10 Modern Node.js Development Tools Real Developers Swear By

You probably already know that Node.js is a reliable and high-performing JavaScript runtime environment (RTE) for server-side applications—and that it can speed up your apps’ loading time.

But to unleash the full potential of this RTE, you need Node.js development tools. The question is: how to pick the tools that fit your project and team’s skills?

To help you out, we’ve listed the 10 Node.js frameworks, libraries, compilers, and text editors that we can’t live code without. So, by the end of this blog, you’ll have a much clearer perspective of how to approach your next development project.

Ready to build your own custom software with a team that cares about you and your processes? We’re not code monkeys, we care about you.

10 Best Node.js development tools for 2023
Do you need expert help to use Node.js development tools?
Frequently asked questions about Node.js development tools

10 Best Node.js development tools for 2023

Slack poll on NaNLABS team's favorite Node.js development tools

We asked our engineering team to rate the tools they love the most for Node.js development. Here’s what they said:

Virtual Studio Code (VS Code)
ESLint
GitHub Copilot
Jest
Fast Node Manager (fnm)
Postman
Node Package Manager (npm)
TurboRepo
Socket.io
Babel

#1 Virtual Studio Code (VS Code)

Screen showing three columns of code on VS Code Node.js development tool

VSCode is an integrated development environment (IDE) that comes with a text editor, syntax highlighter, code completion, and debugging tools. VS Code is open-source and was created by Microsoft.

Why use VS Code for Node.js?

“This is the IDE that almost our entire team uses,” says Matias Alvarez Duran, co-founder and Engineering Manager at NaNLABS “It's lightweight and the extensions ecosystem is very comprehensive.” That’s why we use VS Code as our primary text editor and IDE for multiple programming languages. It comes with a large array of features and extensions to write code efficiently such as:

Syntax highlighting—to spot errors and come up with simplified lines of code
Code completion—to get automatically generated code suggestions
Debugging tools—to simplify bug fixing
Integrated terminal—to run commands without leaving the editor

Get started with VS Code

If your team is new to Node.js development and VS Code, you can share these resources to help them out:

VS Code website. Kick it off by reading VS Code documentation to discover everything this tool has to offer. Then, move to the VS Code tutorial for beginners section and watch the eight-part tutorial to learn the specifics of the platform.
YouTube videos. There are hundreds of free VS Code video guides on YouTube. These are the ones we recommend:

#2 ESLint

ESLint JavaScript linter with code written on a dark screen

ESLint is an open-source linter that was created for analyzing static JavaScript code and fixing errors before pushing it to production. It can be plugged into other development tools like VS Code, Sublime Text, and Atom to provide real-time feedback and suggestions as you write code.

Why use ESLint for Node.js?

You can adapt your ESLint settings so it follows your team’s coding style. “I use ESLint as a linter to catch and fix errors,” says Matias. “I also use it to enforce code style and best practices into my JavaScript code.” When a team has a clear code style, it allows them to produce cohesive code that follows those standards and practices. So, we’re able to simplify our projects and ramp up new developments faster with ESLint.

Get started with ESLint

If you’re thinking about using ESLint on your next app development project and want to help your team get to know this tool, share these links with them:

ESLint website. The ESLint documentation page is widely comprehensive and easy to follow.
Blogs. Your team will find this ESLint tutorial for beginners pretty explanatory.

#3 GitHub Copilot

GitHub Copilot Hero image with text that reads “Your AI programmer”

Github Copilot is yet another bot that will take over our jobs an AI-powered code completion tool that suggests code snippets and function implementations based on a given context. You should avoid abusing it, of course, as you might end up with Frankenstein software—with bits that aren’t necessarily linked to each other. You’ll also need to double-check if the code meets your intended functionality. That said, it’s super useful for generating boilerplate code quickly or simply sparking ideas.

Why use GitHub Copilot for Node.js?

As the name suggests, this tool is designed to be your copilot. You’re in charge of the plane, but it’s welcome to make suggestions! “GitHub Copilot makes our daily work more productive and enables our team members to focus on value-added work,” explains Matias. That’s because we use it for simple but time-consuming tasks.

