Deno
A JavaScript and TypeScript runtime with built-in tooling and a permission-based security model.
Liked for its security model and permissions123, built-in tooling like deno fmt and deno lint456, and compiling TypeScript into standalone executables.789 The most common worries are its future after news that development is ending101112 and regressions or papercuts in Node compatibility.131415
Why people recommend it
Built-in tooling · 3
Commenters praise the developer experience and bundled tools such as the formatter, linter and standard library, which mean fewer extra dependencies.
“the built-in formatter (deno fmt) is great too”
“I use Deno and run 'deno lint' as part of the build. It doesn't allow 'any'.”
Show 1 more
Security model · 3
Its permissions and security posture are a main reason some commenters pick it over Node.
“I love Deno's UX and tooling, but the security benefits Deno has over Node are still the number one reason, we're picking Deno over Node at work.”
“I love their model, security posture, and the standard library.”
Show 1 more
“There is already a strong, safe runtime that's not vibe coded, called Deno, that more people need to check out.”
Production reliability · 3
Users running real services report few issues, and say npm support has been smooth for about the last year.
“I use it for several applications (frontend, backend, CLIs) in production settings, and it has been excellent.”
“It's been pretty smooth sailing for the last year or so though.”
Show 1 more
Executable compilation · 3
deno compile is used to ship server apps, game sidecars and internal tools as single binaries.
“for my server-side apps, I just use Deno and compile my executable that way”
Show 1 more
“I use it for several applications (frontend, backend, CLIs) in production settings, and it has been excellent.”
Agent sandboxing · 3
Its permissions make it a runtime for embedding in agent platforms and as a safer sandbox for AI-run code.
“a script wrapping Deno with the same read/write permissions (safer substitute for `python -c`)”
“I’ve been using Deno for years and recently embedding the runtime into applications/platforms for agents. I’ll continue to use it”
Show 1 more
“Deno is by far my favourite JS runtime.”
Scripting · 2
Commenters use it for quick TypeScript scripts, sometimes paired with zx.
“deno + ts + zx was a game changer for me”
“I love Deno's UX and tooling, but the security benefits Deno has over Node are still the number one reason, we're picking Deno over Node at work.”
Caveats and dissent
Uncertain future · 3
Several commenters are worried after news that Deno is shutting down or will not be developed further.
“Deno is by far my favourite JS runtime.”
“I’ve been using Deno for years and recently embedding the runtime into applications/platforms for agents. I’ll continue to use it”
Show 1 more
“I'm happy that the Deno team found a suitable home.”
Node compatibility · 3
Users report Node compat regressions, papercuts like required .ts import extensions, and a tacked-on feel.
“nowadays I'm disappointed in their lackluster approach to stability and testing (specifically in Node compat)”
“Deno felt to me like they were building a parallel ecosystem that I don't have a ton of conviction in”
Show 1 more
“It's a bit of tacked on mess now.”
Smaller adoption · 3
Some see libraries moving to Bun rather than Deno, and doubt its parallel ecosystem such as JSR.
“Deno felt to me like they were building a parallel ecosystem that I don't have a ton of conviction in”
Show 1 more
“I used Deno because it had an interesting approach to permissions, dependencies, etc.”
Hard to build · 1
Building from source took hours of crate downloads and about 16 to 20 GB of disk space.
“This software is a beast to build and package.”
Large binaries · 1
One user found compiled executables were big.
“before I used it to ship some stuff but binaries were big”
Cloud functions · 1
One user left because cloud functions had weak separation between dev and prod.
“I have switched entirely away from anything deno”
Often compared with
Who recommends it in their own words
From the makers not counted in the ranking
“Disclaimer: I'm the author of the linked PR.”
Threads where it came up
- Cloudflare acquires Deno 10 mentions
- Deno 2.9 4 mentions
- Deno Desktop 4 mentions
- 404 Deno CEO not found 2 mentions
- Friendship ended with Deno, now Node is my best friend 1 mention
- Ask HN: What are you working on? (September 2026) 1 mention
Data: deno.json. Quotes are verbatim; the verdict and theme labels are written by a model from these comments, and every clause links to its sources.
All comments 35
“I used Deno because it had an interesting approach to permissions, dependencies, etc.”
“I love Deno's UX and tooling, but the security benefits Deno has over Node are still the number one reason, we're picking Deno over Node at work.”
“I hope to god deno keeps going.”
“I’ve been using Deno for years and recently embedding the runtime into applications/platforms for agents. I’ll continue to use it”
“Deno is by far my favourite JS runtime.”
“I'm happy that the Deno team found a suitable home.”
“I love their model, security posture, and the standard library.”
“It's been pretty smooth sailing for the last year or so though.”
“I mean I used to do a lot of things I'm glad I don't have to anymore.”
“I use Deno daily”
“the built-in formatter (deno fmt) is great too”
“for my server-side apps, I just use Deno and compile my executable that way”
“I use Deno and run 'deno lint' as part of the build. It doesn't allow 'any'.”
“a script wrapping Deno with the same read/write permissions (safer substitute for `python -c`)”
“it didnt have the weirdness of deno”
“Deno has never got in my way.”
“invoking an error using deno”
“nowadays I'm disappointed in their lackluster approach to stability and testing (specifically in Node compat)”
“while Deno is not”
“I use it for several applications (frontend, backend, CLIs) in production settings, and it has been excellent.”
“before I used it to ship some stuff but binaries were big”
“May integrate move from Bun to using Deno here”
“It's a bit of tacked on mess now.”
“deno + ts + zx was a game changer for me”
“There is already a strong, safe runtime that's not vibe coded, called Deno, that more people need to check out.”
“This software is a beast to build and package.”
“Deno's LLM contributions have been smaller in scope, so they're more likely to be reviewed by a human, and the codebase remains understood by its contributors.”
“I'm piping sensor readings into duckdb with a deno server”
“I would say that Deno has been more a force for bettering the ecosystem than not.”
“I have switched entirely away from anything deno”
“I use Bun or Deno for my projects.”
“What would be the fastest new combo? TS+Svelte+deno?”
“In theory, this package can be used by Python projects (like yt-dlp) that require an external JS engine.”
“Deno hosting/the way deno works is another good interesting tidbit for sandboxing.”
“Deno felt to me like they were building a parallel ecosystem that I don't have a ton of conviction in”