This document provides an in-depth comparison of four major Rust web frameworks: Actix Web, Axum, Rocket, and Poem. Each framework is analyzed across multiple dimensions including performance, features, community support, and authentication capabilities.

Actix Web

Actix Web is a fast web framework for Rust. Built on top of the Actix actor framework, it provides excellent performances and has been battle-tested in production environments. It’s known for having one of the most comprehensive ecosystems in the Rust web development space.

Hello World Example

use actix_web::{web, App, HttpServer, Result};
use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};

#[derive(Serialize)]
struct HelloResponse {
    message: String,
}

#[derive(Deserialize)]
struct HelloQuery {
    name: Option<String>,
}

async fn hello(query: web::Query<HelloQuery>) -> Result<web::Json<HelloResponse>> {
    let name = query.name.as_deref().unwrap_or("World");
    Ok(web::Json(HelloResponse {
        message: format!("Hello, {}!", name),
    }))
}

#[actix_web::main]
async fn main() -> std::io::Result<()> {
    println!("Starting server at http://localhost:8080");

    HttpServer::new(|| {
        App::new()
            .route("/hello", web::get().to(hello))
    })
    .bind("127.0.0.1:8080")?
    .run()
    .await
}

// Usage:
// GET /hello -> {"message": "Hello, World!"}
// GET /hello?name=Alice -> {"message": "Hello, Alice!"}

Community & Development

• GitHub Stars: ~20,000+
• Contributors: 350+ contributors
• Maintainers: Active core team with regular contributors
• Release Cycle: Regular releases every 2-3 months
• Breaking Changes: Stable since v4.0 (2022)
• Documentation: Comprehensive with extensive examples
• Discord/Forums: Very active community (5000+ Discord members)
• Corporate Backing: Used by Microsoft, Cloudflare, and others

Feature Support Table

Feature	Support Level	Recommended Libraries	Notes
OAuth2	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent	actix-web-oauth2, oauth2-rs	Multiple mature solutions
JWT	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent	actix-web-httpauth, jsonwebtoken	Built-in middleware support
Rate Limiting	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent	actix-governor, actix-ratelimit	Multiple strategies available
RBAC	⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Good	actix-casbin, custom extractors	Flexible implementation options
CORS	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Native	actix-cors	Official middleware
Sessions	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent	actix-session	Redis, Cookie backends
WebSockets	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Native	Built-in	First-class support
SSE	⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Good	actix-web-lab	Server-sent events
GraphQL	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent	async-graphql, juniper	Multiple integrations
OpenAPI	⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Good	paperclip, utoipa	Auto-generation available
Metrics	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent	actix-web-prom	Prometheus integration
Tracing	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent	tracing-actix-web	OpenTelemetry support

Additional Examples

JWT Authentication Middleware

use actix_web::{web, App, HttpServer, HttpResponse};
use actix_web_httpauth::middleware::HttpAuthentication;
use actix_web_httpauth::extractors::bearer::BearerAuth;

async fn validator(req: ServiceRequest, credentials: BearerAuth) -> Result<ServiceRequest, Error> {
    // Validate JWT token
    let token = credentials.token();
    // ... validation logic ...
    Ok(req)
}

async fn protected_route() -> HttpResponse {
    HttpResponse::Ok().json(json!({ "data": "secret" }))
}

let app = App::new()
    .service(
        web::scope("/api")
            .wrap(HttpAuthentication::bearer(validator))
            .route("/protected", web::get().to(protected_route))
    );

Rate Limiting with Governor

use actix_governor::{Governor, GovernorConfigBuilder};

let governor_conf = GovernorConfigBuilder::default()
    .per_second(2)
    .burst_size(5)
    .finish()
    .unwrap();

let app = App::new()
    .wrap(Governor::new(&governor_conf))
    .route("/limited", web::get().to(handler));

---

Axum

Overview

Axum is a web framework built by the Tokio team, designed to work seamlessly with the Tower ecosystem. It focuses on ergonomics, modularity, and type safety while maintaining excellent performance. Its macro-free approach and strong integration with async Rust patterns make it a favorite among developers who prefer explicit, composable code.