For example, you could use it to come up with Node.js templates. Instead of writing something habitual like the homepage signup code, you can get GitHub Copilot to do it for you and focus your energy on coding a more complex function like determining the search algorithm.

Get started with GitHub Copilot

Send these resources to your team to get started:

GitHub Copilot’s website. Start your research at the main source and access the GitHub Copilot documentation. Then, sign up and start testing its power.
YouTube videos. If you have people on your team who are more visual learners, send them this GitHub Copilot demo and this beginner’s guide.

#4 Jest

Jest testing packages on a white screen

Jest is a testing framework for JavaScript code that’s easy to set up and use. While it’s open-source, it comes with built-in support for test coverage reporting and mocking. It’s compatible with both Node.js and React.

Why use Jest for Node.js?

Jest is a great development tool for Node.js as it comes with a test runner, assertion library, and mocking capabilities. So, it simplifies testing JavaScript code in an RTE.

At NaNLABS, we test everything. Checking if our JavaScript code works is a must every time. And the great thing about Jest is that it supports different types of testing, so you can prove the efficiency of your code in an environment that simulates real life like Node.js.

Get started with Jest

If you think Jest is the Node.js development tool that you need to improve your application development game, share these links with your software team:

Jest’s website. The best place to start is always on each tool’s documentation page.
Blogs. Check out how to run Jest tests in Node.js and this Jest tutorial for beginners.
YouTube videos. Pass on these two links to your developers so they can learn how to test Node.js applications using Jest and how to run Jest unit tests on Node.js.

#5 Fast Node Manager (fnm)

Fast node manager fnm GitHub repository

fnm is built on Rust and is a fast and light-weight Node.js version manager. It allows developers to swap between different Node.js versions or access the different ones they could install. It offers support for cross-platform installation.

Why use fnm for Node.js?

You should consider using fnm because it simplifies version accessing and debugging apps that were developed on different Node versions. “I use fnm (short for Fast Node Manager) to manage multiple versions of Node.js on my machine,” comments Matias. “It's a more lightweight alternative to other Node.js version managers like nvm.”

Get started with fnm

Here are some resources to help your team get started with fnm:

fnm’s official data. Check out the fnm documentation page on GitHub to learn what you can do with this development tool and how to install it.
Blog posts. Share this fnm tutorial for beginners with your team so they can have a clear path to follow. Encourage them to learn how to use fnm and retrieve multiple Node.js versions.

#6 Postman

Postman API request center white screen with red and blue code on it

Postman is a tool that helps code, test, edit, and document application programming interfaces (APIs). It touches all the steps in the API lifecycle so you can build them easier and faster. Postman also comes with a repository of already developed and public APIs that developers can access and use.

Why use Postman for Node.js?

Using Postman for Node.js is the easiest way to write, test, and debug APIs. “It's a powerful tool that allows me to make HTTP requests, view and analyze responses, and automate testing workflows,” explains Matias. “I use it for API development, document software, and even automate workflows. Defining clear APIs is key to any large and modern application”

Get started with Postman

If you think Postman is the tool your team needs to simplify API creation, here are some resources that you can share with them:

Postman’s website. Invite your team to read Postman’s documentation site to set it up and understand the basics.
YouTube videos. Share with your development team videos on understanding Postman and how to create and test APIs with Postman using Node.js.

#7 Node Package Manager (npm)

How to remove a package on npm showing a dark screen with multiple lines of code

npm’s registry is the biggest open-source software repository in the world. Developers can publish or reuse public JavaScript packages to simplify coding and collaboration. npm has three main components:

The website
The Command Line Interface (CLI)
The registry

Why use npm for Node.js?

You should use npm for Node.js to simplify your Chrome web applications development by borrowing code from other online developers and boosting your team’s productivity. This tool also comes with extensions and plugins that you can use to simplify development.

“I use npm to manage dependencies and package my JavaScript code for distribution,” says Matias. “It’s the default package manager for Node.js, and it's widely used in the JavaScript community.” So, you’ll always find it periodically updated by its users.

