NestJS for Beginners - Everything You Need to Know to Get Started

NestJS is an open-source Node.js framework for building efficient, scalable, and production-ready server-side applications. Created by Kamil Myliwiec in 2017, NestJS has quickly gained popularity and is now one of the leading TypeScript frameworks for Node.js, with over 70.7k stars and 7.8k forks on GitHub, and more than 700,000 weekly downloads as of 2025.

NestJS supports modern JavaScript versions like ES6, ES7, and ES8, allowing developers to build applications using either plain JavaScript or TypeScript, its preferred language. In this article, we’ll explore the key features, advantages, and drawbacks of NestJS, helping you understand why it's worth learning and adopting for backend development.

🚀 Why Should You Learn NestJS?

Before diving into any new framework, it's totally normal to wonder:

❓ Will this solve my problem?

💼 Can I get a job using this?

🏢 Do real companies actually use it?

⏳ Will it stay relevant in the future?

Let’s break it down, here’s why NestJS is worth your time,

⚙️ Modular Structure: Inspired by Angular, NestJS organizes your code into reusable components, making your app scalable, maintainable, and clean.

⚙️ Built with TypeScript: Catch errors early with compile-time checks and enjoy safer, strongly typed APIs.

⚙️ Team-Friendly: Unlike Express.js, NestJS follows a consistent structure, making it perfect for teams and collaborative projects.

⚙️ Enterprise-Ready: It supports powerful tools and protocols like WebSockets, GraphQL, Kafka, RabbitMQ, TypeORM, Mongoose, logging, caching, and much more.

🏆 Trusted by Top Companies: Big names that rely on NestJS include:

• 👟 Adidas
• 🧪 Roche
• 💻 GitLab
• 🚘 Mercedes-Benz
• 🧠 JetBrains
• 🏢 Capgemini
• 🏀 Decathlon
• 🚗 BMW
• 🛠️ Autodesk
• 🛰️ TRYLON

📈 With all these benefits and strong industry adoption, NestJS is a smart investment for your backend development journey.

🌟 Key Features of NestJS

1. TypeScript Support

NestJS is built with TypeScript and supports plain JavaScript as well. It offers type safety by catching errors during compile-time, making applications more reliable.

2. Abstraction Over Express/Fastify

NestJS uses frameworks like Express.js or Fastify under the hood and allows direct access to their APIs when needed.

3. Loosely Coupled Components

Each component is independent, making the app easier to test, maintain, and scale. Changes in one component won't affect others.

4. Separation of Concerns

NestJS promotes clear structure:

• Controllers handle routes
• Services contain logic
• Modules manage metadata

This keeps your codebase clean and scalable.

5. Dependency Injection

Built-in DI makes it easy to inject services into other components via constructors, improving modularity and testability.

6. Modular Architecture

Inspired by Angular’s structure, NestJS follows a clean, consistent pattern unlike Express.js, which lacks a fixed structure.

7. Monolith & Microservices Ready

Whether you're building a simple monolithic app or a complex microservices system, NestJS supports both effectively.

8. Supports Multiple Use Cases

NestJS can be used to build REST APIs, GraphQL services, WebSocket apps, CLI tools, CRON jobs, and more.

9. DTOs (Data Transfer Objects)

Ensures consistent, validated data flow between application layers, supporting separation of concerns.

10. Powerful CLI

The CLI helps scaffold projects and generate components easily, boosting developer productivity.

11. Unit Testing with Jest

Includes a default testing setup using Jest, making test writing fast and straightforward.

12. Comprehensive Documentation

Official docs are detailed, beginner-friendly, and regularly updated with examples and best practices.

✅ Advantages of Using NestJS

• TypeScript support improves code quality and scalability.
• CLI boosts performance and supports plugins.
• Pre-built components like controllers, modules, and providers save time.
• Auto-generated code for unit testing.
• Compatible with Express.js features.
• Built-in support for GraphQL and WebSockets.

⚠️ Disadvantages of Using NestJS

• Steeper learning curve due to decorators and architecture.
• Slightly slower performance than Express.js due to TypeScript.
• Overhead for small projects.
• Smaller community than Express.js.
• More effort needed for non-TypeScript backend integration.

🛠️ Steps to Scaffold a NestJS Project

Step 1: Install the Nest CLI Globally

First, you need to install the NestJS CLI to your global environment using npm:

npm i -g @nestjs/cli        

Step 2: Create a New NestJS Project

Once the CLI is installed, you can create a new NestJS project. In this example, we'll call it myFirstNestProject:

nest new myFirstNestProject        

Step 3: Choose a Package Manager

Next, you'll be prompted to choose a package manager. For this example, let's choose npm (Node Package Manager).

Step 4: Wait for the Installation to Complete

Once the project creation process starts, it will install all the necessary dependencies. It will automatically generate the basic file structure needed for a NestJS application.

Step 5: Success Message

Once the installation is complete, you will receive a success message in your terminal indicating that the setup is finished successfully.

Step 6: Run the Project

Now, navigate into the project folder and run the application to compile the code. Use the following command to start the application:

cd my-first-nest-project
npm run start        

Once the command runs, you'll see the success message "Nest application successfully started" in your terminal.

Folder structure of NestJS