esbuild
Fast JavaScript and TypeScript bundler and minifier written in Go.
Recommended for its speed and narrow, single-purpose scope,12 and for working as a Go library for type stripping and custom build pipelines.345 Commenters raise few complaints, and it best suits Go developers building JavaScript or TypeScript apps.67
Why people recommend it
Go integration · 3
It can be used directly inside Go programs, for example to strip TypeScript types on the fly.
“In golang I use the go package github.com/evanw/esbuild[1] to do type stripping on the fly.”
“esbuild can be used directly inside a Go program”
Show 1 more
“Esbuild is amazing. You can write entire dev servers and build pipelines in a couple hundred lines of Go”
Speed · 1
As a non-JS bundler it is fast enough that build speed stops being a concern.
“I use the non-JS ones (esbuild, parcel, bun, etc.) and they're fast enough for me to not care.”
Limited scope · 1
Valued as a single-use tool with a limited scope.
“I love single-use tools with limited scope like e.g. esbuild”
Build control · 1
Lets you write dev servers and build pipelines with hot reloading in a few hundred lines of Go.
“Esbuild is amazing. You can write entire dev servers and build pipelines in a couple hundred lines of Go”
Caveats and dissent
Go module setup · 1
Using it from a Go script requires a go.mod file because it is a dependency.
“esbuild can be used directly inside a Go program”
Who recommends it in their own words
Threads where it came up
- Choose Boring Technology (2015) 1 mention
- Why Vanilla JavaScript 1 mention
- Bombadil: Property-based testing for web UIs by Antithesis 1 mention
- The Performance Revolution in JavaScript Tooling 1 mention
- Go Away Python 1 mention
Data: esbuild.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 5
“I use the non-JS ones (esbuild, parcel, bun, etc.) and they're fast enough for me to not care.”
“In golang I use the go package github.com/evanw/esbuild[1] to do type stripping on the fly.”
“I love single-use tools with limited scope like e.g. esbuild”
“Esbuild is amazing. You can write entire dev servers and build pipelines in a couple hundred lines of Go”
“esbuild can be used directly inside a Go program”