Mutability
- date-fns:
date-fns functions return new date instances rather than modifying the original, promoting immutability and making it easier to reason about date manipulations without side effects.
- dayjs:
Day.js is designed to be immutable as well, ensuring that date objects remain unchanged after operations, which is beneficial for maintaining predictable state in applications.
- moment:
Moment.js, while it has mutable objects, encourages immutability through its chaining methods. However, it is less strict about immutability compared to the other libraries.
- luxon:
Luxon also follows immutability principles, ensuring that any date manipulation returns a new instance, which helps in maintaining a clean and predictable codebase.
- @js-joda/core:
@js-joda/core emphasizes immutability, meaning that once a date object is created, it cannot be changed. This leads to safer code as it prevents unintended side effects from modifying date objects.
Localization
- date-fns:
date-fns offers robust localization capabilities, allowing developers to format dates in various locales easily, making it suitable for international applications.
- dayjs:
Day.js supports localization through plugins, enabling developers to format dates according to different locales, though it may require additional setup compared to others.
- moment:
Moment.js has comprehensive localization support, allowing for easy formatting and parsing of dates in various languages and regions, though it is heavier than some alternatives.
- luxon:
Luxon excels in localization and internationalization, providing built-in support for time zones and locale-aware formatting, making it ideal for applications that require extensive localization features.
- @js-joda/core:
@js-joda/core provides limited localization features, focusing more on date manipulation rather than extensive localization support.
Performance
- date-fns:
date-fns is lightweight and modular, allowing developers to include only the functions they need, which can significantly improve performance in applications.
- dayjs:
Day.js is extremely lightweight and fast, making it one of the most performant libraries for date manipulation, especially in smaller projects or where performance is critical.
- moment:
Moment.js is known for its extensive features but has been criticized for its larger size and performance overhead, making it less suitable for modern applications that prioritize performance.
- luxon:
Luxon, while feature-rich, may have a slightly larger footprint due to its extensive capabilities, but it is still performant for most use cases, especially where time zone handling is required.
- @js-joda/core:
@js-joda/core is optimized for performance with immutable data structures, making it efficient for complex date manipulations without the overhead of mutable state.
Learning Curve
- date-fns:
date-fns has a gentle learning curve due to its functional approach, making it easy to understand and use for developers familiar with JavaScript functions.
- dayjs:
Day.js is designed to be simple and intuitive, making it easy to pick up for developers transitioning from Moment.js or those new to date libraries.
- moment:
Moment.js has a well-documented API, making it relatively easy to learn, especially for beginners. However, its complexity can increase with advanced features.
- luxon:
Luxon has a steeper learning curve due to its rich feature set and reliance on the Intl API, but it offers powerful capabilities for those willing to invest time in learning it.
- @js-joda/core:
@js-joda/core has a moderate learning curve, especially for developers familiar with Java's Joda-Time library, but its API is straightforward for those new to date manipulation.
