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Comparison guide

Bcrypt vs Bcryptjs

bcrypt is 3-4x faster but requires native bindings. bcryptjs is pure JS with zero native deps — runs on edge, serverless, and Docker. Bundle size and perf compared.

Hero image for Bcrypt vs Bcryptjs
  1. bcrypt

    A bcrypt library for NodeJS.

    Downloads unavailable · 2.3 KB gzip · Health 49/100

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  2. bcryptjs

    Optimized bcrypt in plain JavaScript with zero dependencies, with TypeScript support. Compatible to 'bcrypt'.

    Downloads unavailable · 9.0 KB gzip · Health 55/100

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Choosing between Bcrypt and Bcryptjs? Here's a data-driven comparison based on real npm data — downloads, bundle size, health scores, and more — to help you decide which package fits your project best.

Downloads & Popularity

Weekly download data is unavailable for Bcrypt. Weekly download data is unavailable for Bcryptjs. Missing data is not zero downloads. We cannot compare download activity until all counts are available.

Bundle Size

Bcrypt has the smallest gzipped bundle at 2.3 KB. Bcryptjs comes in at 9.0 KB. A smaller bundle size means faster page loads, which improves user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.

Health Score Comparison

Bcryptjs has an overall health score of 55/100 (moderate), with strong security scores. Bcrypt has an overall health score of 49/100 (moderate), with strong security scores. Health scores are calculated from maintenance activity, code quality, security posture, popularity, and stability metrics. Download data is incomplete; these composite scores include a fallback popularity input and should not determine an overall winner.

When to Choose Each

Choose Bcrypt if you value minimal bundle footprint, strong security track record. Choose Bcryptjs if you value strong security track record.

Our Verdict

Download data is incomplete for this comparison of Bcrypt and Bcryptjs. We are not selecting an overall winner from incomplete metrics. Compare the available bundle, maintenance, and quality information against your project's requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is bcrypt better than bcryptjs?
It depends on your needs. Bcrypt has a health score of 49/100 while Bcryptjs scores 55/100. Weekly download data is incomplete, so no popularity ranking is available. Consider your specific requirements — bundle size, community support, and feature set — to decide which is the better fit.
Which has a smaller bundle size, bcrypt or bcryptjs?
Bcrypt has the smaller gzipped bundle at 2.3 KB. A smaller bundle means faster load times for your users, which can positively impact SEO and user experience.
How many developers use bcrypt vs bcryptjs?
Weekly download data is incomplete, so no popularity ranking is available. Download counts reflect package installations, not unique developers.
Which is better maintained, bcrypt or bcryptjs?
Bcryptjs has a maintenance score of 60/100. Bcrypt scores 40/100 and Bcryptjs scores 60/100 on maintenance.

bcrypt vs bcryptjs: Bundle Size, Native Bindings & Deployment

bcrypt and bcryptjs solve the same problem — password hashing using the bcrypt algorithm — but they differ fundamentally in implementation. bcrypt is a native C++ binding that requires node-gyp and a C++ compiler during npm install. bcryptjs is a pure JavaScript implementation with zero native dependencies. This difference has massive implications for bundle size, deployment size, and cross-platform compatibility.

For serverless deployments (AWS Lambda, Vercel Functions, Cloudflare Workers), bcryptjs is often the only viable option. Native bindings add significant overhead to cold starts and deployment packages — the compiled .node binary plus its dependencies can add several megabytes to your deployment artifact. bcryptjs ships a single JavaScript file with no binary artifacts, making it dramatically smaller in deployment size and universally compatible across all JavaScript runtimes including edge environments.

The trade-off is performance: bcrypt's native C++ implementation is roughly 3-4x faster for hashing operations. For most web applications handling a few hundred logins per minute, this difference is imperceptible — a bcryptjs hash with 10 salt rounds takes about 100ms vs 30ms for native bcrypt. If you're running a high-volume authentication service processing thousands of hash operations per second, bcrypt's native speed advantage matters. For everyone else — especially teams prioritizing deployment simplicity, smaller bundle sizes, and cross-platform compatibility — bcryptjs delivers identical security with a fraction of the deployment complexity.

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