install
- Some features, such as streaming request bodies, depend on browser support the README describes as limited
superagent
- Browser support needs polyfills for some older browsers, such as WeakRef and BigInt on certain iOS Safari versions
- Breaking changes in earlier major versions were tied to stricter error handling, so upgrades need reading the release notes
Getting started
superagent
Install with npm
npm install superagentInstall with yarn
yarn add superagentFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between ky and superagent?
ky: A tiny HTTP client for JavaScript that wraps the Fetch API with simpler calls and error handling. superagent: A small JavaScript library for making HTTP requests in Node.js and browsers. ky suits javascript or typescript developers who already use fetch and want less boilerplate, while superagent suits javascript developers who want one http client api that works in both node.js and browsers.
Are ky and superagent free?
ky: Free and open source. superagent: Free and open source.
Is ky or superagent more popular?
ky has more GitHub stars (17.1k) than superagent (16.6k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to ky and superagent?
Other options people compare them with include axios, got, TanStack Query, SwiftyJSON, mitt.
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.