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Alex Spinov
Alex Spinov

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Bun Has a Free JavaScript Runtime — Faster Than Node.js, All-in-One Toolkit

#javascript #typescript #webdev #opensource

A developer ran npm install on a fresh project. 847 packages. 2 minutes. For a "hello world" with Express.

The Node.js Toolchain Bloat

Node.js needs npm for packages, webpack/vite for bundling, jest for testing, ts-node for TypeScript. Five tools before you write one line of code.

Bun is an all-in-one JavaScript runtime. Package manager, bundler, test runner, and TypeScript support - all built in, all blazing fast.

What Bun Offers for Free

  • Fast Runtime - 3x faster than Node.js in many benchmarks
  • Package Manager - bun install is 30x faster than npm
  • Bundler - Built-in bundler, no webpack needed
  • Test Runner - Jest-compatible test runner built in
  • TypeScript - Native TypeScript execution, no compilation step
  • Node.js Compatible - Run most Node.js code without changes
  • SQLite - Built-in SQLite driver
  • Hot Reloading - bun --hot for auto-restart on changes

Quick Start 

curl -fsSL https://bun.sh/install | bash
bun init  # creates project
bun install express  # 30x faster than npm
bun run index.ts  # runs TypeScript directly
bun test  # runs tests
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GitHub: oven-sh/bun - 76K+ stars

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