bun
Very Popular
Version 1.3.10
92
ExcellentBun is a fast all-in-one JavaScript runtime.
- Weekly Downloads
- 1.0M
↑10%
- Bundle (gzip)
- 5.8 KB
- Updated
- Vulns
- 0
Health Score Breakdown
Maintenance
100
Popularity
100
Quality
80
Security
100
Stability
70
Bun vs Ts-node vs Tsx
Side-by-side NPM package comparison
ts-node
Extremely Popular
Version 10.9.2
80
ExcellentTypeScript execution environment and REPL for node.js, with source map support
- Weekly Downloads
- 42.3M
↑12%
- Bundle (gzip)
- 221.9 KB
- Updated
- Vulns
- 0
Health Score Breakdown
Maintenance
60
Popularity
100
Quality
80
Security
100
Stability
70
tsx
Extremely Popular
Version 4.21.0
80
ExcellentTypeScript Execute (tsx): Node.js enhanced with esbuild to run TypeScript & ESM files
- Weekly Downloads
- 32.0M
↑25%
- Bundle (gzip)
- 126.8 KB
- Updated
- Vulns
- 0
Health Score Breakdown
Maintenance
60
Popularity
100
Quality
80
Security
100
Stability
70
Choosing between Bun and Ts-node and Tsx? 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
Ts-node leads with 42.3M weekly downloads — roughly 1.3x more. Tsx has 32.0M weekly downloads. Bun has 1.0M weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.
Bundle Size
Bun has the smallest gzipped bundle at 5.8 KB. Tsx comes in at 126.8 KB. Ts-node comes in at 221.9 KB. A smaller bundle size means faster page loads, which improves user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.
Health Score Comparison
Bun has an overall health score of 92/100 (excellent), with strong maintenance, quality, security, popularity scores. Ts-node has an overall health score of 80/100 (very good), with strong quality, security, popularity scores. Tsx has an overall health score of 80/100 (very good), with strong quality, security, popularity scores. Health scores are calculated from maintenance activity, code quality, security posture, popularity, and stability metrics.
When to Choose Each
Choose Bun if you value large community support, actively maintained, strong security track record. Choose Ts-node if you value massive community and ecosystem, strong security track record. Choose Tsx if you value massive community and ecosystem, strong security track record.
Our Verdict
Both Bun and Ts-node and Tsx are solid choices for JavaScript development. Bun has the edge in overall health score (92/100), 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 bun better than ts-node?
- It depends on your needs. Bun has a health score of 92/100 while Ts-node scores 80/100. Ts-node has more weekly downloads (42.3M), 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, bun or ts-node?
- Bun has the smaller gzipped bundle at 5.8 KB. A smaller bundle means faster load times for your users, which can positively impact SEO and user experience.
- How many developers use bun vs ts-node?
- Based on npm download statistics, Bun has approximately 1.0M weekly downloads and Ts-node has approximately 42.3M weekly downloads. These numbers reflect package installations, not unique developers, but they indicate relative adoption levels.
- Which is better maintained, bun or ts-node?
- Bun currently has the higher overall health score at 92/100. Bun has a maintenance score of 100/100 and Ts-node scores 60/100 on maintenance.