bun
Very Popular
Version 1.3.10
92
ExcellentBun is a fast all-in-one JavaScript runtime.
- Weekly Downloads
- 1.0M
↑43%
- Bundle (gzip)
- 5.8 KB
- Updated
- Vulns
- 0
Health Score Breakdown
Maintenance
100
Popularity
100
Quality
80
Security
100
Stability
70
Bun vs Node
Side-by-side NPM package comparison
node
Popular
Version 22.22.1
81
Excellentnode
- Weekly Downloads
- 252.7K
↑16%
- Bundle (gzip)
- 446.0 B
- Updated
- Vulns
- 0
Health Score Breakdown
Maintenance
100
Popularity
80
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70
Choosing between Bun and Node? 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
Bun leads with 1.0M weekly downloads — roughly 4.1x more. Node has 252.7K weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.
Bundle Size
Node has the smallest gzipped bundle at 446.0 B. Bun comes in at 5.8 KB. A smaller bundle size means faster page loads, which improves user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.
Health Score Comparison
Bun has an overall health score of 92/100 (excellent), with strong maintenance, quality, security, popularity scores. Node has an overall health score of 81/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. Health scores are calculated from maintenance activity, code quality, security posture, popularity, and stability metrics.
When to Choose Each
Choose Bun if you value large community support, actively maintained, strong security track record. Choose Node if you value minimal bundle footprint, actively maintained, strong security track record.
Our Verdict
Both Bun and Node are solid choices for JavaScript development. Bun has the edge in overall health score (92/100), while each package brings unique strengths to the table. Evaluate them based on your project's priorities — whether that's community size, bundle efficiency, or maintenance activity — and choose the one that aligns best with your requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is bun better than node?
- It depends on your needs. Bun has a health score of 92/100 while Node scores 81/100. Bun has more weekly downloads (1.0M), suggesting broader adoption. Consider your specific requirements — bundle size, community support, and feature set — to decide which is the better fit.
- Which has a smaller bundle size, bun or node?
- Node has the smaller gzipped bundle at 446.0 B. A smaller bundle means faster load times for your users, which can positively impact SEO and user experience.
- How many developers use bun vs node?
- Based on npm download statistics, Bun has approximately 1.0M weekly downloads and Node has approximately 252.7K weekly downloads. These numbers reflect package installations, not unique developers, but they indicate relative adoption levels.
- Which is better maintained, bun or node?
- Bun currently has the higher overall health score at 92/100. Bun has a maintenance score of 100/100 and Node scores 100/100 on maintenance.