Node.js 22 vs. Bun.js vs. Deno 2: Comparison

Generated By AI

JavaScript has long been the dominant language for web development, and over the years, various runtime environments have emerged to optimize and expand its use beyond the browser. Node.js, Bun.js, and Deno.js are three popular JavaScript/TypeScript runtimes, each bringing unique features, performance improvements, and developer experiences. Here’s a detailed look at how they compare in 2024:

1. Performance

Node.js 22

Node.js 22 continues to use the V8 JavaScript engine from Google, optimized for server-side applications with an event-driven, non-blocking architecture. Node.js 22 brings several improvements, such as the introduction of Maglev (a just-in-time compiler) and enhanced support for WebSockets and streams, providing improved performance for heavy I/O tasks.

However, Node’s reliance on npm for package management and external tools for tasks like bundling can sometimes slow down larger applications. It excels in environments where scalability and asynchronous operations are critical.

Bun.js

Bun is the newcomer in the JavaScript runtime space, focusing on speed and efficiency. Built on WebKit’s JavaScriptCore engine (used in Safari), Bun boasts significantly faster performance compared to Node.js, especially in areas like startup times and server-side rendering. With built-in bundling, transpiling, and native support for JSX and TypeScript, Bun avoids the overhead associated with external tools that Node.js relies on, leading to substantial performance gains.

Deno 2

Deno, like Node.js, is powered by the V8 engine, but it has its own optimizations for better TypeScript support and cold start times. While not as fast as Bun for certain tasks like server-side rendering or bundling, Deno provides competitive performance in traditional server environments. Its ability to handle WebAssembly and TypeScript natively without a separate build step gives it an edge in certain use cases.

Conclusion:

• Bun outperforms both Node.js and Deno in terms of speed, especially for small projects or bundling-heavy applications.
• Node.js offers solid performance for larger, production-level systems but may require more tooling.
• Deno strikes a balance between modern features and solid performance but isn’t as fast as Bun.

2. TypeScript Support

Node.js 22

Node.js does not natively support TypeScript out of the box. Developers must rely on external tools like tsc (TypeScript Compiler) or Babel for transpiling TypeScript into JavaScript. This additional setup can add complexity to the project, but it also allows for flexibility in choosing the build pipeline.

Bun.js

Bun simplifies the developer experience by including native TypeScript support without needing any additional tools or configurations. This makes Bun appealing to developers who want to use TypeScript seamlessly without configuring external compilers.

Deno 2

Deno was designed with TypeScript in mind from the very beginning. Deno natively supports TypeScript, allowing developers to run .ts files directly without any configuration. This makes Deno an ideal choice for TypeScript-heavy projects.

Conclusion:

• Deno offers the best native TypeScript experience.
• Bun is a close second with built-in TypeScript support, making it easy to use without additional tools.
• Node.js requires external tools for TypeScript support, adding complexity to the development setup.

3. Security

Node.js 22

Node.js does not enforce any specific security model by default. It provides full access to the file system, environment variables, and network without restrictions. Developers need to rely on external libraries like helmet for HTTP security headers or dotenv for environment variable management.

Bun.js

Like Node.js, Bun does not include a strict security model by default. It also allows full access to the file system, network, and environment variables, making it the developer’s responsibility to handle security through external mechanisms.

Deno 2

Deno’s standout feature is its security-first approach. By default, Deno runs with no access to the file system, network, or environment variables unless explicitly granted through command-line flags (e.g., --allow-net, --allow-read). This sandboxed approach makes Deno a more secure option out of the box, particularly in environments where security is a priority.

Conclusion:

• Deno is the clear leader in security, offering a permission-based model by default.
• Node.js and Bun offer more flexibility but place the burden of security management on the developer.

4. Ecosystem & Compatibility

Node.js 22

Node.js has the most extensive and mature ecosystem, powered by npm, the largest package registry for JavaScript. Virtually every major library and framework is built with Node.js compatibility in mind, making it the go-to runtime for most projects.

Bun.js

Bun is compatible with npm packages, making it a strong competitor to Node.js in terms of package support. However, Bun’s ecosystem is still growing, and certain Node.js modules may not work seamlessly due to differences in the underlying API implementations.

Deno 2

Deno’s ecosystem is relatively new, with its own module repository hosted on deno.land. However, Deno 2 introduced npm compatibility, allowing developers to use many npm packages directly, though not all are fully supported yet. Deno’s API structure is also more modern, favoring ES modules over CommonJS, which can affect compatibility with older libraries.

