Fastify is a lightweight and high-performance web framework for Node.js that allows developers to build web services, dynamically generated web pages, and REST APIs with a focus on performance, low overheads, and built-in security features. It offers common web framework functionalities such as routing, error handling, and data validation, and supports extensibility through a rich plugin ecosystem. Fastify distinguishes itself from other frameworks like Express by providing better performance, native TypeScript support, and a more structured approach to development through decorators, hooks, and plugins. The framework is adaptable to various hosting environments, including serverless platforms like AWS Lambda and Google Cloud Functions. Practical steps for getting started with Fastify include using the create-fastify tool to set up a new project, utilizing EJS templates for dynamic page generation, and leveraging the Prisma ORM for database interactions. Additionally, Fastify's integration with content management platforms like Contentful can streamline content delivery, enhancing the development process and user experience by offloading the heavy lifting of content management and delivery.