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Node.js and Express.js are known as frameworks. For the purpose of development, you must know that Node.js is a popular JavaScript runtime framework that permits its users to run JavaScript code on the browser. This is constructed on Google Chrome’s V8 VM engine. By doing so you can see that it supports JavaScript in the Chrome Browser.

You might find that there are so many different kinds of Node.js frameworks. Each of them will assist you to build large scale as well as scalable applications on the web in a real time. This is possible with javascript only. Owing to the growing demand today, the need for frameworks has increased. This would help to build high-speed real-time end to end applications. This is possible without using any third party web server or any kind of tool, technology or app server. Hence, it is the responsibility of a developer to select a framework that helps him to serve the purpose in the best manner. The developer can select one among frameworks like Sail.js, Stream, Socket, Mojito, Mean.IO, Flatiron, Derby, Meteor, Koa, Express or Hapi. Ultimately, it is the developer who decides which framework he intends to use. On the other hand, if you are looking for a greater flexibility or require something which is perfect for grounds up development, then you can use possible options like Koa, Hapi, and Express. Instead, if you plan to choose frameworks like Mean.IO, Meteor, Derby, and Mojito, then it means that you are looking for a framework that has a standard structure. But, here you will find the flexibility as low. On the other hand, if you are thinking of using some specialized Node.js frameworks to create API, then options like Restify, actionHero.js, and LoopBack are the best choices. However, you must know that the use of frameworks like Hapi and Express are considered as the best frameworks that score better than the others, based on certain situations.

Hapi is considered as an open source framework that can be built on top of Node.js. Through this, you can create web applications and services, successfully. This rich framework Hapi was designed by Eran Hammer who grew to popularity as the Sr. Architect of Mobile Platform at Walmart. He is also responsible for building the most powerful Walmart mobile APIs. In fact, some developers have the opinion that Hapi, also known as Hit API, makes the Node.js developers happy. The reason is that it deals more with the configuration instead of using less code. In fact, the Hapi framework was first designed with Express as an answer to the problems that the developers were facing. Here, prior to installing Hapi, you need to install Node.js. During this process, Node.js uses an event-driven and non-blocking I/O model. This is considered as extremely light in weight and efficient also. It makes easy for the developers to operate data-intensive real-time applications, which are capable of running across distributed devices.

Before making an attempt to build Restful API, using Node.js, a comparison framework like Hapi or Express can be done. You must know some quick facts about Hapi and Express. Hapi is configuration centric, whereas Express is reckoned as the most popular node HTTP framework, today.

In this way, you can use either Hapi or Express framework to build RestFul API using Node.js.