Softwr

Web Development · head to head

Express.js vs Vagrant

E

Express.js

Web Development

Fast, unopinionated, minimalist web framework for Node.js

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vagrant logo

Vagrant

Cloud & Infrastructure

Development environments made easy

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Vagrant has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Express.js governed by the OpenJS Foundation with no vendor or paid tier, per expressjs.com; as open source software it has no pricing to compare; Vagrant vagrant 2.4.3 and later is licensed under the Business Source License 1.1 with IBM Corporation as licensor, not an OSI open source licence

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Express.js and Vagrant actually diverge.

Attributes where Express.js and Vagrant differ
AttributeExpress.jsVagrant
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebLinux, Windows, Mac
CategoryWeb DevelopmentCloud & Infrastructure
FoundedUnknown2010

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Express.js

Nothing recorded that Vagrant does not also cover.

Only in Vagrant

  • Box management
  • Provider support
  • Multi-machine setups
  • Provisioners
  • Networking
  • Synced folders
  • Snapshots
  • Plugins

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Express.js

No use cases recorded yet. See the Express.js review.

Vagrant

  • Reproducible local development environments defined in a Vagrantfilenot Express.js
  • Provisioning identical VMs across VirtualBox, VMware and Hyper-V for a teamnot Express.js
  • Sandboxing multi-machine setups on a developer laptopnot Express.js

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Express.js

  • Governed by the OpenJS Foundation with no vendor or paid tier, per expressjs.com; as open source software it has no pricing to compare
  • Express.js provides only a thin layer of fundamental routing features by its own description, requiring separate middleware modules for functionality like body parsing, sessions or authentication

Vagrant

  • Vagrant 2.4.3 and later is licensed under the Business Source License 1.1 with IBM Corporation as licensor, not an OSI open source licence
  • The Additional Use Grant forbids offering Vagrant to third parties on a hosted or embedded basis in a paid product that competes with IBM's paid versions of Vagrant
  • Each version converts to the MPL 2.0 Change License only four years after that version is first published
  • Uses that fall outside the Additional Use Grant require a separately negotiated licence from the licensor

Pricing, plan by plan

Express.js

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Express.js review.

Vagrant

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Development environment provisioning
    • Multiple providers
    • Provisioner support

Which should you pick?

Choose Express.js if

Nothing in the data separates Express.js from Vagrant on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Express.js review

Choose Vagrant if

  • You need box management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac.
  • You also want provider support.
Vagrant review

Questions people ask

Is Express.js or Vagrant better?
Neither clearly leads. Express.js starts at On request and Vagrant at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Express.js or Vagrant?
Vagrant has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Express.js and Free for Vagrant.
Does Express.js or Vagrant run on more platforms?
Express.js runs on Web. Vagrant runs on Linux, Windows, Mac.
Can I use Vagrant for free?
Yes. Vagrant has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Express.js starts at On request.
What can Express.js do that Vagrant cannot?
Vagrant covers Box management, Provider support, Multi-machine setups, Provisioners.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Express.js

More on Vagrant

Keep looking

Other head to heads