Bun vs Native Node.js TypeScript

The TypeScript landscape shifted dramatically. Bun introduced native TypeScript support first, then Node.js responded with its own built-in TypeScript support.

Native Node.js TypeScript, introduced in v22.6.0, features built-in type stripping, enabling direct execution of TypeScript files without additional tools. From v23.6.0 onward, this has become the default, making TypeScript an integral part of the Node.js environment for the first time.

Bun provides a radically new approach to runtime environments, built from the ground up. Developed in Zig with JavaScriptCore at its core, Bun supports TypeScript as a first-class feature and offers performance levels that make Node.js appear sluggish.

This friendly comparison looks at how the familiar giant's new TypeScript features measure up against the exciting newcomer that's shaking up the future of JavaScript runtime speed.

What is Native Node.js TypeScript?

Native Node.js TypeScript demonstrates how Node.js has matured and fully adopted TypeScript as a core part of its ecosystem.

The key advantage is its official support and effortless setup. Starting with v22.6.0's experimental features and becoming the default in v23.6.0, Node.js now automatically removes type annotations and executes your TypeScript code directly.

No extra dependencies or complicated configs are required, just Node.js doing its usual job, now with built-in TypeScript support.

This feature ensures broad ecosystem compatibility across all Node.js modules. Every npm package, pattern, and tool integrates smoothly with TypeScript, offering a development experience that remains familiar yet gains modern simplicity.

What is Bun?

Bun is a JavaScript runtime designed with a fresh perspective, free from decades of legacy baggage. Crafted from the ground up in Zig, and powered by JavaScriptCore's impressive performance, Bun provides fast execution speeds.

But speed isn't the only thing that makes Bun special. It also combines a package manager, bundler, test runner, and development server into one smooth platform, making life easier and reducing the tool overload that many developers experience with modern JavaScript projects.

What makes Bun truly special is its focus on developer productivity. Instead of combining dozens of tools and hoping they integrate well, Bun provides everything you need in a fast, all-in-one package that works smoothly right from the start.

Bun vs. Native Node.js TypeScript: comprehensive feature analysis

This isn't just about picking a runtime. It's about whether you want to ship faster with Bun's lightning-quick rebuilds and integrated toolchain, or sleep better at night knowing your Node.js stack has been battle-tested by millions of production apps.

Here's how these two approaches compare across every dimension that matters for TypeScript development.

Development workflow and watch modes

The speed of development iteration indicates how quickly each runtime engages with essential feedback loops that significantly impact developer productivity.

Bun offers innovative watch mode approaches that push the boundaries:

# Bun watch capabilities
bun --watch app.ts               # Fast process restart
bun --hot server.ts              # Revolutionary hot reloading

# Hot mode features:
# - Preserves application state
# - HTTP servers stay running
# - Global variables maintained
# - Near-instantaneous code updates

Bun's hot reloading truly stands out; your HTTP server keeps smoothly running while code updates are applied instantly, making development feedback loops feel almost magical.

Native Node.js offers reliable built-in watch mode:

# Node.js watch capabilities
node --watch app.ts              # Clean process restarts
node --watch --experimental-transform-types complex.ts

# Features:
# - Built into Node.js core
# - Works with all Node.js flags
# - Consistent, predictable behavior

Node.js watch mode provides exactly what you'd expect—fast, reliable file monitoring with clean process restarts that work consistently across different project configurations.

TypeScript feature compatibility

Support for TypeScript's diverse syntax reveals different philosophies about language feature adoption and developer flexibility.

Bun handles comprehensive TypeScript features through intelligent transpilation:

// Bun supports modern TypeScript seamlessly
enum ProjectPhase {
  Planning = 'planning',
  Development = 'development',
  Testing = 'testing'
}

namespace APITypes {
  export interface UserRequest {
    id: string;
    preferences: UserPreferences;
  }

  export class RequestValidator {
    validate(request: UserRequest): boolean {
      return request.id.length > 0;
    }
  }
}

// Decorators work with proper tsconfig setup
@controller('/api')
class UserController {
  constructor(
    private readonly service: UserService,
    public readonly version: number = 1
  ) {}
}

Bun reads your tsconfig.json and respects your compiler options, providing full TypeScript language support without surprises or limitations.

Native Node.js takes a minimalist approach focused on essential features:

// Native Node.js handles basic TypeScript beautifully
interface User {
  name: string;
  email: string;
}

function createUser(userData: User): User {
  return {
    name: userData.name.trim(),
    email: userData.email.toLowerCase()
  };
}

// Advanced features require experimental flags
enum Status {  // Needs --experimental-transform-types
  Active = 'active',
  Inactive = 'inactive'
}

// Some features aren't supported yet
@decorator  // Parser error - not supported
class MyClass {}

Native Node.js prioritizes stability and simplicity, supporting essential TypeScript features while avoiding complex transformations that could introduce bugs or compatibility issues.

