Bun

All-in-one JavaScript runtime, bundler and package manager.

Best for: JavaScript developers who want dramatically faster builds, package installs and test runs without changing their Node.js code.

Free plan

4.7/5Editorial score 93/100bun.sh

Entry plan

Free

Get started free

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Editorial score93/100

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The editorial note

What to know about Bun

Bun is an all-in-one JavaScript runtime, bundler, test runner, and package manager built from scratch for speed. Written in Zig with a JavaScriptCore engine (instead of V8), Bun starts 4x faster than Node.js and installs npm packages 25x faster than npm. It is a drop-in replacement for Node.js that also bundles, transpiles TypeScript, and runs tests — all without additional tools.

Is it right for you?

Who Bun suits

Choose it if

JavaScript developers who want dramatically faster builds, package installs and test runs without changing their Node.js code.

Look elsewhere if

Production workloads where 100% Node.js API compatibility is required — some native modules and edge cases still differ from Node.js behavior

What you get

Key features

JavaScript and TypeScript runtime (JavaScriptCore engine)
Built-in bundler with tree-shaking
Fast package manager — drop-in npm/yarn/pnpm replacement
Built-in test runner
Node.js API compatibility layer
Bun.sh cross-platform shell scripting
Hot module reload for development
Single-file executables

Works with

Integrations8

npm registry (compatible)Next.jsRemixHonoElysia frameworkPrisma Drizzle ORM Docker

What it costs

Pricing

Bun pricing plans
Plan	Price	What it includes
Free	FreeBilled monthly	Open-source JavaScript runtime — free forever, MIT license

Prices are recorded from the vendor's public pricing page and can change. Check before you buy.

The trade-off

Pros and cons

Pros

Dramatically faster than Node.js for startup, install, and test execution
All-in-one: runtime, bundler, test runner, and package manager in one binary
Built-in TypeScript and JSX support — no transpile step needed
Drop-in Node.js compatibility for most use cases
Bun.sh shell built in for cross-platform scripting

Cons

Not 100% Node.js compatible — some packages and APIs still have gaps
Smaller ecosystem of Bun-specific tutorials and community resources
Less mature than Node.js for production edge cases
Windows support arrived later and still has some rough edges

Quick read

At a glance

Category: Development & Coding
Pricing model: Free
Entry plan: Free
Free plan: Available
Free trial: Not listed
Website: bun.sh

The verdict

Our take on Bun

The fastest JavaScript toolchain â€” 30x faster package installs and 3x faster runtime make it compelling for improving developer experience.

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