compare
Bun vs npm
The same facts for both, read from GitHub every night, and the relation a person reviewed.
| Fact | Bun | npm |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Rust | JavaScript |
| Licence | Other | Other |
| Stars | 96k | 10k |
| Latest | bun-v1.4.2 | v12.2.0 |
| Last push | 2026-10-06 | 2026-10-01 |
| Release cadence | about 19 days between releases | about 1 day between releases |
| Active contributors | 8+ commit authors on the default branch in the last 90 days | 14 commit authors on the default branch in the last 90 days |
| Flags | none | none |
How they relate
Bun replaces npm. Alternatives to npm →
Full replacementbun install reads package.json and writes its own lockfile.
Published benchmarks, each linked to its source. The numbers depend on the hardware and the workload they were measured on.
Running a package.json script
Average time: bun run 7ms, npm run 176ms (yarn run 131ms, pnpm run 259ms).
Bun
- bun-v1.4.22026-09-05Bun v1.4.2
- bun-v1.4.12026-09-04Bun v1.4.1
- bun-v1.4.02026-08-20Bun v1.4
- bun-v1.3.142026-05-13Bun v1.3.14
- bun-v1.3.132026-04-20Bun v1.3.13
npm
- config-v11.2.02026-09-30config: v11.2.0
- v12.2.02026-09-309741b64 #10038 dist-tag: support OIDC authentication (#10038) (@reggi, @Copilot)
- libnpmpublish-v11.2.12026-09-22libnpmpublish: v11.2.1
- libnpmpack-v9.1.142026-09-22libnpmpack: v9.1.14
- libnpmfund-v7.0.272026-09-22libnpmfund: v7.0.27
Bun
unsigned The latest release, bun-v1.4.2, carries no signature GitHub could verify.
Loading the security report
npm
unsigned The latest release, v12.2.0, carries no signature GitHub could verify.
Loading the security report