Hello World Example

use axum::{
    extract::Query,
    response::Json,
    routing::get,
    Router,
};
use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};

#[derive(Serialize)]
struct HelloResponse {
    message: String,
}

#[derive(Deserialize)]
struct HelloParams {
    name: Option<String>,
}

async fn hello(Query(params): Query<HelloParams>) -> Json<HelloResponse> {
    let name = params.name.as_deref().unwrap_or("World");
    Json(HelloResponse {
        message: format!("Hello, {}!", name),
    })
}

#[tokio::main]
async fn main() {
    let app = Router::new()
        .route("/hello", get(hello));

    println!("Starting server at http://localhost:8080");

    let listener = tokio::net::TcpListener::bind("127.0.0.1:8080")
        .await
        .unwrap();

    axum::serve(listener, app).await.unwrap();
}

// Usage:
// GET /hello -> {"message": "Hello, World!"}
// GET /hello?name=Bob -> {"message": "Hello, Bob!"}

Main Characteristics

• Architecture: Built on Tower service abstraction
• Performance: On par with Actix Web
• Async Runtime: Tokio-native (by the same team)
• Middleware: Tower middleware ecosystem
• Type System: Leverages Rust’s type system extensively
• Macro-free: No proc macros for routing
• Composability: Highly composable with Tower services
• Error Handling: Explicit error handling with Result types

Community & Development

• GitHub Stars: ~17,000+
• Contributors: 200+ contributors
• Maintainers: Tokio team (very active)
• Release Cycle: Monthly releases
• Stability: Stable API since 0.6
• Documentation: Excellent with many examples
• Discord: Part of Tokio Discord (10,000+ members)
• Corporate Backing: Maintained by Tokio project contributors

Feature Support Table

Feature	Support Level	Recommended Libraries	Notes
OAuth2	⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Good	oauth2-rs, axum-login	Good integrations available
JWT	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent	jsonwebtoken, axum-auth	Clean middleware patterns
Rate Limiting	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent	tower-governor, rate-limiter	Tower middleware
RBAC	⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Good	axum-casbin, custom extractors	Flexible patterns
CORS	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Native	tower-http::cors	Tower middleware
Sessions	⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Good	axum-sessions, tower-sessions	Multiple backends
WebSockets	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Native	Built-in	Excellent support
SSE	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Native	Built-in	First-class support
GraphQL	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent	async-graphql	Perfect integration
OpenAPI	⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Good	utoipa, aide	Good solutions
Metrics	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent	metrics, tower-http	Prometheus ready
Tracing	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Native	tracing, tower-http	Built-in support
gRPC	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent	tonic	Same ecosystem

Additional Examples

JWT Authentication Layer

use axum::{
    middleware::{self, Next},
    response::Response,
    extract::Request,
};
use jsonwebtoken::{decode, DecodingKey, Validation};

async fn auth_middleware(
    mut req: Request,
    next: Next,
) -> Result<Response, StatusCode> {
    let token = req.headers()
        .get("Authorization")
        .and_then(|v| v.to_str().ok())
        .and_then(|v| v.strip_prefix("Bearer "));

    match token {
        Some(token) => {
            // Validate JWT
            let decoded = decode::<Claims>(
                token,
                &DecodingKey::from_secret(b"secret"),
                &Validation::default()
            ).map_err(|_| StatusCode::UNAUTHORIZED)?;

            req.extensions_mut().insert(decoded.claims);
            Ok(next.run(req).await)
        }
        None => Err(StatusCode::UNAUTHORIZED)
    }
}

let app = Router::new()
    .route("/protected", get(protected_handler))
    .layer(middleware::from_fn(auth_middleware));

Rate Limiting with Tower Governor

use tower_governor::{governor::GovernorConfigBuilder, GovernorLayer};

let governor_conf = GovernorConfigBuilder::default()
    .per_second(2)
    .burst_size(10)
    .finish()
    .unwrap();

let app = Router::new()
    .route("/api/limited", get(handler))
    .layer(GovernorLayer {
        config: governor_conf,
    });

---

Rocket

Overview

Rocket is a web framework that prioritizes developer experience, ease of use, and rapid development. It uses Rust’s type system and custom procedural macros to eliminate boilerplate while maintaining type safety. Rocket is known for its declarative approach and “batteries included” philosophy.

Hello World Example

#[macro_use] extern crate rocket;
use rocket::serde::{Serialize, json::Json};

#[derive(Serialize)]
#[serde(crate = "rocket::serde")]
struct HelloResponse {
    message: String,
}

#[get("/hello?<name>")]
fn hello(name: Option<String>) -> Json<HelloResponse> {
    let name = name.as_deref().unwrap_or("World");
    Json(HelloResponse {
        message: format!("Hello, {}!", name),
    })
}

#[launch]
fn rocket() -> _ {
    println!("Starting server at http://localhost:8080");
    rocket::build()
        .mount("/", routes![hello])
}

// Usage:
// GET /hello -> {"message": "Hello, World!"}
// GET /hello?name=Charlie -> {"message": "Hello, Charlie!"}

