Features
- Full MVC architecture with ORM (Lucid), auth, and mailer
- First-class TypeScript support
- Built-in validation, sessions, and CSRF protection
- Ace CLI for code generation and task running
Pros
- Batteries-included approach like Laravel or Rails
- Consistent, well-designed API across all modules
- Excellent documentation with real-world patterns
Cons
- Smaller community compared to Express or NestJS
- Opinionated structure may not suit all projects
- Heavier footprint for simple API-only projects
Overview
AdonisJS is a fully-featured MVC framework for Node.js, often described as “the Laravel of Node.js.” It provides everything you need to build a web application out of the box: an ORM (Lucid), authentication, validation, mailing, testing utilities, and more.
Unlike the minimalist approach of Express or Fastify, AdonisJS is opinionated about project structure and conventions. This makes it highly productive for teams building traditional web applications, APIs, and full-stack projects where consistency and convention-over-configuration are valued.
When to Use
AdonisJS is the right choice when you want a Rails or Laravel-like experience in Node.js, when building full-stack applications with auth, email, and database needs, or when you prefer convention over configuration with a batteries-included framework.
Getting Started
npm init adonisjs@latest my-app
cd my-app && node ace serve --watchimport router from "@adonisjs/core/services/router";
router.get("/", async () => {
return { message: "Hello from AdonisJS" };
});