restify
A Node.js framework for building REST APIs using connect-style middleware.restify/node-restify
- Stars
- 10.7k
- Forks
- 976
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- JavaScript
- Last update
- 14 days ago
- Type
- Framework
What it is
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.
- Create a small HTTP server with a route like /echo/:name that returns request parameters as a response
- Parse query strings and request bodies using the built-in plugins for acceptParser, queryParser and bodyParser
- Call your own API from another Node.js program using the restify-clients JSON client
Great for
- 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
Not ideal for
- 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
How to get it
- 1
Install with a package manager
You'll need: Node.js v22.x, v24.x or v26.x
Install restify with npm
$ npm install restify - 2
Run it
- Install Node.js v22.x, v24.x or v26.x
- Run npm install restify in your project folder
- Save the server example from the README into a file and run it with node
- Open http://localhost:8080/echo/yourname in a browser to see the response
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Add restify.plugins.acceptParser, queryParser and bodyParser with server.use to handle common request formats
- Use restify-clients createJsonClient with a version option to call your own versioned API
- Read the full documentation at restify.com, which the README links to for complete details
- Set name and version in createServer options to label your server
Downloads
Strengths
- 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)
Trade-offs
- 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
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| node-restify (this) | 10.7k | Framework | intermediate | 14 days ago | Node.js developers building JSON or REST web services |
| express | 69.6k | Framework | intermediate | 4 days ago | Developers building JavaScript or Node.js back-end servers |
| fastify | 37.3k | Library | beginner | 4 days ago | Node.js developers building JSON APIs or backend services |
| koa | 35.7k | Library | intermediate | 4 days ago | Node.js developers who want a minimal web framework they can shape themselves |
| elysia | 19.3k | Framework | intermediate | 9 days ago | TypeScript developers building HTTP APIs or web servers |
| fiber | 40.2k | Library | intermediate | 5 days ago | Go developers building REST APIs or web backends |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.