Main Characteristics

• Architecture: Macro-based declarative routing
• Performance: Good (slightly behind Actix/Axum)
• Async Runtime: Tokio-based since v0.5
• Type Safety: Request guards for automatic validation
• Configuration: Built-in configuration management (Rocket.toml)
• Testing: Excellent testing utilities
• Form Handling: Superior form and multipart support
• Templates: Built-in templating support

Community & Development

• GitHub Stars: ~23,000+
• Contributors: 300+ contributors
• Maintainers: Led by Sergio Benitez
• Release Cycle: Major releases yearly, patches monthly
• Stability: v0.5 stable, v1.0 in development
• Documentation: Exceptional guide and examples
• Community: Active Matrix/Discord channels
• History: One of the oldest Rust web frameworks

Feature Support Table

Feature	Support Level	Recommended Libraries	Notes
OAuth2	⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Good	rocket_oauth2	Official integration
JWT	⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Good	rocket_jwt, custom guards	Clean guard pattern
Rate Limiting	⭐⭐⭐ Good	Custom fairings	No official solution
RBAC	⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Good	Request guards	Elegant pattern
CORS	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Native	rocket_cors	Official fairing
Sessions	⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Good	rocket_session	Cookie/backend support
WebSockets	⭐⭐⭐ Good	rocket_ws	Recent addition
SSE	⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Good	Stream responses	Built-in support
GraphQL	⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Good	juniper_rocket, async-graphql	Good integrations
OpenAPI	⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Good	rocket_okapi, utoipa	Auto-generation
Metrics	⭐⭐⭐ Good	rocket_prometheus	Community solutions
Tracing	⭐⭐⭐ Good	Manual integration	Requires setup
Templates	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Native	Handlebars, Tera	Built-in support
Forms	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent	Native	Best-in-class

Additional Examples

JWT Authentication Guard

use rocket::request::{self, Request, FromRequest};
use rocket::outcome::Outcome;

pub struct User {
    pub id: String,
    pub role: String,
}

#[rocket::async_trait]
impl<'r> FromRequest<'r> for User {
    type Error = &'static str;

    async fn from_request(req: &'r Request<'_>) -> request::Outcome<Self, Self::Error> {
        let token = req.headers()
            .get_one("Authorization")
            .and_then(|v| v.strip_prefix("Bearer "));

        match token {
            Some(token) => {
                // Validate JWT and extract user
                match validate_jwt(token) {
                    Ok(user) => Outcome::Success(user),
                    Err(_) => Outcome::Error((Status::Unauthorized, "Invalid token"))
                }
            }
            None => Outcome::Error((Status::Unauthorized, "Missing token"))
        }
    }
}

#[get("/protected")]
fn protected_route(user: User) -> Json<Value> {
    Json(json!({ "user_id": user.id }))
}

Custom Rate Limiting Fairing

use rocket::fairing::{Fairing, Info, Kind};
use std::sync::Arc;
use dashmap::DashMap;

pub struct RateLimiter {
    limits: Arc<DashMap<String, (u32, Instant)>>,
}

#[rocket::async_trait]
impl Fairing for RateLimiter {
    fn info(&self) -> Info {
        Info {
            name: "Rate Limiter",
            kind: Kind::Request | Kind::Response
        }
    }

    async fn on_request(&self, req: &mut Request<'_>, _: &mut Data<'_>) {
        let ip = req.client_ip()
            .map(|ip| ip.to_string())
            .unwrap_or_else(|| "unknown".to_string());

        // Check and update rate limit
        // ... rate limiting logic ...
    }
}

---

Poem

Overview

Poem is a full-featured, modern web framework that emphasizes simplicity and powerful features. It provides automatic OpenAPI documentation generation, making it ideal for API-first development. Despite being newer than other frameworks, it offers a comprehensive feature set with excellent ergonomics.

Hello World Example

use poem::{
    get, handler,
    listener::TcpListener,
    web::{Query, Json},
    Route, Server,
};
use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};

#[derive(Serialize)]
struct HelloResponse {
    message: String,
}

#[derive(Deserialize)]
struct HelloParams {
    name: Option<String>,
}

#[handler]
async fn hello(Query(params): Query<HelloParams>) -> Json<HelloResponse> {
    let name = params.name.as_deref().unwrap_or("World");
    Json(HelloResponse {
        message: format!("Hello, {}!", name),
    })
}

#[tokio::main]
async fn main() -> Result<(), std::io::Error> {
    println!("Starting server at http://localhost:8080");

    let app = Route::new()
        .at("/hello", get(hello));

