Version 0.28.0
0
85
ExcellentAn extremely fast JavaScript and CSS bundler and minifier.
- Weekly Downloads
- 216.5M
↑36%
- Bundle (gzip)
- 43.0 KB
- Updated
- Vulns
- 0
Health Score Breakdown
Maintenance
100
Popularity
100
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70
Comparison guide
Esbuild vs Rolldown
Side-by-side NPM package comparison
Quick Verdict
Smallest Bundle
Rolldown
38.9 KB gzipped
Most Popular
Esbuild
216.5M weekly downloads
Best Maintained
Esbuild
100/100 maintenance score
Highest Quality
Esbuild
50/100 quality score
Overall Pick
Esbuild
Best all-around based on popularity, size, maintenance & quality
Version 1.0.0-rc.18
0
85
ExcellentFast JavaScript/TypeScript bundler in Rust with Rollup-compatible API.
- Weekly Downloads
- 23.9M
↑160%
- Bundle (gzip)
- 38.9 KB
- Updated
- Vulns
- 0
Health Score Breakdown
Maintenance
100
Popularity
100
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70
Choosing between Esbuild and Rolldown? 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
Esbuild leads with 216.5M weekly downloads — roughly 9.1x more. Rolldown has 23.9M weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.
Bundle Size
Rolldown has the smallest gzipped bundle at 38.9 KB. Esbuild comes in at 43.0 KB. A smaller bundle size means faster page loads, which improves user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.
Health Score Comparison
Esbuild has an overall health score of 85/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. Rolldown 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 Esbuild if you value massive community and ecosystem, actively maintained, strong security track record. Choose Rolldown if you value massive community and ecosystem, actively maintained, strong security track record.
Our Verdict
Both Esbuild and Rolldown are solid choices for JavaScript development. Esbuild has the edge in overall health score (85/100), 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 esbuild better than rolldown?
- It depends on your needs. Esbuild has a health score of 85/100 while Rolldown scores 85/100. Esbuild has more weekly downloads (216.5M), 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, esbuild or rolldown?
- Rolldown has the smaller gzipped bundle at 38.9 KB. A smaller bundle means faster load times for your users, which can positively impact SEO and user experience.
- How many developers use esbuild vs rolldown?
- Based on npm download statistics, Esbuild has approximately 216.5M weekly downloads and Rolldown has approximately 23.9M weekly downloads. These numbers reflect package installations, not unique developers, but they indicate relative adoption levels.
- Which is better maintained, esbuild or rolldown?
- Esbuild currently has the higher overall health score at 85/100. Esbuild has a maintenance score of 100/100 and Rolldown scores 100/100 on maintenance.
Related Comparisons
The 2026 JavaScript Stack Cheatsheet
One PDF: the best package for every category (ORMs, bundlers, auth, testing, state management). Used by 500+ devs. Free, updated monthly.