Package management and ecosystem integration

Package handling showcases surprisingly diverse ways of managing dependencies and ensuring ecosystem compatibility.

Bun introduces innovative package management that genuinely improves the development experience.

# Bun's integrated package manager
bun install                      # 10-25x faster than npm
bun add react @types/react       # Instant dependency addition
bun update                       # Lightning-fast updates

# Performance benefits:
# - Global cache optimization
# - Parallel processing
# - Intelligent dependency resolution
# - Full npm registry compatibility

Bun's package manager isn't merely faster; it's so significantly quicker that it transforms your development process, removing the usual "npm install coffee break" altogether.

Native Node.js works seamlessly with existing package managers:

# Use your preferred package manager
npm install                      # Traditional approach
yarn install                    # Yarn compatibility
pnpm install                    # pnpm integration

# Everything just works:
# - Perfect ecosystem compatibility
# - Established tooling integration
# - Familiar workflows

Native Node.js maintains perfect compatibility with the entire Node.js ecosystem, ensuring that every package, every tool, and every established pattern works exactly as expected.

Testing and development infrastructure

Testing capabilities show how each runtime approaches the complete development lifecycle and quality assurance workflows.

Bun provides integrated testing platform that eliminates external dependencies:

# Bun's comprehensive testing
bun test                         # Fast native test execution
bun test --watch                 # Integrated watch mode testing
bun test --coverage              # Built-in code coverage

# Features included out of the box:
# - Jest-compatible API for easy migration
# - Snapshot testing capabilities
# - Built-in mocking functionality
# - Parallel test execution for speed

Having testing built directly into the runtime creates a cohesive development experience where everything works together seamlessly without configuration headaches.

Native Node.js offers flexible testing integration:

# Node.js testing options
node --test                      # Built-in test runner
node --test --watch             # Watch mode testing

# Ecosystem integration:
# - Works with existing test frameworks
# - Jest, Mocha, Vitest compatibility
# - Established testing patterns

Native Node.js provides solid built-in testing while maintaining compatibility with the rich ecosystem of testing tools that developers already know and love.

Production deployment and operational considerations

Production readiness reveals different philosophies about deployment strategies and operational requirements.

Bun enables streamlined production deployment with modern approaches:

# Bun production deployment
bun server.ts                    # Direct production execution
bun build ./src --outdir ./dist  # Optional bundling for optimization

# Deployment advantages:
# - Single binary distribution
# - Faster cold start times
# - Reduced memory footprint
# - Built-in performance optimizations

Bun's production story is compelling for new projects, offering performance benefits and simplified deployment, though the ecosystem of production tooling is still developing.

Native Node.js provides battle-tested production reliability:

# Node.js production deployment
node app.ts                      # Direct TypeScript execution (v23.6+)
# Or traditional compilation approach:
tsc && node dist/app.js         # Compiled JavaScript deployment

# Production benefits:
# - Comprehensive monitoring ecosystem
# - Mature operational tooling
# - Well-understood deployment patterns
# - Extensive enterprise support

Native Node.js offers the confidence that comes from running the same runtime that powers millions of production applications, with mature tooling and established best practices.

REPL and interactive development

Interactive development capabilities highlight an interesting gap in both runtimes' feature sets.

Both Bun and Native Node.js currently lack TypeScript REPL support:

# Neither runtime supports interactive TypeScript
bun repl                         # JavaScript REPL only
node                            # JavaScript REPL only

This represents a significant limitation for both runtimes compared to tools like TSX, making interactive TypeScript development and experimentation more challenging.

For interactive TypeScript development, both runtimes require external tools or workarounds, which somewhat diminishes their appeal for exploratory programming and learning scenarios.

Configuration and setup complexity

Setup requirements and configuration management reveal different philosophies about developer onboarding and tool complexity.

Bun emphasizes simplicity with powerful defaults:

# Bun setup is refreshingly simple
curl -fsSL https://bun.sh/install | bash  # Single installation command
bun init                                  # Project initialization with good defaults
bun run app.ts                           # Immediate execution

Bun's approach minimizes configuration complexity while providing intelligent defaults that work well for most TypeScript projects, though some advanced scenarios may require learning new patterns.

Native Node.js offers zero-configuration TypeScript support:

# Node.js TypeScript requires zero setup (v23.6+)
node app.ts                              # Just works
# Advanced features when needed:
node --experimental-transform-types app.ts

Native Node.js provides the ultimate in simplicity—if you have Node.js installed, TypeScript just works without any additional setup, configuration files, or learning curve.

Final thoughts

Bun emerges as the top choice for modern TypeScript development, supported by strong reasons. Native support for TypeScript in Node.js is excellent, marking a significant progress with official support requiring no extra setup.

Got an article suggestion? Let us know

Next article

Bun vs ts-node

Compare Bun vs ts-node for TypeScript execution. Speed, hot reloading, testing integration, and development workflows analyzed for developers.

→

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.