cross-fetch vs isomorphic-fetch vs node-fetch
Fetch Libraries for Node.js and Browsers
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Fetch Libraries for Node.js and Browsers

Fetch libraries provide a unified API for making HTTP requests in both Node.js and browser environments. They aim to bring the modern Fetch API to environments that do not support it natively, ensuring that developers can write code that works seamlessly across different platforms. These libraries help in making network requests easier and more consistent, allowing developers to handle responses and errors in a standardized way. The choice of library can depend on the specific needs of the project, such as compatibility, features, and performance requirements.

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cross-fetch01,69893.3 kB27a year agoMIT
isomorphic-fetch06,924-576 years agoMIT
node-fetch08,862107 kB2413 years agoMIT

Feature Comparison: cross-fetch vs isomorphic-fetch vs node-fetch

Environment Compatibility

  • cross-fetch:

    Cross-fetch is designed to work seamlessly in both Node.js and browser environments, making it an excellent choice for applications that need to run in both contexts without modification.

  • isomorphic-fetch:

    Isomorphic-fetch is also aimed at providing a consistent API for both Node.js and browser environments, but it may require additional setup for certain features, making it slightly less straightforward than cross-fetch.

  • node-fetch:

    Node-fetch is specifically designed for Node.js and does not work in the browser. It is optimized for server-side applications and offers features tailored for Node.js.

API Design

  • cross-fetch:

    Cross-fetch closely follows the modern Fetch API design, providing a familiar interface for developers. It supports promises and async/await syntax, making it easy to work with asynchronous code.

  • isomorphic-fetch:

    Isomorphic-fetch wraps the Fetch API to provide a consistent interface across environments, but it may not fully replicate all features of the native Fetch API, which can lead to some inconsistencies.

  • node-fetch:

    Node-fetch implements a subset of the Fetch API, focusing on Node.js features. It provides a straightforward API but may lack some browser-specific features.

Performance

  • cross-fetch:

    Cross-fetch is lightweight and optimized for both environments, ensuring minimal overhead when making requests. It is suitable for applications where performance is critical.

  • isomorphic-fetch:

    Isomorphic-fetch may introduce some overhead due to its additional abstractions, which can affect performance slightly compared to native implementations.

  • node-fetch:

    Node-fetch is highly optimized for Node.js, providing excellent performance for server-side applications. It is designed to handle high loads efficiently.

Community and Maintenance

  • cross-fetch:

    Cross-fetch is actively maintained and has a growing community, ensuring that it stays up to date with the latest features and best practices in web development.

  • isomorphic-fetch:

    Isomorphic-fetch has a smaller community and may not receive updates as frequently, which could lead to potential issues with long-term maintenance.

  • node-fetch:

    Node-fetch has a strong community and is widely used in the Node.js ecosystem, ensuring robust support and regular updates.

Error Handling

  • cross-fetch:

    Cross-fetch provides a consistent way to handle errors across environments, allowing developers to catch and manage errors effectively regardless of the platform.

  • isomorphic-fetch:

    Isomorphic-fetch offers basic error handling but may not cover all edge cases, potentially leading to unhandled errors in certain scenarios.

  • node-fetch:

    Node-fetch provides detailed error handling specific to Node.js, allowing developers to manage network errors and response statuses effectively.

How to Choose: cross-fetch vs isomorphic-fetch vs node-fetch

  • cross-fetch:

    Choose cross-fetch if you need a universal solution that works in both Node.js and browser environments without any additional configuration. It is ideal for projects that require consistent behavior across platforms.

Similar Npm Packages to cross-fetch

cross-fetch is a universal fetch API for both Node.js and browser environments. It provides a consistent interface for making HTTP requests, allowing developers to write code that works seamlessly across different platforms. This makes it a great choice for applications that need to run in both server-side and client-side environments. With cross-fetch, you can use the familiar fetch API syntax without worrying about compatibility issues.

While cross-fetch is a solid solution for universal fetching, there are alternatives available in the ecosystem:

  • isomorphic-fetch is another library that provides a universal fetch API. It is built on top of the native fetch API and is designed to work in both Node.js and browser environments. isomorphic-fetch automatically detects the environment and uses the appropriate implementation, making it easy to write code that works everywhere. However, it is worth noting that isomorphic-fetch has been less actively maintained compared to other libraries, which may affect its long-term viability for new projects.

  • node-fetch is a lightweight module that brings window.fetch to Node.js. It is specifically designed for server-side applications and provides a similar API to the native fetch function found in browsers. While node-fetch is excellent for Node.js environments, it does not support the browser out of the box. If you are building a server-side application and need a simple way to make HTTP requests, node-fetch is a great choice.

To see how cross-fetch compares with isomorphic-fetch and node-fetch, check out the comparison: Comparing cross-fetch vs isomorphic-fetch vs node-fetch.

Similar Npm Packages to isomorphic-fetch

isomorphic-fetch is a lightweight library that provides a universal fetch API for both client-side and server-side JavaScript. It allows developers to make HTTP requests in a consistent manner, regardless of the environment. This makes it particularly useful for applications that need to run in both the browser and Node.js. While isomorphic-fetch offers a straightforward solution for making HTTP requests, there are several alternatives available in the ecosystem. Here are a few notable ones:

  • axios is a popular promise-based HTTP client for both the browser and Node.js. It provides a rich feature set, including request and response interception, automatic JSON data transformation, and the ability to cancel requests. Axios is widely used due to its simplicity and flexibility, making it an excellent choice for developers who need a robust solution for handling HTTP requests in their applications.

