Difference between Fetch and Axios for making http requests

Fetch or Axios are frequently used by developers to perform smooth HTTP protocol communication between web applications and servers. While they are similar, some people think Axios is more straightforward. But there's also the built-in API Fetch, which is just as capable as Axios.

Fetch API

The Fetch API is a built-in JavaScript function that provides a simple interface for making HTTP requests. Introduced in modern browsers, it is a native alternative to older methods like XMLHttpRequest.

Syntax

fetch(url, options)
  .then(response => response.json())
  .then(data => console.log(data))
  .catch(error => console.error('Error:', error));

Fetch returns a promise, which makes it suitable for handling asynchronous operations. The API is flexible but can be verbose for complex scenarios like error handling and interceptors.

Axios

Axios is a popular third-party library for making HTTP requests in JavaScript. It is often favored for its simplicity and ease of use, particularly in larger applications where additional features like interceptors and request/response transformation are beneficial.

Syntax

axios.get(url)
  .then(response => console.log(response.data))
  .catch(error => console.error('Error:', error));

Axios also returns a promise and offers a more concise syntax with built-in support for features like automatic JSON parsing and timeout management.

Differences Between Fetch and Axios