What does Express do that the http module does not?
Express handles routing (app.get, app.post), middleware, body parsing (json, urlencoded), error handling, and route parameters. With the raw http module, you write all of this manually.
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More FAQs in Node.js Built-in http Server vs Express Server: Which to Use?
Use the raw http module for learning to understand fundamentals, or for very lightweight needs. Use Express for real apps and APIs, since it handles routing, middleware, and body parsing that every backend needs.
The raw http module has slightly less overhead, but the difference is negligible for real apps. Express's overhead is minimal, and the productivity gain far outweighs the tiny performance cost for almost all use cases.
Yes, for a short time. Build a basic server with the http module to understand how requests, responses, and routing work, then switch to Express. This makes Express more meaningful and helps you debug at a deeper level.
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