The Alleged ‘End’ of Node.js Is Much Ado About Nothing

Node.js Core Member, Staff Developer Experience Engineer

Despite the exaggerated claims about its decline, Node.js is thriving. Its continued evolution pushes the boundaries of what the modern web can do. We'll start by debunking myths about Node.js, showcasing its recent enhancements and robust performance in the tech landscape.

The focus then shifts to Node.js's current role in server-side programming and cloud-native applications, emphasizing the vibrant community contributions that drive its progress. We'll also explore how integrating modern JavaScript features and the influence of emerging technologies are shaping Node.js's future, not signaling its end.

Concluding, the talk projects a bright future for Node.js, identifying growth areas and dispelling any misconceptions about its relevance in the evolving world of technology.

This talk has been presented at Node Congress 2025, check out the latest edition of this JavaScript Conference.

FAQ

Node.js versions have long-term support for approximately 30 months, allowing plenty of time for updates and maintenance.

Node.js receives $300,000 annually from OpenSSF for security work, ensuring prompt handling of vulnerabilities and improvements.

You can contribute by coding, triaging, maintaining the website, or promoting the project. Node.js welcomes all forms of contributions.

The watchmode feature allows Node.js to automatically restart when imported files change, improving development efficiency.

No, Node.js is not dead. It continues to grow with approximately 3 billion downloads per month, totaling 30 billion annually.

Platformatic provides out-of-the-box solutions to deploy, optimize, autoscale, and secure Node applications without rewriting.

Paolo is a Principal Engineer at Platformatic and a member of the Node.js Technical Steering Committee.

The Node.js Technical Steering Committee oversees the technical development, governance, and direction of the Node.js project.

Recent features include ESM support, stable threads, fetch API, web platform compatibility improvements, and a new test runner.

Node.js receives support from the Alpha Omega initiative by OpenSSF, funded by companies like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon.

node.js

Paolo Insogna

26 min

17 Apr, 2025

Comments

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Long live Node.js!
17:22 Apr 18, 2025

Video Summary and Transcription

Hello, welcome to Node Congress 2025. Node is not dead and will remain popular for a long time. Node has a large number of downloads across different platforms. Despite known vulnerabilities, older versions of Node are still widely used. Node.js is an active and thriving project with a strong focus on security. Recent updates have introduced new features and improvements, including ESM support, stable threads, and web platform compatibility. Node is governed by the OpenJS Foundation and maintained by collaborators. Consensus-seeking is important for the project's development. Start contributing and be part of the future of Node.js.

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