Conclusion:

• Node.js has the most robust ecosystem and compatibility with the widest range of libraries.
• Bun provides npm support but may encounter compatibility issues with certain packages.
• Deno supports both its own module ecosystem and npm packages, but npm compatibility is still evolving.

5. Bundling and Transpiling

Node.js 22

Node.js itself does not include any bundling or transpiling features. Developers rely on tools like Webpack, Parcel, or ESBuild for these tasks. This modularity allows developers to choose their toolchain but can add complexity to the project setup.

Bun.js

One of Bun’s most significant strengths is its built-in bundling and transpiling. Bun supports JSX, TypeScript, and ES Modules natively, eliminating the need for tools like Webpack or Babel. This reduces the overall complexity and increases performance, especially for smaller projects that don’t need a large build pipeline.

Deno 2

Deno also provides native bundling and transpiling through its runtime. Like Bun, Deno supports TypeScript and ES Modules out of the box, streamlining development. While not as fast as Bun in bundling, Deno’s built-in features offer an easier development experience than Node.js.

Conclusion:

• Bun leads in bundling and transpiling with its faster, built-in capabilities.
• Deno offers similar built-in support but with slightly slower bundling performance.
• Node.js requires external tools for these features, adding complexity to the development process.

Conclusion

In summary, Node.js 22, Bun.js, and Deno 2 each offer distinct advantages depending on your project’s needs:

• Node.js 22 remains the most established and feature-rich platform with the largest ecosystem, making it ideal for large-scale production applications.
• Bun.js is the fastest and simplest to set up for modern web development, excelling in performance, especially for bundling and transpiling tasks.
• Deno 2 is the most secure and TypeScript-friendly runtime, with native web standards and built-in security features that make it ideal for developers who prioritize these aspects.

Choosing between these runtimes depends on the project requirements: for speed and simplicity, Bun is the best option; for security and TypeScript support, Deno shines; and for a mature ecosystem and flexibility, Node.js continues to be the standard choice.

The most popular frameworks for Node.js, Bun.js, and Deno.js:

Node.js

Node.js has the largest and most mature ecosystem, with numerous well-established frameworks:

1. Express.js: The most popular minimalist web framework for Node.js, used for building APIs and web applications. It is lightweight and flexible.
2. NestJS: A framework built on top of Node.js and Express (or Fastify) with a focus on scalability and maintainability using TypeScript. It’s known for its modular architecture and suitability for large, enterprise-grade applications.
3. Koa.js: Developed by the creators of Express.js, Koa is designed to be a more expressive and modern framework, allowing for better middleware handling.
4. Next.js: A full-stack React framework that uses Node.js for server-side rendering (SSR), making it ideal for modern web applications.
5. Sails.js: An MVC framework inspired by Ruby on Rails but for Node.js, aimed at building data-driven APIs quickly.

Bun.js

Bun.js is still newer, but some frameworks are gaining popularity in its ecosystem:

1. Hono: A minimal web framework compatible with Bun.js, designed for building small, fast applications and APIs.
2. Express Compatibility: Bun supports Express.js, so developers can use Bun as a runtime for Express applications while leveraging its speed benefits.
3. Bun Framework: The native Bun API itself provides routing and server-side capabilities, simplifying the development of basic HTTP servers and APIs without needing a separate framework.
4. Qwik: Although more of a frontend framework, Qwik’s high performance makes it popular among Bun.js developers for SSR (server-side rendering).

Deno 2

Deno has frameworks tailored to its secure and modern web standards, as well as support for ES modules:

1. Fresh: A web framework specifically built for Deno, focusing on speed, minimalism, and TypeScript support. It uses islands architecture for fast rendering.
2. Oak: A middleware framework inspired by Koa.js but built for Deno. It is one of the most popular web frameworks in Deno’s ecosystem, designed for creating robust APIs.
3. Aleph.js: A framework designed for full-stack applications with Deno, offering server-side rendering and modern features like TypeScript and ES module support.
4. Pogo: A simple framework for building web servers in Deno with an emphasis on developer experience and TypeScript out-of-the-box.

Conclusion:

• Node.js dominates in terms of ecosystem maturity and diversity, with Express.js and NestJS leading the way.
• Bun.js is new but gaining traction with frameworks like Hono and Express compatibility.
• Deno has its own growing ecosystem with frameworks like Fresh and Oak focusing on secure and modern web development.