express-brute vs express-rate-limit vs express-slow-down vs rate-limiter-flexible
Node.js Rate Limiting Libraries
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Node.js Rate Limiting Libraries

Rate limiting libraries in Node.js are essential tools for controlling the number of requests a client can make to a server within a specified time frame. They help protect applications from abuse, such as denial-of-service attacks, and ensure fair usage among users. These libraries provide various strategies for implementing rate limiting, including in-memory storage, Redis support, and customizable response behaviors, making them versatile for different application needs.

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express-brute0568-219 years agoBSD
express-rate-limit03,234141 kB1110 days agoMIT
express-slow-down029937.6 kB18 days agoMIT
rate-limiter-flexible03,500215 kB134 days agoISC

Feature Comparison: express-brute vs express-rate-limit vs express-slow-down vs rate-limiter-flexible

Flexibility

  • express-brute:

    Express-brute offers extensive flexibility in defining rate limiting strategies, allowing developers to set limits based on various criteria such as IP address, user ID, or custom keys. It supports multiple storage backends, enabling tailored implementations for different application needs.

  • express-rate-limit:

    Express-rate-limit provides a simpler approach with basic configuration options. While it is less flexible than express-brute, it is sufficient for common use cases and allows for quick setup with minimal configuration.

  • express-slow-down:

    Express-slow-down introduces flexibility in response behavior by allowing developers to slow down responses instead of blocking requests. This can be particularly useful in scenarios where you want to mitigate abuse without completely denying service.

  • rate-limiter-flexible:

    Rate-limiter-flexible is highly flexible, supporting various storage options and allowing for dynamic rate limits based on user behavior. It can adapt to complex scenarios, making it suitable for applications with varying traffic patterns.

Performance

  • express-brute:

    Express-brute can introduce performance overhead depending on the storage backend used. In-memory storage is fast, but for larger applications, using Redis or MongoDB may add latency. Careful consideration of the storage choice is essential for maintaining performance.

  • express-rate-limit:

    Express-rate-limit is lightweight and performs well for most applications. However, it may struggle under high concurrency if not configured properly, especially with in-memory storage. Using Redis can help mitigate performance issues in high-load scenarios.

  • express-slow-down:

    Express-slow-down is designed to maintain performance while adding a delay for abusive clients. However, it can still impact overall response times if many clients are being slowed down simultaneously, so it should be used judiciously.

  • rate-limiter-flexible:

    Rate-limiter-flexible is optimized for performance, especially when using Redis as a backend. It is designed to handle high concurrency and large volumes of requests efficiently, making it suitable for scalable applications.

Ease of Use

  • express-brute:

    Express-brute has a steeper learning curve due to its extensive configuration options and flexibility. Developers may need to invest time in understanding its API and how to implement custom strategies effectively.

  • express-rate-limit:

    Express-rate-limit is straightforward and easy to integrate into existing Express applications. Its simple API allows developers to quickly set up rate limiting with minimal effort, making it ideal for beginners or quick implementations.

  • express-slow-down:

    Express-slow-down is also easy to use, especially for those familiar with express-rate-limit. It can be quickly added to an application to provide additional control over response behavior without complex configurations.

  • rate-limiter-flexible:

    Rate-limiter-flexible offers a moderate learning curve. While it provides powerful features, developers may need to familiarize themselves with its API and configuration options to fully leverage its capabilities.

Use Cases

  • express-brute:

    Express-brute is best suited for applications that require complex rate limiting strategies, such as those needing to limit requests based on user roles or specific actions. It is ideal for scenarios where different users or clients need different limits.

  • express-rate-limit:

    Express-rate-limit is perfect for standard use cases where you want to limit requests based on IP address, such as APIs or public-facing applications. It is a go-to solution for most basic rate limiting needs.

  • express-slow-down:

    Express-slow-down is useful in situations where you want to discourage abusive behavior without completely blocking users. It is ideal for applications that want to maintain user engagement while mitigating abuse.