Get started with npm

If you’re thinking about using npm as a library and want your team to be fully onboard with this tool, share these links with them:

npm’s website. Read npm’s documentation on getting started, learn how to set up your account, and create custom environments.
Blogs. We think this npm tutorial for beginners is a great place to start learning. If your team is planning to use npm with VS Code, here’s how to install the extension.
YouTube videos. Invite your developers to understand the importance of npm and what it can do for them.

#8 Turborepo

Turborepo promotional image that explains how to use the tool in two minutes

Turborepo is an open-source build system that compiles code base into executable software automatically. It was built in Rust and simplifies development as it offers incremental builds—and won’t affect runtime.

Why use Turborepo for Node.js?

You should use Turborepo for Node.js to manage your large-scale code repositories. That way, you can automate a big part of your development process. Turborepo improves the speed and reliability of code searches, pulls, and merges.

Get started with Turborepo

To get your team ready to use Tuberepo as your build system, invite them to review these links:

Turborepo’s official tutorials. Get your team to read Turborepo’s documentation page and view their complete demo video.
GitHub. Send this link to your developers so they can access Turborepo’s GitHub tutorial.

#9 Socket.IO

Handwriting on a white screen explaining how Socket.IO connects to different nodes

Socket.IO is a library designed to build client-server communication that’s event-driven, bidirectional, and low-latency in real-time. This Node.js web framework is suited to creating JavaScript or TypeScript web applications. Socket.IO uses HTTP long-polling as an alternative option when WebSockets are not available.

Why use Socket.IO for Node.js?

We’re suckers for Socket.IO, and you should be too! This tool helps you build interactive features like chat rooms, real-time gaming, and collaborative editing. Using Socket.IO and Node.js enables you to build the mentioned two-sided communications using Node.js as the server.

Get started with Socket.IO

If you’re ready to start using Socket.IO and want to make sure your team knows how to use it, share these links to help them get started:

Socket.IO’s website. Send them the Socket.IO documentation page along with its get started page.
Blogs. If your team likes to read and learn, this Socket.IO tutorial for beginners will do the trick.
YouTube videos. But if they’re visual learners, then you better share this short Socket.IO tutorial video.

#10 Babel

Dark screen with code written in blue and orange accessing a JS Package on Babel

Babel is an open-source code compiler for JavaScript. It allows programmers to write modern JavaScript code as it uses the latest language features and syntax. Then, Babel transforms the current code into older JS versions for compatibility with older browsers and RTE.

Why use Babel for Node.js?

You should consider using Babel for Node.js development so you can compile any ECMAScript 6 code and make it suitable for Node.js on versions like ES5. You can also use it to improve the performance of your ES5 applications as you can include ES6 features but read them on ES5.

Get started with Babel

If you need to implement Babel’s functionality on your next Node.js enterprise application and need your team to learn how to use it quickly, share these links:

Babel’s website. Invite your programmers to read Babel’s documentation page and how to set it up on Node.js.
YouTube videos. Enable your software development team to watch Babel introductory tutorials.

Note: There are multiple other powerful Node.js development tools that we couldn’t mention without going on forever! Here’s a few of the most popular ones:

Express.js for middleware routing
MongoDB for handling multiple databases
Meteor for full-stack development in JavaScript
Webpack for bundling JavaScript files
Electrode for React and Node.js application development
Broccoli for hosting a stable pipeline of assets

Do you need expert help to use Node.js development tools?

If you have an in-house development team ready to learn how to use these Node.js tools, you can kickstart your next software development project right away. However, many of these technologies have a learning curve that can’t be sped up.

So, if your in-house team doesn’t have the time or expertise to learn from scratch, you should consider choosing from one of the best Node.js development companies to get support.

A software development company, like NaNLABS, can either augment your team with experienced developers or serve as software consultants. Either way, NaNLABS developers always take your goals seriously! Our expert team will properly evaluate your project and partner with you to provide high-performing, clean software using high-quality tools.