B
Bun
★ FeaturedAll-in-one JS runtime — 3x faster than Node.js, 6x faster package install, TypeScript built-in.
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About Bun
Bun is an all-in-one JavaScript runtime, package manager, bundler, and test runner in a single binary. Written in Zig, optimised for raw performance.
**HTTP throughput benchmark (requests per second, single core):**
| Runtime | Requests/second | vs Node.js Express |
|---------|----------------|-------------------|
| Bun 1.1 (Bun.serve) | 98,000 | +216% |
| Deno 1.41 (oak) | 55,000 | +77% |
| Node.js 22 (Fastify) | 62,000 | +100% |
| Node.js 22 (Express) | 31,000 | baseline |
**Package install benchmark (1,000 packages, MacBook Pro M2):**
| Package manager | Cold install | With lockfile |
|----------------|------------|--------------|
| bun install | 1.3s | 0.3s |
| pnpm install | 4.8s | 1.2s |
| npm install | 8.2s | 2.1s |
| yarn install | 7.6s | 1.8s |
In CI/CD pipelines running npm install 50 times per day, switching to bun install saves approximately 5.7 minutes per day per pipeline.
**TypeScript and JSX built-in:**
Bun transpiles TypeScript and JSX natively without ts-node, tsx, or babel. bun run script.ts just works. No tsconfig.json required for basic usage.
**Built-in SQLite:**
import { Database } from bun:sqlite — zero dependencies, native SQLite binding. For CLI tools and scripts that need a database, this eliminates sqlite3 and better-sqlite3 dependencies.
**Node.js compatibility:**
Bun implements Node.js APIs including fs, path, http, crypto. Compatibility is approximately 98% for the npm ecosystem.
Key Features
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Bun.serve: 98K req/sec HTTP server built into the runtime — no Express or Fastify required
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bun install: 1.3s cold install, reads package.json, compatible with npm/pnpm lockfiles
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TypeScript native: bun run file.ts works without configuration
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Built-in SQLite: import Database from bun:sqlite — zero dependencies
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bun test: Jest-compatible test runner, run existing Jest tests without modification
Pros
- ✓98,000 HTTP req/sec — 3.16x faster than Node.js/Express in benchmarks
- ✓1.3s package install — 6.3x faster than npm for 1,000 packages
- ✓TypeScript and JSX run natively without ts-node, babel, or transpile step
- ✓Built-in SQLite, test runner, and bundler — one binary replaces 4 tools
- ✓MIT license, 100% free, 68,000+ GitHub stars
Cons
- ✗~2% npm package incompatibility for packages using native C++ addons
- ✗Windows support is newer and less stable than macOS/Linux
- ✗Some Node.js internal APIs not yet implemented
Who is using Bun?
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JavaScript/TypeScript developers who want faster builds and tests in CI/CD
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Backend developers building HTTP APIs who want maximum throughput per server
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Teams using npm or yarn who want to cut install time without changing code
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Solo developers who want one tool instead of Node.js + npm + webpack + Jest
Use Cases
- →Replacing Node.js Express with Bun.serve to handle 3x more traffic on the same server
- →Cutting CI/CD time by replacing npm install with bun install (saves 5-7 minutes per pipeline)
- →Running TypeScript scripts directly with bun run without compilation
- →Using bun test as a drop-in Jest replacement for 3-8x faster test execution
Pricing
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Open Source : $0/forever — Full runtime, MIT license, All features, Community support
Pricing details may not be up to date. For the most accurate and current pricing, refer to the official website.
What Makes Bun Unique?
The only JavaScript runtime that is 3x faster than Node.js/Express, 6x faster than npm for installs, and replaces 4 tools (Node.js, npm, webpack, Jest) with a single binary while maintaining ~98% npm ecosystem compatibility.
How We Rated It
HTTP benchmarks reproduced on Apple M2 Pro using official Bun benchmarks repository. Package install times measured with hyperfine (20 runs). TypeScript performance from personal project benchmarks.
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Accuracy and Reliability 4.6/5
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Ease of Use 4.8/5
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Functionality and Features 4.8/5
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Performance and Speed 4.9/5
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Customer Support 4.4/5
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Value for Money 5.0/5
AI summary
All-in-one JS runtime — 3x faster than Node.js, 6x faster package install, TypeScript built-in.