Backend Runtime Data v1.2.0 Updated 2025-12-28

Bun

Incredibly fast JavaScript runtime

74k N/A No known vulns N/A
82 /100
Strong pick Good confidence (78%)

Quick Verdict

Best For

  • Performance-critical applications
  • Teams wanting modern tooling
  • New projects without legacy constraints
  • Developers wanting faster development

Consider Alternatives If

  • Enterprise requiring proven stability
  • Projects with complex Node.js dependencies
  • Teams needing extensive documentation

Top Alternatives

Node.js 86

Score Breakdown

6 dimensions evaluated with transparent methodology

Performance
98 −2

Best-in-class JavaScript runtime performance

  • JavaScriptCore engine (faster than V8)
  • Native code for performance-critical paths
  • Fast startup time
Why not 100%:
  • −1 Some benchmarks less relevant to real apps
  • −1 Performance gap narrows for I/O workloads
Developer Experience
92 −8

All-in-one toolkit with excellent DX

  • Package manager, bundler, test runner included
  • Native TypeScript support
  • Fast installs and execution
Why not 100%:
  • −2 Some Node.js APIs not yet implemented
  • −2 Documentation still growing
  • −2 Fewer examples than Node.js
Ecosystem
60 −40

Growing compatibility with Node.js ecosystem

  • Node.js package compatibility goal
  • Most npm packages work
  • Growing native ecosystem
Why not 100%:
  • −10 Not all Node.js packages compatible
  • −10 Fewer Bun-native packages
  • −10 Some frameworks have issues
Maintainability
75 −25

Active development with funded company

  • VC-funded Oven company
  • Regular releases
  • Active development
Why not 100%:
  • −6 Young project (v1 in 2023)
  • −6 API stability still evolving
  • −6 Long-term support uncertain
Cost Efficiency
95 −5

Open-source with performance reducing costs

  • MIT licensed
  • Faster execution = less compute
  • Lower memory usage
Why not 100%:
  • −2 Fewer hosting providers optimized for Bun
  • −2 May need fallback to Node.js
Compliance
80 −20

Modern security but less enterprise validation

  • Active security response
  • Modern codebase
  • Regular security updates
Why not 100%:
  • −6 Fewer enterprise deployments
  • −6 Less security audit history
  • −6 Newer = less battle-tested

Compare Alternatives

How Bun stacks up against similar technologies

TechnologyOverallPerfDXEcosystem
Current Bun82989260
Node.js More mature, larger ecosystem86———Compare →
Full comparison with Node.js

Sources & Methodology

How we calculate these scores — transparent and reproducible

Deterministic Scoring

Same inputs always produce the same outputs. We use versioned lookup tables, not LLM opinions. Every score is explainable and reproducible.

Learn how it works →
primary

GitHub

Repository activity, stars, contributors, issue resolution time

primary

NPM Registry

Weekly downloads, package dependencies, version history

secondary

OSV Database

Known vulnerabilities, security advisories, CVE tracking

contextual

Community Signals

Stack Overflow activity, Discord engagement, developer surveys

Data version: 1.2.0 Last updated: 2025-12-28 Confidence: 78%

Frequently Asked

Why doesn't Bun score 100%?

No technology is perfect for every use case. Our scoring reflects real-world trade-offs. Bun's main gaps are in ecosystem, where not all node.js packages compatible.

What does confidence percentage mean?

Confidence (78%) indicates how much data we have to support the score. Higher confidence means more data points from multiple sources (GitHub activity, NPM downloads, security audits, community surveys).

How often are scores updated?

Scores are recalculated weekly using automated data pipelines. Major version updates trigger immediate recalculation. Last update: 2025-12-28.