Both Axios and Fetch are popular tools for making HTTP requests in JavaScript, but they have some key differences. Here’s a breakdown:
Axios
Built-in Features: Axios comes with many built-in features like automatic JSON transformation, request and response interceptors, and cancellation of requests.
Browser Compatibility: It supports older browsers, including Internet Explorer.
Error Handling: Axios automatically rejects promises for HTTP error statuses (like 404 or 500), making error handling simpler.
Request/Response Interceptors: You can easily modify requests or responses globally.
Cancel Requests: Axios provides an easy way to cancel requests.
Fetch
Native API: Fetch is a native web API, meaning you don’t need to install any additional libraries.
Promise-Based: It uses Promises, but you need to manually check the response status for errors.
Stream Handling: Fetch supports streaming, which can be useful for handling large responses.
More Control: You have more control over requests, but it requires more boilerplate code for features like setting defaults or intercepting requests.
No Built-in Support for JSON: You need to call .json() on the response object to parse JSON data.
Use Cases
Use Axios if you need a rich feature set out of the box, especially for complex applications.
Use Fetch for simpler use cases or when you want to avoid external dependencies.
Example Usage
Axios:
axios.get('/api/data')
.then(response => console.log(response.data))
.catch(error => console.error(error));
// axios
const options = {
url: 'http://localhost/test.htm',
method: 'POST',
headers: {
'Accept': 'application/json',
'Content-Type': 'application/json;charset=UTF-8'
},
data: {
a: 10,
b: 20
}
};
axios(options)
.then(response => {
console.log(response.status);
});
Now compare this code to the fetch() version, which produces the same result:
fetch('/api/data')
.then(response => {
if (!response.ok) {
throw new Error('Network response was not ok');
}
return response.json();
})
.then(data => console.log(data))
.catch(error => console.error(error));
// fetch()
const url = "https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/todos";
const options = {
method: "POST",
headers: {
Accept: "application/json",
"Content-Type": "application/json;charset=UTF-8",
},
body: JSON.stringify({
a: 10,
b: 20,
}),
};
fetch(url, options)
.then((response) => response.json())
.then((data) => {
console.log(data);
});
Notice that:
To send data, fetch() uses the body property for a post request to send data to the endpoint, while Axios uses the data property
The data in fetch() is transformed to a string using the JSON.stringify method
Axios automatically transforms the data returned from the server, but with fetch() you have to call the response.json method to parse the data to a JavaScript object
With Axios, the data response provided by the server can be accessed within the data object, while for the fetch() method, the final data can be named any variable
Conclusion
Both have their strengths, and the choice often comes down to your specific needs and preferences. If you're building a larger application with many API interactions, Axios might save you some hassle, while Fetch is great for straightforward tasks.
Axios offers a user-friendly API that simplifies most HTTP communication tasks. However, if you prefer using native browser features, you can definitely implement similar functionalities yourself with the Fetch API.
As we've explored, it’s entirely feasible to replicate the essential features of Axios using the fetch()
method available in web browsers. The decision to include a client HTTP library ultimately depends on your comfort level with native APIs and your specific project requirements.
For more information: https://blog.logrocket.com/axios-vs-fetch-best-http-requests/
Top comments (12)
Hello ! Don't hesitate to put colors on your
codeblock
like this example for have to have a better understanding of your code 😎I don't understand the fixation of people with
axios
. It should just be a legacy package. This is no longer needed. Just go with a customized function that usesfetch
. The customized function can replace all interception needs. Far simpler and no package dependencies.Same, I just use fetch and if I need some sort of shared behavior I write a little wrapper around it. That's usually much simpler and more understandable even if it requires 2-3 extra lines of code compared to an axios equivalent.
That's another thing: It is like 10 lines of code to just add an interceptor to axios. It is more lines of code most of the time.
I've been using fetch api since I've learned about 5 years ago I think since I don't want to add external modules such as axios. There could be more native JavaScript API nowadays so Id really like to use that as well
Axios is good when you need to support old browsers, since it uses XHR under the hood. But from the other hand it slower than fetch API, I would recommend to use ky, it has same features like req, res interception and automatically rejection HTTP errors by status. Ky is using fetch as base so it faster.
Nice read. I wrote a similar article for those interested. Link here.
I use Axios for interceptors feature which afaik fetch doesn’t have.
Sure I could build my own, but then I’d have to build my own
Bro it's 2024, there absolutely no use case for axios! Abolish this thing already!!
yup, I once used this on called cross-fetch I still use in the same project twas an API wrapper that could run in client or server. Yay for fetch
I think fetch satisfies most needs, but axios is good to have.
nice read!
Beginner friendly explanation, very helpful
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