Javalin
Shares rank 50 of 63 web frameworks by recommenders
Lightweight Java web framework that feels like Express.js, praised as fast and straightforward for quick server projects.
Lightweight Java web framework that feels like Express.js, praised as fast and straightforward for quick server projects.
6 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 6
- criticize it
- 0
- approval share
- 100%
Recommended in 5 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 6 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- Nobody criticizes itNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 5 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Express-like API for Java servers
“for oneshot java projects where you write your webserver like you'd write express.js”
Comment from 17 Mar 2026 in “Java 26 is here, and with it a solid foundation for the future” “It's possible to have something like Express, take a look at Javalin.”
Comment from 7 Jan 2026 in “Stop Designing Languages. Write Libraries Instead (2016)” Fast, snappy, straightforward modern Java
“straight-forward modern Java, super fast.”
Comment from 18 Mar 2026 in “Java 26 is here, and with it a solid foundation for the future” “it's very snappy and works great”
Comment from 13 Jul 2026 in “Why Vanilla JavaScript” Go-to choice for personal projects
“I usually reach for Java with javalin”
Comment from 8 Oct 2026 in “How Fast is Python 3.15?” “frameworks (currently Javalin+Vue.js)”
Comment from 28 Nov 2025 in “Ask HN: What open source projects are you grateful for?”
Other web frameworks people recommend
The four most recommended other web frameworks, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruby on Rails | 337 | 145 | 70% | 12 | 14 yrs38 owners | Approved |
| Django | 277 | 97 | 74% | 12 | 15 yrs38 owners | Approved |
| Next.js | 127 | 256 | 33% | 12 | 3 yrs6 owners | — |
| Phoenix Framework | 85 | 11 | 89% | 12 | 8 yrs7 owners | Approved |
| JavalinThis page | 6 | 0 | 100% | 5 | — | — |
What people said
6 of the 7 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“I usually reach for Java with javalin”
“it's very snappy and works great”
“straight-forward modern Java, super fast.”
“for oneshot java projects where you write your webserver like you'd write express.js”
“It's possible to have something like Express, take a look at Javalin.”
“frameworks (currently Javalin+Vue.js)”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.