node-fetch vs wretch

node-fetch is downloaded 525.1× more often than wretch (596,360,386 vs 1,135,645 per month), so it has the larger community and more answered questions online. Both projects are actively maintained.

Metric	node-fetch	wretch
Weekly downloads	141,594,834✓	280,182
Monthly downloads	596,360,386✓	1,135,645
GitHub stars	8,857✓	5,172
Minified size	—	4.2 kB
Minified + gzipped	—	1.8 kB
Dependencies	—	0
Open issues	247	9✓
Last commit	2026-05-12	2026-05-23✓
Latest version	3.3.2	3.0.8
License	MIT	MIT

When to choose which

node-fetch

A fetch() polyfill for older Node.js.

Choose it when: Legacy Node before v18. On Node 18+ fetch is global, so you usually no longer need this.

+ Familiar fetch API
+ Lightweight
- Redundant on Node 18+
- Manual JSON parsing
- No interceptors

wretch

A fluent, immutable wrapper around fetch.

Choose it when: You want a small, composable fetch API with a fluent chain and middleware, in modern environments.

+ Tiny
+ Fluent immutable API
+ Middleware
- Requires fetch
- Smaller community

Feature comparison

Feature	node-fetch	wretch
Runtime	Node only	Browser + Node 18+
Built on	fetch polyfill	fetch
Interceptors / hooks	✗ No	✓ Yes
Automatic JSON	✗ No	✓ Yes
Built-in retries	✗ No	Addon

node-fetch

A light-weight module that brings Fetch API to node.js

Details GitHub npm

wretch

A tiny wrapper built around fetch with an intuitive syntax.

Details GitHub npm

Related comparisons

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Data from npm, Bundlephobia and GitHub. Last updated 2026-06-02.