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Watt - The Node.js Application Server

Watt is Platformatic's flagship Node.js Application Server that transforms how you build, deploy, and scale Node.js applications. Instead of managing multiple services, databases, and frameworks separately, Watt provides a unified platform where everything runs together seamlessly.

What is Watt?​

Watt is a complete Node.js application server that handles the complex infrastructure so you can focus on building features. Think of it as the runtime that powers your entire backend - from APIs and databases to frontend frameworks and microservices.

Key Benefits:

  • 🚀 Unified Development - Run databases, APIs, and frontend frameworks in a single application server
  • ⚡ Built-in Observability - Automatic logging, metrics, and distributed tracing
  • 🔧 Zero Configuration - Sensible defaults that work out of the box
  • 📊 Auto-Generated APIs - REST and GraphQL endpoints from your database schema
  • 🎨 Framework Agnostic - Works with Next.js, React, Vue, Express, Fastify, and more

Why Choose Watt?​

Modern Node.js development is fragmented. You need separate tools for databases, APIs, frontend frameworks, monitoring, and deployment. Watt unifies all of this into a single, coherent application server.

Before Watt:

  • Multiple servers to manage (database, API, frontend)
  • Complex deployment pipelines
  • Fragmented monitoring and logging
  • Inconsistent development environments

With Watt:

  • Single application server runs everything
  • One-command deployment
  • Unified observability across all components
  • Consistent development and production environments

What You Can Build with Watt​

Watt provides a comprehensive set of capabilities:

  • Database APIs - Auto-generated REST and GraphQL endpoints from SQL databases (Platformatic DB)
  • HTTP Services - Custom application logic and APIs built on Fastify
  • API Gateways - Aggregate multiple services into unified endpoints
  • Framework Integration - Next.js, Astro, Remix, Vite applications
  • Microservice Orchestration - Multi-service applications as single deployments
  • Built-in Authorization - Role-based access control and JWT authentication
  • Real-time Features - WebSocket and GraphQL subscriptions
  • Production Monitoring - Prometheus metrics, OpenTelemetry tracing, structured logging

How Watt Works​

Watt acts as the foundation that runs and orchestrates different types of services within a single Node.js application. Each service type serves a specific purpose while benefiting from shared infrastructure like logging, metrics, and configuration.

🔍 Observability by Default​

Every Watt application includes production-ready monitoring:

  • Structured logging with configurable levels
  • Prometheus metrics for monitoring
  • OpenTelemetry tracing for distributed systems
  • Health checks for Kubernetes deployments

Get Started with Watt​

Ready to build your first Watt application? Choose your path:

🚀 Quick Start (2 minutes)​

Get a running Watt application with database APIs in under 2 minutes.

📚 Step-by-Step Tutorial​

Build a complete application with guided instructions.

🔧 Migration Guide​

Migrate your existing Node.js application to Watt.

What You Can Build​

Watt is perfect for:

  • Full-stack applications with unified backend/frontend deployment
  • Microservices that need to run as a single unit
  • Database-first APIs with auto-generated endpoints
  • Multi-tenant SaaS applications with built-in authorization
  • Real-time applications with WebSocket and GraphQL subscriptions

Next Steps​

Community & Support​