  • rate-limiter-flexible:

    Rate-limiter-flexible is designed for high-performance applications that need dynamic and flexible rate limiting. It is suitable for large-scale applications with varying traffic patterns and user behaviors.

Community and Support

  • express-brute:

    Express-brute has a smaller community compared to other libraries, which may result in fewer resources and examples available for troubleshooting. However, it is still well-documented and has a dedicated user base.

  • express-rate-limit:

    Express-rate-limit has a larger community and is widely used, leading to a wealth of resources, examples, and community support available for developers. This makes it easier to find solutions to common issues.

  • express-slow-down:

    Express-slow-down, being a part of the express-rate-limit ecosystem, benefits from similar community support and documentation. However, it may have fewer dedicated resources compared to more popular libraries.

  • rate-limiter-flexible:

    Rate-limiter-flexible has a growing community and is gaining popularity, which means more resources and support are becoming available. Its documentation is comprehensive, aiding developers in implementation.

How to Choose: express-brute vs express-rate-limit vs express-slow-down vs rate-limiter-flexible

  • express-brute:

    Choose express-brute if you need a highly customizable rate limiting solution that supports multiple backends for storing state, such as memory, Redis, or MongoDB. It allows for complex strategies like IP-based or user-based limits and provides hooks for custom behavior on limit exceedance.

  • express-rate-limit:

    Choose express-rate-limit for a straightforward, easy-to-use rate limiting middleware that works well for most applications. It is perfect for simple use cases where you want to limit requests based on IP address and provides built-in support for various response formats when limits are exceeded.

  • express-slow-down:

    Choose express-slow-down if you want to implement a strategy that slows down responses for clients that exceed a certain request threshold, rather than outright blocking them. This is useful for reducing the impact of abusive clients without completely denying service.

  • rate-limiter-flexible:

    Choose rate-limiter-flexible if you require a highly flexible and performant rate limiting solution that supports Redis and in-memory storage. It offers advanced features like dynamic limits, multiple strategies, and the ability to handle large-scale applications with high concurrency.

Similar Npm Packages to express-brute

express-brute is a middleware for Express.js that provides a simple way to implement brute-force protection for your applications. It helps prevent abuse by limiting the number of requests a client can make to your server within a specified time frame. This is particularly useful for protecting sensitive endpoints, such as login routes, from automated attacks. With its customizable options, express-brute allows developers to define their own strategies for handling requests and responses, making it a flexible choice for rate limiting.

While express-brute is a robust option for rate limiting, there are several alternatives available in the Express ecosystem that also provide similar functionalities:

  • express-limiter is a simple rate-limiting middleware for Express applications. It allows developers to define limits on the number of requests a client can make over a specified time period. express-limiter is straightforward to use and can be easily integrated into existing Express applications, making it a good choice for projects that require basic rate-limiting functionality without additional complexity.

  • express-rate-limit is another popular middleware for rate limiting in Express applications. It provides a more feature-rich solution compared to express-limiter, allowing for advanced configurations such as custom error messages, dynamic limits based on request properties, and more. express-rate-limit is widely used and well-documented, making it a reliable choice for developers looking to implement rate limiting in their applications.

  • express-slow-down is a middleware that complements rate limiting by slowing down responses for clients that exceed specified request limits. Instead of outright blocking requests, express-slow-down introduces a delay for subsequent requests, which can help mitigate abuse while still allowing legitimate users to access the application. This can be particularly useful for protecting endpoints from brute-force attacks without completely denying access.

  • rate-limiter-flexible is a powerful and flexible rate-limiting library that can be used with various Node.js frameworks, including Express. It supports a wide range of storage options, including in-memory, Redis, and MongoDB, making it suitable for applications that require scalability and persistence. rate-limiter-flexible offers advanced features such as dynamic limits, multiple strategies, and custom error handling, making it an excellent choice for complex applications.

To see how express-brute compares with express-limiter, express-rate-limit, express-slow-down, and rate-limiter-flexible, check out the comparison: Comparing express-brute vs express-limiter vs express-rate-limit vs express-slow-down vs rate-limiter-flexible.

