Bun vs Pnpm

Side-by-side NPM package comparison

bun

Popular

Version 1.3.10

90
Excellent

Bun is a fast all-in-one JavaScript runtime.

Weekly Downloads
847.5K
43%
Bundle (gzip)
5.8 KB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
100
Popularity
90
Quality
80
Security
100
Stability
70

pnpm

Extremely Popular

Version 10.30.3

85
Excellent

Fast, disk space efficient package manager

Weekly Downloads
53.7M
33%
Bundle (gzip)
1.6 KB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
100
Popularity
100
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70

Choosing between Bun and Pnpm? 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

Pnpm leads with 53.7M weekly downloads — roughly 63.4x more. Bun has 847.5K weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.

Bundle Size

Pnpm has the smallest gzipped bundle at 1.6 KB. 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 90/100 (excellent), with strong maintenance, quality, security, popularity scores. Pnpm has an overall health score of 85/100 (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 actively maintained, strong security track record. Choose Pnpm if you value massive community and ecosystem, minimal bundle footprint, actively maintained, strong security track record.

Our Verdict

Both Bun and Pnpm are solid choices for JavaScript development. Bun has the edge in overall health score (90/100), 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 pnpm?
It depends on your needs. Bun has a health score of 90/100 while Pnpm scores 85/100. Pnpm has more weekly downloads (53.7M), 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 pnpm?
Pnpm has the smaller gzipped bundle at 1.6 KB. A smaller bundle means faster load times for your users, which can positively impact SEO and user experience.
How many developers use bun vs pnpm?
Based on npm download statistics, Bun has approximately 847.5K weekly downloads and Pnpm has approximately 53.7M weekly downloads. These numbers reflect package installations, not unique developers, but they indicate relative adoption levels.
Which is better maintained, bun or pnpm?
Bun currently has the higher overall health score at 90/100. Bun has a maintenance score of 100/100 and Pnpm scores 100/100 on maintenance.

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