Side-by-side NPM package comparison
Version 2.16.4
Blazing fast, zero configuration web application bundler
Version 5.105.3
Packs ECMAScript/CommonJs/AMD modules for the browser. Allows you to split your codebase into multiple bundles, which can be loaded on demand. Supports loaders to preprocess files, i.e. json, jsx, es7, css, less, ... and your custom stuff.
Choosing between Parcel and Webpack? 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.
Webpack leads with 40.7M weekly downloads — roughly 144.7x more. Parcel has 281.2K weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.
Parcel has the smallest gzipped bundle at 12.9 KB. Webpack comes in at 833.1 KB. A smaller bundle size means faster page loads, which improves user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.
Webpack has an overall health score of 85/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. Parcel has an overall health score of 81/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. Health scores are calculated from maintenance activity, code quality, security posture, popularity, and stability metrics.
Choose Parcel if you value actively maintained, strong security track record. Choose Webpack if you value massive community and ecosystem, actively maintained, strong security track record.
Both Parcel and Webpack are solid choices for JavaScript development. Webpack 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.