Similar Npm Packages to express-rate-limit

express-rate-limit is a middleware for Express.js that helps to limit repeated requests to public APIs and endpoints. It is particularly useful for preventing abuse and ensuring fair usage of resources by controlling the rate at which clients can make requests. By implementing rate limiting, developers can protect their applications from denial-of-service attacks and reduce the load on their servers.

While express-rate-limit is a popular choice for rate limiting in Express applications, there are several alternatives that offer different features and capabilities. Here are a few notable options:

  • express-brute is a robust rate-limiting middleware for Express.js that provides more advanced features compared to express-rate-limit. It allows you to define complex rate-limiting strategies, including support for different stores (like memory, Redis, etc.) and customizable error messages. If you need a more flexible and powerful solution for rate limiting that can handle various scenarios, express-brute is a great choice.

  • express-slow-down is another middleware for Express.js that focuses on slowing down responses instead of outright blocking requests. This can be particularly useful in situations where you want to deter abusive behavior without completely denying access. By introducing delays for repeated requests, express-slow-down can help mitigate the impact of abusive clients while still allowing them to access the service.

  • rate-limiter-flexible is a flexible and powerful rate-limiting library that can be used with various frameworks, including Express.js. It supports a wide range of features, such as different storage backends (Redis, MongoDB, etc.), dynamic limits based on user roles, and more. If you need a highly configurable rate-limiting solution that can adapt to different requirements, rate-limiter-flexible is an excellent option.

To explore how these packages compare, check out the following link: Comparing express-brute vs express-rate-limit vs express-slow-down vs rate-limiter-flexible.

Similar Npm Packages to express-slow-down

express-slow-down is an Express middleware that helps mitigate brute-force attacks by slowing down responses to repeated requests from the same IP address. It works by introducing a delay in the response time for requests that exceed a specified limit, effectively discouraging malicious users from overwhelming your server with rapid requests. This package is particularly useful for protecting login routes or sensitive endpoints in your Express applications.

While express-slow-down is effective, there are several alternatives that provide similar functionality for rate limiting and request management. Here are a few notable options:

  • express-brute is a simple and flexible rate-limiting middleware for Express applications. It allows developers to define custom strategies for handling brute-force attacks, including in-memory storage, Redis, or MongoDB. With express-brute, you can easily configure how many requests are allowed from a single IP address within a specified timeframe, making it a robust choice for protecting your application from abuse.

  • express-rate-limit is another popular middleware for rate limiting in Express applications. It provides a straightforward way to limit repeated requests to public APIs and endpoints. With express-rate-limit, you can set a maximum number of requests per IP address within a given timeframe, and it comes with built-in support for handling exceeded limits gracefully. This package is widely used and well-documented, making it a reliable choice for developers looking to implement rate limiting.

  • rate-limiter-flexible is a highly flexible rate-limiting library that can be used with various storage backends, including Redis, MongoDB, and in-memory storage. It allows for advanced configurations such as different limits for different routes, dynamic limits based on user roles, and more. This package is ideal for applications that require fine-grained control over rate limiting and need to support complex use cases.

To explore how express-slow-down compares with express-brute, express-rate-limit, and rate-limiter-flexible, check out the comparison: Comparing express-brute vs express-rate-limit vs express-slow-down vs rate-limiter-flexible.

Similar Npm Packages to rate-limiter-flexible

rate-limiter-flexible is a powerful and flexible rate-limiting library for Node.js applications. It allows developers to implement rate-limiting strategies to control the number of requests a user can make to an API or service within a specified time frame. This is particularly useful for protecting APIs from abuse, ensuring fair usage, and maintaining performance under high load. The library supports various storage backends, including in-memory, Redis, and MongoDB, making it adaptable to different application architectures.