    Server::new(TcpListener::bind("127.0.0.1:8080"))
        .run(app)
        .await
}

// Usage:
// GET /hello -> {"message": "Hello, World!"}
// GET /hello?name=Diana -> {"message": "Hello, Diana!"}

Main Characteristics

• Architecture: Middleware-based with Tower compatibility
• Performance: Very good, comparable to major frameworks
• OpenAPI: First-class OpenAPI support
• GraphQL: Built-in GraphQL support
• Async Runtime: Tokio-based
• I18n: Internationalization support built-in
• WebSocket: Native WebSocket support
• Testing: Good testing utilities

Community & Development

• GitHub Stars: ~3,000+
• Contributors: 100+ contributors
• Maintainers: Active development by poem-web team
• Release Cycle: Regular monthly releases
• Stability: API stabilizing, frequent updates
• Documentation: Good with improving examples
• Community: Growing Discord community
• Language: Strong Chinese developer community

Feature Support Table

Feature	Support Level	Recommended Libraries	Notes
OAuth2	⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Good	poem-oauth2	Native support
JWT	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent	poem-jwt-auth	Built-in middleware
Rate Limiting	⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Good	Built-in middleware	Native support
RBAC	⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Good	poem-casbin	Good integration
CORS	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Native	Built-in	Middleware included
Sessions	⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Good	Built-in	Multiple backends
WebSockets	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Native	Built-in	First-class support
SSE	⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Good	Built-in	Native support
GraphQL	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Native	Built-in	Integrated support
OpenAPI	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Native	Built-in	Automatic generation
Metrics	⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Good	poem-prometheus	Prometheus support
Tracing	⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Good	Built-in	OpenTelemetry
I18n	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Native	Built-in	Unique feature
Static Files	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Native	Built-in	Embedded support

Advantages

• OpenAPI generation: Automatic API documentation
• Feature-rich: Most features built-in
• Modern design: Benefits from lessons of older frameworks
• GraphQL integration: Native GraphQL support
• I18n support: Built-in internationalization
• Clean API: Intuitive and ergonomic
• Active development: Rapid feature additions

Disadvantages

• Smaller community: Less third-party extensions
• Documentation: Less comprehensive than established frameworks
• Maturity: Still evolving, potential breaking changes
• Examples: Fewer real-world examples available
• Enterprise adoption: Limited production use cases

Additional Examples

OpenAPI with Automatic Documentation

use poem_openapi::{OpenApi, Object, ApiResponse, payload::Json};

#[derive(Object)]
struct User {
    #[oai(example = "123")]
    id: String,
    #[oai(example = "John Doe")]
    name: String,
}

#[derive(ApiResponse)]
enum CreateUserResponse {
    #[oai(status = 200)]
    Ok(Json<User>),
    #[oai(status = 400)]
    BadRequest,
}

struct Api;

#[OpenApi]
impl Api {
    #[oai(path = "/users", method = "post")]
    async fn create_user(&self, user: Json<User>) -> CreateUserResponse {
        CreateUserResponse::Ok(user)
    }
}

// Automatically generates OpenAPI spec at /api-doc/openapi.json

JWT Authentication Middleware

use poem::{
    Endpoint, Middleware, Request, Result,
    middleware::BoxEndpoint,
};
use poem_jwt_auth::{JwtAuth, Claims};

let jwt_middleware = JwtAuth::<Claims>::new("secret".to_string());

let app = Route::new()
    .at("/protected", get(protected_handler))
    .with(jwt_middleware);

Rate Limiting

use poem::middleware::RateLimiting;
use std::time::Duration;

let rate_limiter = RateLimiting::new(
    100, // max requests
    Duration::from_secs(60), // per minute
);

let app = Route::new()
    .at("/api", get(handler))
    .with(rate_limiter);

---

Authentication Implementation Complexity

Task	Actix	Axum	Rocket	Poem
Basic JWT	Medium	Medium	Easy	Easy
OAuth2 Flow	Medium	Medium	Easy	Easy
RBAC System	Medium	Medium	Easy	Medium
Session Management	Easy	Medium	Easy	Easy
API Key Auth	Easy	Easy	Very Easy	Easy

Learning Curve Comparison

1. Easiest: Rocket - Intuitive macros, excellent docs
2. Easy: Poem - Modern, clean API
3. Medium: Axum - Requires Tower understanding
4. Hardest: Actix - Actor model complexity

Production Readiness Score

Framework	Score	Notes
Actix Web	10/10	Battle-tested, used by major companies
Axum	9/10	Stable, growing adoption
Rocket	8/10	Stable but still pre-1.0
Poem	7/10	Newer, less production usage