esbuild vs Webpack: which should I use?

Choose esbuild for blistering speed and simplicity in modern apps, especially if build performance is critical. Webpack is better for projects needing extensive customization, a vast plugin ecosystem, or complex legacy configurations.

How to set up esbuild with TypeScript and React?

Install esbuild via npm, then create a build script that uses the built-in TypeScript and JSX support—no additional plugins needed. The getting started guide provides examples for bundling .tsx files with minimal configuration.

Why is esbuild so fast compared to other bundlers?

esbuild is written in Go, which enables parallel processing and efficient memory management, unlike Node.js-based tools. It also avoids overhead by not relying on a cache for speed, as highlighted in the benchmarks.

Does esbuild work with CSS preprocessors like Sass?

No, esbuild does not natively support Sass; you need to use plugins or pre-process CSS separately. This is a trade-off for its focus on performance with standard web formats.

Can I use esbuild for production builds in large teams?

Yes, esbuild is production-ready with features like minification and tree shaking, but teams should test for compatibility with their specific toolchain, as its simpler plugin system might not cover all custom needs.

esbuild

MITGov0.28.0

An extremely fast JavaScript and TypeScript bundler written in Go, designed for modern web development.

Visit Website GitHub

39.9k stars1.3k forks0 contributors

What is esbuild?

esbuild is an extremely fast JavaScript and TypeScript bundler designed to dramatically reduce build times in web development projects. It bundles JavaScript, CSS, TypeScript, and JSX with built-in support for modern features like tree shaking and minification. The project addresses the performance limitations of existing build tools, offering speeds 10-100x faster than alternatives.

Target Audience

Frontend developers and teams working on modern web applications who need fast build times, especially in large codebases or CI/CD pipelines where performance is critical.

Value Proposition

Developers choose esbuild for its unparalleled speed, simplicity, and out-of-the-box support for modern web technologies. Its Go-based architecture enables near-instantaneous bundling without complex caching setups, making it ideal for performance-sensitive development workflows.

Overview

An extremely fast bundler for the web

Use Cases

Best For

Reducing build times in large JavaScript or TypeScript projects

Related Projects

Community-curated · Updated weekly · 100% open source

Found a gem we're missing?

Open-Awesome is built by the community, for the community. Submit a project, suggest an awesome list, or help improve the catalog on GitHub.

Submit a project Star on GitHub

Bundling modern web applications with CSS and JSX support

Setting up fast development servers with live reloading

Minifying and optimizing production bundles efficiently

Integrating a high-performance bundler into CI/CD pipelines

Replacing slower bundlers like Webpack or Parcel for speed-critical workflows

Not Ideal For

Projects requiring extensive custom loaders or complex transformations beyond esbuild's plugin system
Teams deeply invested in Webpack's ecosystem with legacy configurations and numerous third-party plugins
Applications needing framework-specific optimizations for server-side rendering or advanced build steps that esbuild doesn't natively support

Pros & Cons

Pros

Extreme Build Speed

Achieves 10-100x faster builds than Webpack and Parcel without caching, as demonstrated in the benchmark chart, leveraging Go's concurrency for near-instantaneous bundling.

Built-in Multi-Format Support

Natively handles JavaScript, TypeScript, JSX, and CSS including CSS modules, reducing the need for additional plugins and simplifying setup for modern web projects.

Simple and Versatile API

Offers straightforward APIs for CLI, JavaScript, and Go integrations, making it easy to adopt across different development environments and workflows.

Production-Ready Bundling

Includes tree shaking, minification, and source maps out of the box, enabling optimized production bundles with minimal configuration.

Cons

Limited Plugin Ecosystem

The plugin system is less mature than Webpack's, which can restrict support for niche transformations or community extensions, as noted in the plugins documentation.

Simpler Configuration Model

Designed for speed and simplicity, it may not accommodate highly complex or legacy build requirements that rely on fine-grained control over every build step.

Rapid Evolution with Breaking Changes

As a newer project, esbuild has experienced breaking changes in updates, potentially disrupting existing setups and requiring more maintenance from developers.

Open Source Alternative To

esbuild is an open-source alternative to the following products:

webpack

webpack is a static module bundler for modern JavaScript applications that processes and bundles assets like JavaScript, CSS, and images for web deployment.

Rollup

Rollup is a module bundler for JavaScript that compiles small pieces of code into something larger and more complex, like a library or application.

Parcel

A fast, zero-configuration web application bundler that supports JavaScript, CSS, HTML, and other assets with built-in hot module replacement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Home

Readme

Oh My Zsh

🙃 A delightful community-driven (with 2,400+ contributors) framework for managing your zsh configuration. Includes 300+ optional plugins (rails, git, macOS, hub, docker, homebrew, node, php, python, etc), 140+ themes to spice up your morning, and an auto-update tool that makes it easy to keep up with the latest updates from the community.

Stars186,399

Forks26,360

Last commit4 days ago

Flutter Engine

Flutter makes it easy and fast to build beautiful apps for mobile and beyond

Vim-fork focused on extensibility and usability

For developers, who are building real-time data-driven applications, Redis is the preferred, fastest, and most feature-rich cache, data structure server, and document and vector query engine.

Stars73,959

Forks24,587

Last commit2 days ago