While rate-limiter-flexible is a robust solution, there are several alternatives available in the Node.js ecosystem that also provide rate-limiting capabilities. Here are a few notable ones:

  • bottleneck is a powerful rate-limiting library that allows you to control the rate of function execution. It provides features such as concurrency control, priority queues, and scheduling, making it suitable for scenarios where you need to manage the execution of asynchronous tasks. If your application requires more than just simple request limiting and you need to manage the execution of functions or tasks, bottleneck is an excellent choice.

  • express-rate-limit is a middleware for Express applications that provides basic rate-limiting functionality. It is easy to set up and configure, making it a popular choice for developers using the Express framework. If you are looking for a straightforward solution to limit the number of requests to your Express routes, express-rate-limit is a simple and effective option.

  • limiter is another lightweight rate-limiting library for Node.js. It provides a simple API for limiting the rate of function calls and can be easily integrated into existing applications. If you need a minimalistic approach to rate limiting without the overhead of more complex libraries, limiter can be a suitable choice.

To compare these libraries and see how they stack up against each other, check out the comparison: Comparing bottleneck vs express-rate-limit vs limiter vs rate-limiter-flexible.

README for express-brute

express-brute

NPM Version NPM Downloads Build Status Coverage Status Dependency Status

A brute-force protection middleware for express routes that rate-limits incoming requests, increasing the delay with each request in a fibonacci-like sequence.

Installation

via npm:

  $ npm install express-brute

A Simple Example

var ExpressBrute = require('express-brute');

var store = new ExpressBrute.MemoryStore(); // stores state locally, don't use this in production
var bruteforce = new ExpressBrute(store);

app.post('/auth',
	bruteforce.prevent, // error 429 if we hit this route too often
	function (req, res, next) {
		res.send('Success!');
	}
);

Classes

ExpressBrute(store, options)

  • store An instance of ExpressBrute.MemoryStore or some other ExpressBrute store (see a list of known stores below).
  • options
    • freeRetries The number of retires the user has before they need to start waiting (default: 2)
    • minWait The initial wait time (in milliseconds) after the user runs out of retries (default: 500 milliseconds)
    • maxWait The maximum amount of time (in milliseconds) between requests the user needs to wait (default: 15 minutes). The wait for a given request is determined by adding the time the user needed to wait for the previous two requests.
    • lifetime The length of time (in seconds since the last request) to remember the number of requests that have been made by an IP. By default it will be set to maxWait * the number of attempts before you hit maxWait to discourage simply waiting for the lifetime to expire before resuming an attack. With default values this is about 6 hours.
    • failCallback Gets called with (req, resp, next, nextValidRequestDate) when a request is rejected (default: ExpressBrute.FailForbidden)
    • attachResetToRequest Specify whether or not a simplified reset method should be attached at req.brute.reset. The simplified method takes only a callback, and resets all ExpressBrute middleware that was called on the current request. If multiple instances of ExpressBrute have middleware on the same request, only those with attachResetToRequest set to true will be reset (default: true)
    • refreshTimeoutOnRequest Defines whether the lifetime counts from the time of the last request that ExpressBrute didn't prevent for a given IP (true) or from of that IP's first request (false). Useful for allowing limits over fixed periods of time, for example: a limited number of requests per day. (Default: true). More info
    • handleStoreError Gets called whenever an error occurs with the persistent store from which ExpressBrute cannot recover. It is passed an object containing the properties message (a description of the message), parent (the error raised by the session store), and [key, ip] or [req, res, next] depending on whether or the error occurs during reset or in the middleware itself.

ExpressBrute.MemoryStore()

An in-memory store for persisting request counts. Don't use this in production, instead choose one of the more robust store implementations listed below.

ExpressBrute Instance Methods

  • prevent(req, res, next) Middleware that will bounce requests that happen faster than the current wait time by calling failCallback. Equivilent to getMiddleware(null)
  • getMiddleware(options) Generates middleware that will bounce requests with the same key and IP address that happen faster than the current wait time by calling failCallback. Also attaches a function at req.brute.reset that can be called to reset the counter for the current ip and key. This functions as the reset instance method, but without the need to explicitly pass the ip and key paramters
    • key can be a string or alternatively it can be a function(req, res, next) that or calls next, passing a string as the first parameter.
    • failCallback Allows you to override the value of failCallback for this middleware
    • ignoreIP Disregard IP address when matching requests if set to true. Defaults to false.
  • reset(ip, key, next) Resets the wait time between requests back to its initial value. You can pass null for key if you want to reset a request protected by protect.

