Use async/await for most modern code. It is more readable, easier to debug (better stack traces), and uses try/catch for errors. Use promises directly when you need Promise.all for parallel or complex chaining.
Callback vs Promise vs Async/Await in JavaScript
When should you use async/await over promises in JavaScript?
The answer
More FAQs in Callback vs Promise vs Async/Await in JavaScript
Callbacks are the original (deep nesting, manual errors). Promises flatten chaining with .then and .catch. Async/await makes async code look synchronous with try/catch. Async/await is built on promises; they can be mixed.
Yes. async/await is syntactic sugar over promises. An async function always returns a promise. await pauses until the promise resolves. You can mix await with Promise.all and other promise methods.
Callbacks: check the first argument (err) manually. Promises: use .catch(). Async/await: use try/catch around the await calls. Async/await has the cleanest error handling.
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