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Bun

Discouraged

Not our default choice. We recommend staying on Node.js unless there is a specific requirement.

What is it​

Bun is an all-in-one JavaScript runtime, bundler, transpiler, and package manager built on JavaScriptCore (Safari's engine). It emphasizes speed and developer experience. Currently at v1.x.

Why it's not our default​

  • Younger ecosystem — Bun is newer than Node.js and Deno; some APIs are still marked as experimental or incomplete.
  • Node.js compatibility gaps — while Bun aims for Node.js compatibility, edge cases exist with native modules, streams, and some npm packages.
  • Limited production track record — fewer large-scale production deployments compared to Node.js means less battle-tested reliability.
  • CI/CD support — not pre-installed on most hosted runners; requires an extra install step.
  • Team expertise — Aliz teams are standardized on Node.js; introducing Bun adds cognitive overhead.

When it makes sense​

  • Performance-critical scripts — short-lived scripts or dev tooling where Bun's startup speed is a measurable benefit.
  • Client mandates Bun — if the client's infrastructure is already Bun-based.
  • Experimentation / prototyping — quick prototypes where all-in-one tooling simplifies setup.

Alternative​

Node.js with our standard npm toolchain.

Resources​