Node.js10 min read

Async/Await vs Promises in Node.js

Compare async/await and Promises in Node.js and learn when to use each approach.

Emily Rodriguez

November 25, 2025

15.8k612

Asynchronous programming is at the heart of Node.js. Understanding the difference between Promises and async/await is crucial for writing clean, maintainable code.

Understanding Promises

Promises represent the eventual completion or failure of an asynchronous operation. They provide a cleaner alternative to callbacks and help avoid callback hell.

Async/Await Syntax

Async/await is syntactic sugar built on top of Promises. It makes asynchronous code look and behave more like synchronous code, making it easier to read and maintain.

Error Handling

Both approaches have different error handling mechanisms. Promises use .catch(), while async/await uses try/catch blocks.

#Node.js#Async#Promises#JavaScript

Common Questions & Answers

What is the main advantage of async/await over Promises?

Async/await makes asynchronous code more readable and easier to reason about by allowing you to write it in a synchronous style. It also makes error handling cleaner with try/catch blocks instead of chaining .catch() methods.

javascript

Run Explain

// Using Promises
function fetchUserData() {
  return fetch('/api/user')
    .then(response => response.json())
    .then(user => fetch(`/api/posts/${user.id}`))
    .then(response => response.json())
    .catch(error => console.error(error));
}

// Using async/await
async function fetchUserData() {
  try {
    const response = await fetch('/api/user');
    const user = await response.json();
    const postsResponse = await fetch(`/api/posts/${user.id}`);
    const posts = await postsResponse.json();
    return posts;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error(error);
  }
}

Can you use await without async?

No, the await keyword can only be used inside async functions. However, you can use top-level await in ES modules. If you try to use await in a non-async function, you will get a syntax error.

How do you handle multiple parallel async operations?

Use Promise.all() to run multiple async operations in parallel. With async/await, you can await Promise.all() to wait for all promises to resolve.