Benchmarking API Performance: Go Fiber vs. Java Spring Boot vs. Express.js

Performance benchmarking is only useful when the methodology is consistent. The goal is not to crown a winner, but to understand trade-offs for your workload.

Test setup

We standardized payload sizes, database access patterns, and infrastructure configuration to keep the comparison fair. Each stack was warmed up and tested under increasing concurrency.

Results summary

Go Fiber delivered the lowest latency under high concurrency, Spring Boot maintained stable throughput with predictable resource usage, and Express.js remained easiest to iterate on for small teams.

Illustrative breakdown: `Fiber fastest -> Spring steady -> Express fastest to build`

Profiling insights

Go benefits from lightweight goroutines, while Spring Boot relies on mature JVM optimizations. Express.js shows more overhead in tight loops but shines when developer velocity matters most.

Decision framework

Choose the stack that matches your constraints: latency targets, team familiarity, and operational complexity. Benchmarks guide the decision, but architecture and maintenance matter even more.