  • cross-fetch is a lightweight polyfill for the Fetch API that works in both the browser and Node.js environments. It aims to provide a consistent fetch implementation across different platforms, making it easier to write isomorphic applications. Cross-fetch is particularly useful for projects that want to leverage the Fetch API's capabilities while ensuring compatibility across various environments.

  • node-fetch is a lightweight module that brings the Fetch API to Node.js. It is designed to be a minimalistic implementation of the Fetch API, allowing developers to use the familiar fetch syntax in server-side applications. Node-fetch is a great choice for developers looking to use the Fetch API in their Node.js applications without the overhead of additional features that may not be necessary.

To explore how isomorphic-fetch compares with axios, cross-fetch, and node-fetch, check out the comparison: Comparing axios vs cross-fetch vs isomorphic-fetch vs node-fetch.

Similar Npm Packages to node-fetch

node-fetch is a lightweight module that brings window.fetch to Node.js, allowing developers to make HTTP requests in a simple and familiar way. It is particularly useful for server-side applications that need to interact with APIs or fetch resources over the network. While node-fetch is a popular choice for making HTTP requests in Node.js, there are several alternatives that also provide robust solutions. Here are a few noteworthy alternatives:

  • axios is a widely-used promise-based HTTP client for both the browser and Node.js. It offers a rich feature set, including automatic JSON data transformation, request and response interceptors, and the ability to cancel requests. Axios is known for its simplicity and ease of use, making it a go-to choice for many developers when it comes to making HTTP requests. If you need a powerful and flexible HTTP client that works seamlessly in both environments, axios is an excellent option.
  • got is another popular HTTP request library for Node.js that focuses on simplicity and performance. It provides a rich set of features, including retries, timeouts, and streaming support. Got is designed to be a more modern and user-friendly alternative to the built-in http module in Node.js, making it a great choice for developers who want a straightforward and efficient way to handle HTTP requests. If you are building a Node.js application and need a feature-rich HTTP client, got is worth considering.
  • isomorphic-fetch is a library that provides a universal fetch API for both the browser and Node.js. It is built on top of the native fetch API and aims to provide a consistent interface across different environments. This makes it a suitable choice for applications that need to run both on the server and the client without changing the code for making HTTP requests. If you are looking for a solution that works seamlessly in both environments, isomorphic-fetch can be a good fit.

To see how node-fetch compares with axios, got, and isomorphic-fetch, check out the comparison: Comparing axios vs got vs isomorphic-fetch vs node-fetch.

README for cross-fetch

cross-fetch
NPM Version Downloads Per Week License: MIT CI codecov

Universal WHATWG Fetch API for Node, Browsers, Workers and React Native. The scenario that cross-fetch really shines is when the same JavaScript codebase needs to run on different platforms.

  • Platform agnostic: browsers, Node or React Native
  • Optional polyfill: it's up to you if something is going to be added to the global object or not
  • Simple interface: no instantiation, no configuration and no extra dependency
  • WHATWG compliant: it works the same way wherever your code runs
  • TypeScript support: better development experience with types.
  • Worker support: works on different types of workers such as Service Workers and CloudFlare Workers

Table of Contents

Install

npm install --save cross-fetch

As a ponyfill (imports locally):

// Using ES6 modules with Babel or TypeScript
import fetch from 'cross-fetch';

// Using CommonJS modules
const fetch = require('cross-fetch');

As a polyfill (installs globally):

// Using ES6 modules
import 'cross-fetch/polyfill';

// Using CommonJS modules
require('cross-fetch/polyfill');

The CDN build is also available on unpkg:

<script src="//unpkg.com/cross-fetch/dist/cross-fetch.js"></script>

This adds the fetch function to the window object. Note that this is not UMD compatible.

Usage

With promises:

import fetch from 'cross-fetch';
// Or just: import 'cross-fetch/polyfill';

fetch('//api.github.com/users/lquixada')
  .then(res => {
    if (res.status >= 400) {
      throw new Error("Bad response from server");
    }
    return res.json();
  })
  .then(user => {
    console.log(user);
  })
  .catch(err => {
    console.error(err);
  });

With async/await:

import fetch from 'cross-fetch';
// Or just: import 'cross-fetch/polyfill';

(async () => {
  try {
    const res = await fetch('//api.github.com/users/lquixada');
    
    if (res.status >= 400) {
      throw new Error("Bad response from server");
    }
    
    const user = await res.json();
  
    console.log(user);
  } catch (err) {
    console.error(err);
  }
})();

Demo & API

You can find a comprehensive doc at Github's fetch page. If you want to play with cross-fetch, check our JSFiddle playground.

Tip: Run the fiddle on various browsers and with different settings (for instance: cross-domain requests, wrong urls or text requests). Don't forget to open the console in the test suite page and play around.

FAQ

Yet another fetch library?

I did a lot of research in order to find a fetch library that could be simple, cross-platform and provide polyfill as an option. There's a plethora of libs out there but none could match those requirements.

Why polyfill might not be a good idea?

In a word? Risk. If the spec changes in the future, it might be problematic to debug. Read more about it on sindresorhus's ponyfill page. It's up to you if you're fine with it or not.

How does cross-fetch work?

Just like isomorphic-fetch, it is just a proxy. If you're in node, it delivers you the node-fetch library, if you're in a browser or React Native, it delivers you the github's whatwg-fetch. The same strategy applies whether you're using polyfill or ponyfill.

Who's Using It?

The New York TimesApollo GraphQLFacebookSwaggerVulcanJSgraphql-request
The New York TimesApollo GraphQLFacebookSwaggerVulcanJSgraphql-request

Thanks

Heavily inspired by the works of matthew-andrews. Kudos to him!

License

cross-fetch is licensed under the MIT license © Leonardo Quixadá

Author

@lquixada
@lquixada
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