Backend and APIs · Comparison
Node.js vs Deno vs Bun
Three runtimes for JavaScript and TypeScript on the server. Much of the same code runs on all three; they differ in built-in tools, security defaults, speed and how long each has been used in production.
3 options · 8 questions side by side · updated
| Compare | Node.js | Deno | Bun |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | The original server-side JavaScript runtime | A runtime with safe defaults and built-in tools | Runtime, package manager and bundler in one |
| Engine | V8 (from Chrome), written in C++ | V8, with a core written in Rust | JavaScriptCore (from Safari), written in Zig |
| TypeScript | Runs plain TypeScript by stripping types | Built in | Built in |
| Security defaults | Full access unless its permission model is on | No file, network or env access without flags | Full access, like Node.js |
| npm packages | The native home of npm | Most work, since Deno 2 | Most work, with some gaps |
| Built-in tools | Test runner and watch mode | Formatter, linter, test runner, compiler | Package manager, bundler, test runner |
| In use since | 2009 | 2020 (version 1.0) | 2023 (version 1.0) |
| Best for | Production apps that need the widest support | New TypeScript projects and edge functions | Fast installs, tests and fresh projects |
How to choose between Node.js, Deno and Bun
- Pick Node.js for production systems where compatibility, hosting options and hiring matter most.
- Pick Deno for new TypeScript projects that want built-in tooling and permission checks, or for Deno-based platforms such as Supabase Edge Functions.
- Pick Bun to speed up installs, tests and scripts, and test dependencies carefully before running it in production.
The options
- Node.jsThe program that lets JavaScript run on a server instead of only in a browser, and the usual base for JavaScript and TypeScript backends.
- DenoA JavaScript and TypeScript runtime from the original creator of Node.js, with TypeScript, a formatter, a linter and a test runner built in, and strict permissions by default.
- BunA JavaScript and TypeScript runtime that also installs packages, bundles code and runs tests, designed as a drop-in replacement for Node.js.
More comparisons
- Express vs Fastify vs HonoThree JavaScript web frameworks with a similar feel. Express is the long-standing default, Fastify focuses on throughput and structure, and Hono is built on web standards so it can run almost anywhere.
- FastAPI vs Django vs FlaskThree widely used Python web frameworks. Django includes almost everything, Flask includes almost nothing, and FastAPI focuses on typed, self-documenting APIs.
- REST vs GraphQL vs tRPC vs gRPCFour ways for apps and services to ask a backend for data. They differ in who can call them, how strictly the contract is typed, and what travels over the wire.
- WebSockets vs SSE vs webhooksThree ways to deliver news the moment it happens. WebSockets and SSE push updates to browsers and apps; webhooks push events from one server to another.
- Sessions vs JWTBoth keep a person signed in after they log in. A session keeps the facts on the server and gives the browser a random key; a JWT packs the facts into a signed token that the client carries around.
- Magic link vs OTP vs passkeys vs social loginFour ways to let people in without asking them to invent a password. They differ in how many steps they take, what they cost to run and how well they stand up to phishing.
Crafted in the dark. Shipped to the world.
Tell us what you are building. You get a private project space with a proposal and a line-by-line quote within a day.