Fetch Vs. Axios In Next.js For HTTP Requests: Which Is Better?

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Axios is a wildly popular library designed to simplify HTTP requests. However, some developers prefer to work with native APIs. Fortunately, when choosing between Fetch vs. Axios in Next.js, it’s not an either/or option. This guide will cover the advantages and disadvantages of both and how you can implement the features of Axios using the fetch() method.

What Does Axios Mean?

Before we do an Axios vs. Fetch 2023 comparison, you need to understand each one. Axios is a JavaScript library for making HTTP requests from client- and server-side applications. Built on top of JavaScript’s native Promise API, Axios provides a robust and easy-to-use interface for managing asynchronous HTTP calls, including the following features.

Promise-based architecture

Axios uses JavaScript promises, making it simpler to write asynchronous code. This architecture enables you to use .then() and .catch() for handling successful and unsuccessful responses, respectively. Axios is also compatible with async/await, making your asynchronous code even more readable.

Interceptors

Axios allows you to intercept requests and responses before they are processed or returned. This feature is useful for setting global settings like headers, logging information, or transforming request and response data.

Easy-to-use syntax

Axios provides a simple syntax for making various HTTP requests, including GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE. You can easily pass parameters, headers, and custom configurations without a verbose setup.

Support for cancelable requests

Axios allows you to cancel a request you no longer need. You can use this in scenarios like type-ahead search suggestions, where you might want to cancel previous requests as new ones come in.

Timeout and retry configurations

Axios lets you set a timeout for your requests, after which the request will be aborted if it’s not completed. Moreover, you can configure Axios to retry failed requests, which can be crucial for ensuring the robustness of your application.

Progress monitoring

If you’re uploading or downloading large files, Axios enables you to monitor the progress of the request and take actions based on it, like displaying a progress bar.

Built-in CSRF protection

Axios has built-in mechanisms to protect against Cross-Site Request Forgery attacks, enhancing the security of your applications.

Server-side support

You can also use Axios server-side in Node.js environments, making it a versatile choice for full-stack development.

What Is Fetch()?

The fetch() method is native to modern web browsers for making HTTP requests. Unlike Axios or other third-party libraries, Fetch comes built into most web browsers, eliminating the need to add extra dependencies to your project. Consider the following when comparing fetch or even node-fetch vs. Axios vs. requests.

Basic HTTP methods

Fetch supports all basic HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE. These methods define the kinds of operations you can perform over HTTP. With Fetch, you can request data from a server, submit new data, update existing data, or even delete data by specifying the HTTP method you’d like to use.

Implementing Axios-like features with Fetch

Many people favor Axios vs. Fetch API, but you can get many Axios-style features with Fetch.

• Promises and async/await: Fetch is based on Promises, a JavaScript feature that simplifies the handling of asynchronous operations. You can either use “then” and “catch” methods to deal with successful or unsuccessful operations or make your code cleaner and more readable with “async/await.”
• Modifying requests and responses: While Axios provides a straightforward way to intercept and modify requests and responses, Fetch also allows for customization in a less direct manner. You can specify settings such as the HTTP method to use, headers to include, and body data to send in a separate configuration object when calling the fetch() method.
• Error handling: When comparing error handling in Fetch vs. Axios in Next.js, Fetch’s approach is different. By default, Fetch considers a request successful as long as it completes, regardless of the HTTP status code returned. This means that Fetch will not reject the request even if the server returns an error code. You have to manually check the response’s “ok” status to see if the operation succeeded.

Side-by-Side Comparison: Fetch vs. Axios in Next.js

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of Next.js Axios vs. Fetch to help you decide which is better for you.

Syntax

• Axios: Axios offers a clean and simple syntax that developers can easily understand and use. It explicitly names HTTP methods through its API, like axios.get() or axios.post(), making the code self-explanatory.
• Fetch: Fetch provides a straightforward but slightly more verbose syntax. The HTTP method is specified as part of a configuration object, requiring developers to be more explicit about their intentions.

Flexibility

• Axios: The high flexibility of Axios is due to features like request and response interception, easy header manipulation, and configurable timeouts. Axios can also automatically transform JSON data and directly provide the data object in the response.
• Fetch: Fetch offers a more “bare-bones” setup, giving you the flexibility to implement custom features but requiring more manual configuration for things like extracting JSON from the response body or error handling.

Performance

• Axios: Axios introduces some performance overhead as it is an external library that must be imported into your project. The size of the Axios package may marginally affect load times, particularly on mobile or slower connections.
• Fetch: When comparing node-fetch vs. Axios performance, Fetch is slightly better. Since it is native to web browsers, Fetch has minimal performance overhead.

