Esbuild vs Swc

Side-by-side NPM package comparison

esbuild

Extremely Popular

Version 0.27.3

85
Excellent

An extremely fast JavaScript and CSS bundler and minifier.

Weekly Downloads
130.3M
↑43%
Bundle (gzip)
39.6 KB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
100
Popularity
100
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70

swc

Moderate

Version 1.0.11

65
Good

Alias for @swc/cli

Weekly Downloads
13.9K
↑42%
Bundle (gzip)
89.0 B
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
60
Popularity
60
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70

Choosing between Esbuild and Swc? 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 130.3M weekly downloads — roughly 9342.1x more. Swc has 13.9K weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.

Bundle Size

Swc has the smallest gzipped bundle at 89.0 B. Esbuild comes in at 39.6 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. Swc has an overall health score of 65/100 (good), with strong security 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 Swc if you value minimal bundle footprint, strong security track record.

Our Verdict

Both Esbuild and Swc 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 swc?
It depends on your needs. Esbuild has a health score of 85/100 while Swc scores 65/100. Esbuild has more weekly downloads (130.3M), 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 swc?
Swc has the smaller gzipped bundle at 89.0 B. A smaller bundle means faster load times for your users, which can positively impact SEO and user experience.
How many developers use esbuild vs swc?
Based on npm download statistics, Esbuild has approximately 130.3M weekly downloads and Swc has approximately 13.9K weekly downloads. These numbers reflect package installations, not unique developers, but they indicate relative adoption levels.
Which is better maintained, esbuild or swc?
Esbuild currently has the higher overall health score at 85/100. Esbuild has a maintenance score of 100/100 and Swc scores 60/100 on maintenance.

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