A curated list of **backend** JavaScript frameworks for Node.js and other runtimes: APIs, web servers, and full-stack apps.

## Minimal / flexible

- **[Elysia](https://elysiajs.com/)** — Fast, modern, and friendly web framework for Node.js.
- **[Express](https://expressjs.com/)** — Fast, unopinionated web framework for Node.js. Simple APIs and middleware.
- **[Fastify](https://www.fastify.io/)** — Low-overhead Node.js framework with a strong plugin system and schema-based validation.
- **[Hono](https://hono.dev/)** — Small, fast framework that runs on Node, Deno, Bun, and edge runtimes.

## Full-stack / structured

- **[NestJS](https://nestjs.com/)** — TypeScript-first Node.js framework with dependency injection, modules, and structure inspired by Angular.