Community support

• Axios: Axiox has strong community support, including many tutorials, third-party plug-ins, and active maintenance. It’s widely used in the industry, making it easier to find solutions to problems or questions you may encounter.
• Fetch: While Fetch also has a lot of community support due to its native inclusion in web browsers, it doesn’t have as extensive a range of third-party extensions or plug-ins. However, because it is a web standard, it benefits from comprehensive documentation. It is also less likely to suffer from deprecation or lack of maintenance.

Pros and Cons of Axios vs. Fetch API

Each method has advantages and disadvantages, so there’s no one right answer when choosing Fetch vs. Axios in Next.js. Here’s a breakdown of each.

Advantages of using Axios

The advantages of using Axios JS vs. Fetch include:

• Easier syntax for beginners: The methods for different HTTP requests, such as GET and POST, are clearly defined in Axios. This results in more readable code and a shallower learning curve for new developers.
• Advanced features out-of-the-box: Axios comes packed with advanced features like request and response interceptors, automatic JSON data transformation, and configurable timeouts, which can save time.
• Strong community and ecosystem: Axios has garnered strong community support, and you’ll find many tutorials, guides, and third-party plug-ins specifically designed for it. This extensive ecosystem makes it easier to find solutions to challenges and encourages best practices, which can be especially beneficial for larger or more complex projects.

Disadvantages of using Axios

The disadvantages of Axios include:

• Additional dependency: Adding Axios to your project means introducing an external dependency. While dependencies are common in software development, each one increases the complexity of your project’s dependency tree.
• Potentially slower performance: Because Axios is a third-party library, it introduces some level of performance overhead, although fairly minimal.

Advantages of using Fetch

The advantages of using Fetch vs. Axios in Next.js include:

• No additional dependencies: Fetch is native to most modern web browsers, so you can use it without adding external libraries to your project. Your project will be leaner without the risk associated with third-party libraries.
• Full control: Fetch offers you granular control over your HTTP requests. While it might not provide as many built-in features as Axios, this level of control allows you to customize the behavior of requests and responses to meet your application’s specific needs.

Disadvantages of using Fetch

The disadvantages of using Fetch vs. Axios in Next.js include:

• Verbose code: While Fetch gives you more control, it often requires more verbose code to implement advanced features that are already ready to go with Axios. Features like request interception or timeouts must be manually configured, leading to more complex code.
• Less standard functionality: Fetch is more bare-bones compared to Axios. It doesn’t automatically transform response data to JSON or easily allow for advanced error handling. You’ll need to write additional utility functions to match the feature set provided by Axios.

Next.js: Axios vs. Fetch Use Cases

Good developers have multiple tools in their tool kits. When comparing Fetch vs. Axios in Next.js, understanding the best use cases for each will give you more flexibility.

Scenarios where Axios might be a better choice

Axios may be the winner in Fetch vs. Axios in Next.js in the following instances:

• Rapid prototyping and development: Axios can save you time when you’re working on a project with tight deadlines or just want to prototype an application quickly.
• Complex request and response manipulation: Axios makes intricate pre- or post-processing of requests and responses easier.
• Working with older browsers: Axios has a broader range of browser compatibility compared to Fetch. If your application needs to support older browsers, Axios is often the safer choice since it automatically includes polyfills.
• Advanced challenges: The robust community and ecosystem around Axios can be invaluable for projects where you anticipate running into challenges or needing specialized plug-ins.

Scenarios where using native Fetch might be more appropriate

Fetch may be the winner in Fetch vs. Axios in Next.js in the following instances:

• Performance-sensitive applications: In applications where every millisecond of load time counts, such as high-frequency trading platforms or real-time gaming, the lightweight nature of Fetch may offer a performance advantage.
• Fine-grained control: If you need precise control over the HTTP request and response cycle, Fetch provides that capability natively.
• Projects with minimal dependencies: Fetch is ideal for projects that need to keep external dependencies to a minimum, perhaps due to security protocols or other organizational policies.
• Progressive web apps (PWAs) and service workers: Fetch is built to easily integrate with other modern web APIs, making it an excellent choice for PWAs and service workers.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, there’s no clear winner in the Fetch vs. Axios in Next.js showdown. Each option has benefits and drawbacks. If you’d rather skip the technicalities and get straight to scraping, Scraping Robot is a code-free, hassle-free choice. Sign up today to get started for free.

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