Node.js vs Deno vs Bun

Node.js vs Deno vs Bun

JavaScript has evolved far beyond the browser, and today, developers have multiple powerful runtimes to choose from for building modern web applications. Among the most popular are Node.js, Deno, and Bun. Each of these runtimes brings unique features, performance improvements, and developer experiences, making it important to understand their differences before choosing the right one for your project. In this blog, we’ll compare these three runtimes in terms of speed, security, TypeScript support, and best use cases, helping you make an informed decision for your next application.

These three are JavaScript runtimes — meaning they allow JS to run outside the browser.

  1. Node.js
  2. Deno
  3. Bun

1. Node.js (most popular)

  • Created in: 2009
  • Engine: V8 (Chrome engine)
  • Written in: C++
  • Uses: CommonJS (require) + ES Modules

Why it’s popular

  • Huge package ecosystem (npm)
  • Stable for production
  • Used by Express.js, NestJS, Next.js

Use cases

  • API servers
  • Backend apps
  • Real-time apps
  • Large-scale enterprise apps

2. Deno (modern, created by Node.js creator)

Ryan Dahl (Node.js creator) made Deno in 2018 to “fix Node.js mistakes”.

  • Engine: V8
  • Written in: Rust
  • Uses: ES Modules (import)
  • Built-in features:
    • Built-in TypeScript support
    • Built-in security
    • Built-in testing
    • No node_modules
    • URL-based imports

Why it’s unique

You must give explicit permissions:

Example:

deno run --allow-read app.ts

Use cases

  • Secure scripts
  • Serverless functions
  • Modern TypeScript apps

3. Bun (fastest)

  • Created in: 2022
  • Engine: JavaScriptCore (Safari engine, faster for some workloads)
  • Written in: Zig
  • Drop-in replacement for:
    • Node.js
    • npm
    • yarn

Why it’s fast

  • Uses a faster JS engine
  • Has built-in bundler
  • Has built-in transpiler
  • Has built-in package manager

Performance

Bun is 5x to 20x faster than Node in many tasks.

Use cases

  • High-performance servers
  • Tools and CLIs
  • Fast development environments

Quick Comparison Table

Feature Node.js Deno Bun
Creator Ryan Dahl Ryan Dahl Jarred Sumner
Language C++ Rust Zig
Engine V8 V8 JavaScriptCore
TypeScript No builtin Yes builtin Yes builtin
Speed Good Faster Fastest
npm support Full Limited Full (built-in)
Security Weak Strong Moderate
Best for Production apps Secure modern dev High-performance tools

Why Frameworks Still Use Node.js

Even though Deno and Bun are better in some areas, most frameworks still use Node.js because:

  • Largest ecosystem
  • Most reliable
  • Supported everywhere (cloud, hosting, serverless)
  • Works well with npm + yarn
  • Developers already know it
  • Express.js, NestJS, and Next.js all depend on Node.js features today.


Thank You!