Built-in Failure Callbacks

There are some built-in callbacks that come with BruteExpress that handle some common use cases.

  • ExpressBrute.FailTooManyRquests Terminates the request and responses with a 429 (Too Many Requests) error that has a Retry-After header and a JSON error message.
  • ExpressBrute.FailForbidden Terminates the request and responds with a 403 (Forbidden) error that has a Retry-After header and a JSON error message. This is provided for compatibility with ExpressBrute versions prior to v0.5.0, for new users FailTooManyRequests is the preferred behavior.
  • ExpressBrute.FailMark Sets res.nextValidRequestDate, the Retry-After header and the res.status=429, then calls next() to pass the request on to the appropriate routes.

ExpressBrute stores

There are a number adapters that have been written to allow ExpressBrute to be used with different persistent storage implementations, some of the ones I know about include:

If you write your own store and want me to add it to the list, just drop me an email or create an issue.

A More Complex Example

require('connect-flash');
var ExpressBrute = require('express-brute'),
	MemcachedStore = require('express-brute-memcached'),
	moment = require('moment'),
    store;

if (config.environment == 'development'){
	store = new ExpressBrute.MemoryStore(); // stores state locally, don't use this in production
} else {
	// stores state with memcached
	store = new MemcachedStore(['127.0.0.1'], {
		prefix: 'NoConflicts'
	});
}

var failCallback = function (req, res, next, nextValidRequestDate) {
	req.flash('error', "You've made too many failed attempts in a short period of time, please try again "+moment(nextValidRequestDate).fromNow());
	res.redirect('/login'); // brute force protection triggered, send them back to the login page
};
var handleStoreError = handleStoreError: function (error) {
	log.error(error); // log this error so we can figure out what went wrong
	// cause node to exit, hopefully restarting the process fixes the problem
	throw {
		message: error.message,
		parent: error.parent
	};
}
// Start slowing requests after 5 failed attempts to do something for the same user
var userBruteforce = new ExpressBrute(store, {
	freeRetries: 5,
	minWait: 5*60*1000, // 5 minutes
	maxWait: 60*60*1000, // 1 hour,
	failCallback: failCallback,
	handleStoreError: handleStoreError
}
});
// No more than 1000 login attempts per day per IP
var globalBruteforce = new ExpressBrute(store, {
	freeRetries: 1000,
	attachResetToRequest: false,
	refreshTimeoutOnRequest: false,
	minWait: 25*60*60*1000, // 1 day 1 hour (should never reach this wait time)
	maxWait: 25*60*60*1000, // 1 day 1 hour (should never reach this wait time)
	lifetime: 24*60*60, // 1 day (seconds not milliseconds)
	failCallback: failCallback,
	handleStoreError: handleStoreError
});

app.set('trust proxy', 1); // Don't set to "true", it's not secure. Make sure it matches your environment
app.post('/auth',
	globalBruteforce.prevent,
	userBruteforce.getMiddleware({
		key: function(req, res, next) {
			// prevent too many attempts for the same username
			next(req.body.username);
		}
	}),
	function (req, res, next) {
		if (User.isValidLogin(req.body.username, req.body.password)) { // omitted for the sake of conciseness
		 	// reset the failure counter so next time they log in they get 5 tries again before the delays kick in
			req.brute.reset(function () {
				res.redirect('/'); // logged in, send them to the home page
			});
		} else {
			res.flash('error', "Invalid username or password")
			res.redirect('/login'); // bad username/password, send them back to the login page
		}
	}
);

