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Comparison guide

Got vs Ky

Side-by-side NPM package comparison

Quick Verdict

Smallest Bundle

Ky

10.5 KB gzipped

Most Popular

Got

40.2M weekly downloads

Best Maintained

Ky

100/100 maintenance score

Highest Quality

Got

50/100 quality score

Overall Pick

Got

Best all-around based on popularity, size, maintenance & quality

  1. got

    Human-friendly and powerful HTTP request library for Node.js

    40.2M weekly downloads · 46.0 KB gzip · Health 79/100

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  2. ky

    Tiny and elegant HTTP client based on the Fetch API

    5.6M weekly downloads · 10.5 KB gzip · Health 85/100

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Choosing between Got and Ky? 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

Got leads with 40.2M weekly downloads — roughly 7.1x more. Ky has 5.6M weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.

Bundle Size

Ky has the smallest gzipped bundle at 10.5 KB. Got comes in at 46.0 KB. A smaller bundle size means faster page loads, which improves user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.

Health Score Comparison

Ky has an overall health score of 85/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. Got has an overall health score of 79/100 (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 Got if you value massive community and ecosystem, strong security track record. Choose Ky if you value large community support, actively maintained, strong security track record.

Our Verdict

Both Got and Ky are solid choices for JavaScript development. Ky 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 got better than ky?
It depends on your needs. Got has a health score of 79/100 while Ky scores 85/100. Got has more recorded weekly downloads (40.2M). Consider your specific requirements — bundle size, community support, and feature set — to decide which is the better fit.
Which has a smaller bundle size, got or ky?
Ky has the smaller gzipped bundle at 10.5 KB. A smaller bundle means faster load times for your users, which can positively impact SEO and user experience.
How many developers use got vs ky?
Got has more recorded weekly downloads (40.2M). Download counts reflect package installations, not unique developers.
Which is better maintained, got or ky?
Ky has a maintenance score of 100/100. Got scores 80/100 and Ky scores 100/100 on maintenance.

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