Bunyan vs Winston

Side-by-side NPM package comparison

bunyan

Very Popular

Version 1.8.15

67
Good

a JSON logging library for node.js services

Weekly Downloads
2.8M
29%
Bundle (gzip)
59.0 KB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
40
Popularity
100
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70

winston

Extremely Popular

Version 3.19.0

79
Good

A logger for just about everything.

Weekly Downloads
20.2M
23%
Bundle (gzip)
80.5 KB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
80
Popularity
100
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70

Choosing between Bunyan and Winston? 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

Winston leads with 20.2M weekly downloads — roughly 7.2x more. Bunyan has 2.8M weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.

Bundle Size

Bunyan has the smallest gzipped bundle at 59.0 KB. Winston comes in at 80.5 KB. A smaller bundle size means faster page loads, which improves user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.

Health Score Comparison

Winston has an overall health score of 79/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. Bunyan has an overall health score of 67/100 (good), with strong security, popularity scores. Health scores are calculated from maintenance activity, code quality, security posture, popularity, and stability metrics.

When to Choose Each

Choose Bunyan if you value large community support, strong security track record. Choose Winston if you value massive community and ecosystem, strong security track record.

Our Verdict

Both Bunyan and Winston are solid choices for JavaScript development. Winston has the edge in overall health score (79/100), 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 bunyan better than winston?
It depends on your needs. Bunyan has a health score of 67/100 while Winston scores 79/100. Winston has more weekly downloads (20.2M), 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, bunyan or winston?
Bunyan has the smaller gzipped bundle at 59.0 KB. A smaller bundle means faster load times for your users, which can positively impact SEO and user experience.
How many developers use bunyan vs winston?
Based on npm download statistics, Bunyan has approximately 2.8M weekly downloads and Winston has approximately 20.2M weekly downloads. These numbers reflect package installations, not unique developers, but they indicate relative adoption levels.
Which is better maintained, bunyan or winston?
Winston currently has the higher overall health score at 79/100. Bunyan has a maintenance score of 40/100 and Winston scores 80/100 on maintenance.

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