Build Production-Ready APIs with Fastify That Handle 3x More Traffic Without Scaling Hardware
Blog post from Strapi
In the context of developing high-performance APIs, Fastify presents itself as a modern and efficient Node.js framework that outperforms Express by handling 45,000-50,000 requests per second compared to Express's 10,000-20,000. This performance boost is attributed to Fastify's optimized routing, schema-based validation, and lightweight plugin architecture, which collectively reduce CPU overhead and improve response times. Fastify's schema-first approach ensures that requests are validated before reaching business logic, enhancing security and reducing the need for defensive coding. The framework also supports a modular design, encouraging the use of encapsulated plugins for specific functionalities, which contrasts with Express's global middleware approach. Additionally, Fastify's integration with Strapi creates a robust API gateway that maintains efficient editorial workflows while significantly increasing throughput. For developers transitioning from Express, Fastify offers features like Pino logging, TypeScript support, and a growing plugin ecosystem, making it suitable for high-traffic applications where performance and scalability are paramount.