Top 10 Node JS HTTP Request Libraries in 2023

Here are some of the famous Node JS HTTP Request Libraries. The use cases of these libraries include Server-side Web Apps, Mobile App Development, Data Processing, Data Analysis, and Network Monitoring.

Node.js HTTP Request Libraries are libraries that allow Node.js developers to make requests to web servers in order to retrieve data. This can be helpful when building web applications that need to pull in external data from other web servers. Examples of popular Node.js HTTP Request Libraries are Axios, Request, and Superagent.

Let us look at some of these famous libraries. 

axios

• Automatically transforms all request and response data into JSON, making it easier to handle data.
• Supports interceptors which can be used to modify or transform requests or responses before they are handled by then or catch.
• Supports automatic token refresh.

fetch

• Supports cancelable requests and allows developers to abort requests at any point. 
• Supports a wide range of HTTP methods beyond the standard GET and POST. 
• Provides a Promise-based API, which simplifies the process of making asynchronous requests. 

request

• Provides full access to all Node.js features, including streams, event emitters, and files.
• Is highly configurable and can be used to set timeouts, retry requests, and more.
• Has built-in support for gzip and deflate encoding.

superagent

• Allows easy setting headers, cookies, and other request parameters. 
• Is highly configurable and supports many features that help developers quickly and easily request HTTP.  
• Supports multipart encoding, allowing developers to send binary data easily. 

nock

• Allows users to easily create custom request matchers, allowing users to create more powerful and precise requests. 
• Users can record and replay their requests, making debugging and testing easy.  
• Provides a sandbox for users to test their requests in isolation without making live calls or affecting the external environment. 

node-fetch

• Supports global agent pooling and request pooling.
• Allows developers to use the same API for both server and client-side requests.
• Is designed to be lightweight and fast, making it ideal for applications that require rapid response times.

r2

• Provides support for the latest security protocols, such as TLS 1.3.
• Support for advanced HTTP methodologies such as HTTP/2 and WebSocket.
• Allows for the implementation of custom middleware.

needle

• Has built-in support for parsing JSON and can be used to create custom parsers for other formats.  
• Is well-documented and provides a comprehensive set of APIs for making HTTP requests.  
• Is optimized for low latency and high throughput, making it suitable for various applications. 

unirest-nodejs

• Has built-in support for automatically following redirects.
• Allows to send both synchronous and asynchronous requests.
• Has built-in support for automatically compressing and decompressing requests and responses.

hyperquest

• Has built-in support for caching and retrying requests, making it easy to build resilient applications.  
• Supports server-side data serialization and deserialization, allowing developers to transform data between client and server quickly.  
• Is built on a minimalistic core, making it suitable for applications that need a small footprint.