Hertz vs Gin: which should I use for a Go microservice?

Choose Hertz if you need maximum performance with Netpoll and deep extensibility for custom protocols; Gin is better for simpler, rapid development with a more established middleware ecosystem. Hertz excels in large-scale, high-demand environments but has a steeper initial setup.

How to add HTTP/2 support to Hertz?

HTTP/2 is not natively included; you must integrate it via the hertz-contrib/http2 extension. This involves adding the dependency and configuring it through options, which adds an extra layer of setup compared to frameworks with built-in support.

Is Hertz production-ready for enterprise applications?

Yes, Hertz is widely used in production at ByteDance and has a mature codebase with extensive documentation and community extensions. However, ensure your team is comfortable with its layered architecture and extension model for long-term maintenance.

What are the performance differences between Hertz and fasthttp?

Hertz is a fork of fasthttp and often shows comparable or better performance due to Netpoll optimizations; refer to the hertz-benchmark project for detailed comparisons. In scenarios requiring network layer switching, Hertz offers more flexibility.

Does Hertz support WebSockets without extra setup?

No, WebSocket support requires the hertz-contrib/websocket extension. You'll need to install and configure it separately, which is a trade-off for the framework's modular design.

How to customize middleware in Hertz?

Hertz provides extensive interfaces for middleware customization; you can implement your own or use community extensions from hertz-contrib. The layered design allows plugging in middleware at various points in the request lifecycle.

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Hertz

Apache-2.0Gov0.10.5

A high-performance, high-extensibility Go HTTP framework for building microservices.

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What is Hertz?

Hertz is a high-performance, high-extensibility, and high-usability Go HTTP framework designed for building microservices. It was developed to meet the demanding internal requirements of ByteDance and is now widely used in production environments. The framework emphasizes a layered architecture that allows developers to tailor it to complex, large-scale microservice needs.

Target Audience

Go developers building high-performance microservices, particularly those in large-scale enterprise environments with demanding performance and customizability requirements. It is suitable for teams that need a framework that can be extensively extended to meet internal protocol, network, or middleware needs.

Value Proposition

Developers choose Hertz for its combination of superior performance, achieved through the self-developed Netpoll network library, and its exceptional extensibility via a layered design with extensive interfaces and plugin support. It offers the unique ability to switch network layers on-demand and customize protocol parsing, which is critical for large-scale, complex deployments.

Overview

Go HTTP framework with high-performance and strong-extensibility for building micro-services.

Use Cases

Best For

Building high-performance microservices where QPS and latency are critical metrics.
Enterprise-scale Go microservice architectures that require extensive customization of protocols, network layers, or middleware.
Scenarios requiring the flexibility to switch between the high-performance Netpoll network library and the standard Go net package based on specific needs.
Projects that need native support for HTTP/1.1 and ALPN, with the capability for custom protocol extensions.
Teams prioritizing developer experience and an intuitive API to write correct code quickly in a microservice context.
Integrating with a wide ecosystem of community extensions for authentication, observability, service discovery, and more, as provided by hertz-contrib.

Not Ideal For

Simple REST APIs where ease of setup and community familiarity are priorities over raw performance
Projects deeply integrated with standard Go net package libraries that might not fully leverage or require Netpoll
Teams needing out-of-the-box HTTP/2 or WebSocket support without additional extension dependencies
Small-scale applications where the overhead of a layered, extensible architecture is unnecessary

Pros & Cons

Pros

Benchmark-Proven Performance

Uses the self-developed Netpoll network library, which provides superior QPS and latency compared to standard Go net in many scenarios, as demonstrated in the hertz-benchmark project.

Layered Extensibility

Features a layered design with extensive interfaces and plugin support, allowing developers to customize protocol parsing, network layers, and middleware, as highlighted in the framework extension documentation.

Developer-Centric Usability

Focuses on an intuitive API and active user feedback to help write correct code quickly, emphasizing a smooth development experience for microservices.

Network Layer Flexibility

Supports on-demand switching between Netpoll and Go net, and allows custom network library extensions via plugins, providing adaptability for different deployment scenarios.

Cons

Extension-Driven Feature Set

Key functionalities like HTTP/2, WebSockets, and advanced observability are not built-in but require community extensions from hertz-contrib, adding setup complexity and potential maintenance risks.

Complex Architecture Overhead

The layered design for high extensibility introduces additional abstraction that can be overkill for straightforward projects, leading to a steeper learning curve and potential boilerplate code.

ByteDance-Centric Optimization

Being optimized for ByteDance's internal use, it may include assumptions or dependencies tailored to their ecosystem, which might not align with all external development practices or tooling.

Frequently Asked Questions

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