Changelog

v1.0.1

  • BUG: Fixed an edge case where freeretries weren't being respected if app servers had slightly different times

v1.0.0

  • NEW: Updated to use Express 4.x as a peer dependency.
  • REMOVED: proxyDepth option on ExpressBrute has been removed. Use app.set('trust proxy', x) from Express 4 instead. More Info
  • REMOVED: getIPFromRequest(req) has been removed from instances, use req.ip instead.

v0.6.0

  • NEW: Added new ignoreIP option. (Thanks Magnitus-!)
  • CHANGED: .reset callbacks are now always called asyncronously, regardless of the implementation of the store (particularly effects MemoryStore).
  • CHANGED: Unit tests have been converted from Jasmine to Mocha/Chai/Sinon
  • BUG: Fixed a crash when .reset was called without a callback function

v0.5.3

  • NEW: Added the handleStoreError option to allow more customizable handling of errors that are thrown by the persistent store. Default behavior is to throw the errors as an exception - there is nothing ExpressBrute can do to recover.
  • CHANGED: Errors thrown as a result of errors raised by the store now include the store's error as well, for debugging purposes.

v0.5.2

  • CHANGED: Stopped using res.send(status, body), as it is deprecated in express 4.x. Instead call res.status and res.send separately (Thanks marinewater!)

v0.5.1

  • BUG: When setting proxyDepth to 1, ips is never populated with proxied X-Forwarded-For IP.

v0.5.0

  • NEW: Added an additional FailTooManyRequests failure callback, that returns a 429 (TooManyRequests) error instead of 403 (Forbidden). This is a more accurate error status code.
  • NEW: All the built in failure callbacks now set the "Retry-After" header to the number of seconds until it is safe to try again. Per RFC6585
  • NEW: Documentation updated to list some known store implementations.
  • CHANGED: Default failure callback is now FailTooManyRequests. FailForbidden remains an option for backwards compatiblity.
  • CHANGED: ExpressBrute.MemcachedStore is no longer included by default, and is now available as a separate module (because there are multiple store options it doesn't really make sense to include one by default).
  • CHANGED: FailMark no longer sets returns 403 Forbidden, instead does 429 TooManyRequets.

v0.4.2

  • BUG: In some cases when no callbacks were supplied memcached would drop the request. Ensure that memcached always sees a callback even if ExpressBrute isn't given one.

v0.4.1

  • NEW: refreshTimeoutOnRequest option that allows you to prevent the remaining lifetime for a timer from being reset on each request (useful for implementing limits for set time frames, e.g. requests per day)
  • BUG: Lifetimes were not previously getting extended properly for instances of ExpressBrute.MemoryStore

v0.4.0

  • NEW: attachResetToRequest parameter that lets you prevent the request object being decorated
  • NEW: failCallback can be overriden by getMiddleware
  • NEW: proxyDepth option on ExpressBrute that specifies how many levels of the X-Forwarded-For header to trust (inspired by express-bouncer).
  • NEW: getIPFromRequest method that essentially allows reset to used in a similar ways as in v0.2.2. This also respects the new proxyDepth setting.
  • CHANGED: getMiddleware now takes an options object instead of the key directly.

v0.3.0

  • NEW: Support for using custom keys to group requests further (e.g. grouping login requests by username)
  • NEW: Support for middleware from multiple instances of ExpressBrute on the same route.
  • NEW: Tracking lifetime now has a reasonable default derived from the other settings for that instance of ExpressBrute
  • NEW: Keys are now hashed before saving to a store, to prevent really long key names and reduce the possibility of collisions.
  • NEW: There is now a convience method that gets attached to req object as req.brute.reset. It takes a single parameter (a callback), and will reset all the counters used by ExpressBrute middleware that was called for the current route.
  • CHANGED: Tracking lifetime is now specified on ExpressBrute instead of MemcachedStore. This also means lifetime is now supported by MemoryStore.
  • CHANGED: The function signature for ExpressBrute.reset has changed. It now requires an IP and key be passed instead of a request object.
  • IMPROVED: Efficiency for large values of freeRetries.
  • BUG: Removed a small chance of incorrectly triggering brute force protection.
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