DevTools VS

Express vs Koa

Updated Apr 26, 2026

Quick Verdict

Express has 1.9x more GitHub stars, while Express has 12.7x more weekly downloads.

GitHub Stars
Express 69.0K
vs
Koa 35.7K
Downloads/wk
Express 93.0M
vs
Koa 7.3M
Contributors
Express 380
vs
Koa 250
Bundle Size
Express 241.8 KB
vs
Koa 41.3 KB

Express

Website

Fast, unopinionated, minimalist web framework for Node.js

nodejshttpmiddlewareminimal

Expressive middleware for Node.js using async functions

nodejsmiddlewareasyncminimal

Detailed Comparison

Side-by-side metrics from GitHub and npm

Metric
Express
Koa
GitHub Stars
69.0K
35.7K
Weekly Downloads
93.0M
7.3M
Forks
23.2K
3.2K
Open Issues
208
38
Contributors
380
250
Bundle Size (gzip)
241.8 KB
41.3 KB
Dependencies
28
18
Latest Version
5.2.1
3.2.0
Last Commit
Apr 23, 2026
Apr 8, 2026
License
MIT
MIT
First Published
Dec 29, 2010
Nov 6, 2013

Download Trends

Weekly npm downloads over the past 52 weeks

Feature Comparison

Framework capabilities at a glance

Feature
Express
Koa
Typescript
Middleware
Websockets
Validation
Openapi
Edge Runtime
Decorators

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Express vs Koa

Is Express better than Koa?

It depends on your use case. Express is fast, unopinionated, minimalist web framework for node.js, while Koa is expressive middleware for node.js using async functions. Compare the stats and features above to decide which fits your needs.

Is Express still maintained in 2026?

Yes, Express was last updated on April 23, 2026 and has 380 contributors.

Can I migrate from Express to Koa?

Migration complexity depends on how deeply Express is integrated into your project. Both tools serve similar purposes in the Backend Frameworks space, so migration is generally feasible with proper planning.

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