Side-by-side NPM package comparison
Version 1.13.6
Promise based HTTP client for the browser and node.js
Version 2.88.2
Simplified HTTP request client.
Choosing between Axios and Request? Here's a data-driven comparison based on real npm data — downloads, bundle size, health scores, and more — to help you decide which package fits your project best.
Axios leads with 96.1M weekly downloads — roughly 6.5x more. Request has 14.7M weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.
Axios has the smallest gzipped bundle at 1.9 KB. Request comes in at 61.3 KB. A smaller bundle size means faster page loads, which improves user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.
Axios has an overall health score of 85/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. Request has an overall health score of 73/100 (good), with strong security, popularity scores. Health scores are calculated from maintenance activity, code quality, security posture, popularity, and stability metrics.
Choose Axios if you value massive community and ecosystem, minimal bundle footprint, actively maintained, strong security track record. Choose Request if you value massive community and ecosystem, strong security track record.
Both Axios and Request are solid choices for JavaScript development. Axios has the edge in overall health score (85/100), while each package brings unique strengths to the table. Evaluate them based on your project's priorities — whether that's community size, bundle efficiency, or maintenance activity — and choose the one that aligns best with your requirements.