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Ramda vs Underscore

Side-by-side NPM package comparison

Quick Verdict

Smallest Bundle

Underscore

266.0 KB gzipped

Most Popular

Underscore

20.8M weekly downloads

Best Maintained

Underscore

80/100 maintenance score

Highest Quality

Ramda

50/100 quality score

Overall Pick

Underscore

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

ramda icon

ramda

Extremely Popular

Version 0.32.0

0
67
Good

A practical functional library for JavaScript programmers.

Weekly Downloads
13.3M
10%
Bundle (gzip)
352.1 KB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

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

underscore

Extremely Popular

Version 1.13.8

0
79
Good

JavaScript's functional programming helper library.

Weekly Downloads
20.8M
2%Stable
Bundle (gzip)
266.0 KB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
80
Popularity
100
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70

Choosing between Ramda and Underscore? 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

Underscore leads with 20.8M weekly downloads — roughly 1.6x more. Ramda has 13.3M weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.

Bundle Size

Underscore has the smallest gzipped bundle at 266.0 KB. Ramda comes in at 352.1 KB. A smaller bundle size means faster page loads, which improves user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.

Health Score Comparison

Underscore has an overall health score of 79/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. Ramda has an overall health score of 67/100 (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 Ramda if you value massive community and ecosystem, strong security track record. Choose Underscore if you value massive community and ecosystem, strong security track record.

Our Verdict

Both Ramda and Underscore are solid choices for JavaScript development. Underscore has the edge in overall health score (79/100), 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 ramda better than underscore?
It depends on your needs. Ramda has a health score of 67/100 while Underscore scores 79/100. Underscore has more weekly downloads (20.8M), 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, ramda or underscore?
Underscore has the smaller gzipped bundle at 266.0 KB. A smaller bundle means faster load times for your users, which can positively impact SEO and user experience.
How many developers use ramda vs underscore?
Based on npm download statistics, Ramda has approximately 13.3M weekly downloads and Underscore has approximately 20.8M weekly downloads. These numbers reflect package installations, not unique developers, but they indicate relative adoption levels.
Which is better maintained, ramda or underscore?
Underscore currently has the higher overall health score at 79/100. Ramda has a maintenance score of 40/100 and Underscore scores 80/100 on maintenance.

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