Bun 1.2+ vs. Node.js 22 LTS / Deno 2
Bun vs. Node vs. Deno · the 2026 runtime refresh
A year ago Bun was promising, Node was the safe default, Deno was the principled outsider. In 2026 all three are shippable in production, but they win different problems.
option ABun 1.2+option BNode.js 22 LTS / Deno 2serviceWebsite & online shop
→ Verdict
We default to Bun in 2026 for new TS workloads · install speed, built-in test runner, and a startup time that makes serverless feel cheap. Stay on Node 22 LTS when you ship libraries, run anything Kubernetes-native, or your dependency graph leans on `fs`-edge cases that still trip Bun. Pick Deno 2 when security posture (permissions, locked-down imports) is a hard requirement, or you want the npm-compatible runtime with the cleanest standard library.
Pick a topic
When to pick which
A · Pick this when…
Bun 1.2+
- 01Greenfield TS app · monorepos, Next.js, Hono, Elysia
- 02You feel `npm install` pain on every CI run
- 03You want one binary that bundles install, test, and run
- 04Serverless / edge cold-starts matter more than 5-year stability
B · Pick that when…
Node.js 22 LTS / Deno 2
- 01Node: shipping a public npm library · max compatibility
- 02Node: production workloads where LTS + 18-month security cadence is policy
- 03Deno: zero-trust posture · explicit `--allow-net` / `--allow-read` per service
- 04Deno: you want a clean stdlib + Web APIs first, Node compat second
Factors to weigh
Factor-by-factor
| Factors to weigh | Bun 1.2+ | Node.js 22 LTS / Deno 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Install speed (cold) | Bun: 5-20× faster than npm | Node: npm/pnpm baseline · Deno: per-import cache, very fast |
| Cold start | Bun: ~10-30ms typical | Node: ~80-120ms · Deno: ~50-90ms |
| TS support | Bun: native, no transpile step | Node 22+: `--experimental-strip-types` · Deno: native |
| Test runner | Bun: built-in, vitest-compatible API | Node: `node:test` solid · Deno: `Deno.test` native |
| Ecosystem coverage | Bun: ~98% of npm works · edges in `fs`, `worker_threads` | Node: 100% · Deno: ~95% via npm: + node: specifiers |
| Stability for 5-year bets | Bun: 1.x is stable, but young | Node: bulletproof · Deno: stable, smaller adoption |
| Security model | Bun: Node-equivalent (ambient) | Node: ambient · Deno: deny-by-default permissions |
| We recommend | Default for new TS apps in 2026 | Node for libraries + LTS-bound infra · Deno for security-first services |
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