HTTP client for JavaScript (Node.js): top libraries

HTTP client for JavaScript (Node.js): top libraries for working with the network

In modern web development with Node.js, sending HTTP requests is one of the most frequent operations. Whether it's accessing a REST API, downloading files, or interacting with microservices, a reliable HTTP client is essential. In this article, we will take a detailed look at four best libraries for JavaScript (Node.js): Axios, Got, node-fetch, and undici. You will learn their features, performance, and get ready-to-use code examples.

1. Axios — the universal standard

Axios is the most popular HTTP client for Node.js and browsers. It is Promise-based and supports interceptors, automatic JSON parsing, CSRF protection, and request cancellation.

Installation:

npm install axios

GET request example:

const axios = require('axios');

async function getUser(id) {  try {    const response = await axios.get(`https://api.example.com/users/${id}`);    console.log(response.data);  } catch (error) {    console.error('Error:', error.message);  }}

getUser(1);

POST example with headers:

const axios = require('axios');

const data = { name: 'Alice', role: 'developer' };

axios.post('https://api.example.com/users', data, {  headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' }}).then(res => console.log(res.status));

Pros: simplicity, extensive ecosystem, upload progress support.

Cons: package size (~100 KB), overkill for simple tasks.

2. Got — fast and feature-rich

Got is a lightweight HTTP client with a rich API. It supports streaming, caching, retries, and is faster than Axios.

Installation:

npm install got

Example with streaming and error handling:

const got = require('got');const fs = require('fs');

async function downloadFile(url, outputPath) {  try {    const stream = got.stream(url);    const fileStream = fs.createWriteStream(outputPath);    stream.pipe(fileStream);

    await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {      stream.on('end', resolve);      stream.on('error', reject);    });    console.log('File downloaded');  } catch (error) {    console.error('Download error:', error.message);  }}

downloadFile('https://example.com/file.zip', './file.zip');

Example with retries:

const got = require('got');

got('https://api.example.com/data', {  retry: { limit: 3, methods: ['GET'] }}).then(response => console.log(response.body));

Pros: small size, speed, built-in retries.

Cons: less intuitive API for beginners.

3. node-fetch — familiar browser syntax

node-fetch is a port of the browser Fetch API for Node.js. It's ideal if you're used to fetch in the browser and want consistent code.

Installation:

npm install node-fetch

Example with async/await:

const fetch = require('node-fetch');

async function getPosts() {  const response = await fetch('https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts/1');  if (!response.ok) throw new Error('HTTP error ' + response.status);  const data = await response.json();  console.log(data.title);}

getPosts();

Example of sending FormData:

const fetch = require('node-fetch');const FormData = require('form-data');

const form = new FormData();form.append('file', fs.createReadStream('./photo.jpg'));\