EJS
JavaScript web frameworks
Web frameworks
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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What is EJS
EJS (Embedded JavaScript) is a JavaScript templating library used to generate HTML markup with plain JavaScript. It is commonly used in Node.js web applications to render server-side views, emails, and other text-based templates. EJS focuses on embedding JavaScript into templates with minimal abstraction and can be used with or without a specific web framework.
Simple server-side templating
EJS provides a straightforward way to render HTML using familiar JavaScript control flow and expressions. Teams can adopt it quickly when they need server-rendered pages or HTML emails without introducing a larger front-end framework. Its template syntax stays close to standard HTML, which helps when collaborating with designers or maintaining legacy server-rendered apps.
Works across Node stacks
EJS integrates cleanly with common Node.js HTTP servers and is frequently used alongside Express-style routing and middleware. It can render from files or strings, which supports use cases like dynamic email templates and CMS-like rendering. This flexibility makes it suitable for applications that mix server-side rendering with API endpoints.
Low runtime and tooling overhead
EJS typically requires minimal build tooling compared with component-heavy UI stacks. It runs on the server and outputs plain HTML, so it does not require client-side runtime libraries for basic rendering. For teams prioritizing operational simplicity, this can reduce dependencies and deployment complexity.
Not a full web framework
EJS is a templating engine rather than an end-to-end web framework. It does not provide routing, data access patterns, state management, or UI component systems by itself. Organizations often need to pair it with additional libraries and conventions to achieve a complete application architecture.
Limited UI component model
EJS templates do not provide a native component model with encapsulated state, lifecycle, and composition comparable to modern UI frameworks. Reuse is typically handled via includes/partials and shared helpers, which can become harder to manage as view complexity grows. This can lead to duplicated markup and inconsistent patterns across large codebases.
XSS risk if misused
Like other templating systems, EJS can introduce cross-site scripting risk if developers output untrusted data without proper escaping. While EJS supports escaped output, it also allows unescaped rendering that must be used carefully. Teams need clear secure-coding guidelines and review practices to avoid template-level vulnerabilities.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Open-source (Apache 2.0) | Free ($0) | EJS is an open-source templating library licensed under the Apache License 2.0. Install via npm (npm install ejs). No paid tiers or commercial plans listed on the official site; project releases and browser builds available from the project’s releases. |
