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Comparison guide

Pkgroll vs Tsup vs Unbuild

Side-by-side NPM package comparison

Quick Verdict

Smallest Bundle

Unbuild

19.6 KB gzipped

Most Popular

Tsup

6.1M weekly downloads

Best Maintained

Pkgroll

100/100 maintenance score

Highest Quality

Pkgroll

80/100 quality score

Overall Pick

Pkgroll

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

pkgroll icon

pkgroll

Moderate

Version 2.27.1

0
86
Excellent

Zero-config rollup bundler

Weekly Downloads
77.9K
32%
Bundle (gzip)
65.2 KB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
100
Popularity
70
Quality
80
Security
100
Stability
70
tsup icon

tsup

Very Popular

Version 8.5.1

0
67
Good

Bundle your TypeScript library with no config, powered by esbuild

Weekly Downloads
6.1M
15%
Bundle (gzip)
114.2 KB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
40
Popularity
100
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70
unbuild icon

unbuild

Popular

Version 3.6.1

0
63
Good

A unified JavaScript build system

Weekly Downloads
210.8K
2%Stable
Bundle (gzip)
19.6 KB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
40
Popularity
80
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70

Choosing between Pkgroll and Tsup and Unbuild? 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

Tsup leads with 6.1M weekly downloads — roughly 29.1x more. Unbuild has 210.8K weekly downloads. Pkgroll has 77.9K weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.

Bundle Size

Unbuild has the smallest gzipped bundle at 19.6 KB. Pkgroll comes in at 65.2 KB. Tsup comes in at 114.2 KB. A smaller bundle size means faster page loads, which improves user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.

Health Score Comparison

Pkgroll has an overall health score of 86/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, quality, security scores. Tsup has an overall health score of 67/100 (good), with strong security, popularity scores. Unbuild has an overall health score of 63/100 (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 Pkgroll if you value actively maintained, strong security track record. Choose Tsup if you value large community support, strong security track record. Choose Unbuild if you value strong security track record.

Our Verdict

Both Pkgroll and Tsup and Unbuild are solid choices for JavaScript development. Pkgroll has the edge in overall health score (86/100), 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 pkgroll better than tsup?
It depends on your needs. Pkgroll has a health score of 86/100 while Tsup scores 67/100. Tsup has more weekly downloads (6.1M), 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, pkgroll or tsup?
Pkgroll has the smaller gzipped bundle at 65.2 KB. A smaller bundle means faster load times for your users, which can positively impact SEO and user experience.
How many developers use pkgroll vs tsup?
Based on npm download statistics, Pkgroll has approximately 77.9K weekly downloads and Tsup has approximately 6.1M weekly downloads. These numbers reflect package installations, not unique developers, but they indicate relative adoption levels.
Which is better maintained, pkgroll or tsup?
Pkgroll currently has the higher overall health score at 86/100. Pkgroll has a maintenance score of 100/100 and Tsup scores 40/100 on maintenance.

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