Modularity
- date-fns: date-fns is designed with modularity in mind, allowing developers to import only the specific functions they need. This tree-shaking capability helps reduce the final bundle size, making it a great choice for performance-sensitive applications.
- dayjs: Day.js is also modular, allowing for plugins to be added as needed. However, its core functionality is lightweight, making it easy to get started without unnecessary bloat.
- moment: Moment.js is not modular and includes a lot of built-in functionality, which can lead to larger bundle sizes. It is best used when you need a wide array of features without concern for performance.
- luxon: Luxon is less modular than date-fns but offers a comprehensive API that encompasses a wide range of date manipulation features, making it a one-stop solution for many date-related tasks.
- date-fns-tz: date-fns-tz extends the modularity of date-fns by providing time zone functionalities as separate imports, ensuring that you can keep your bundle size minimal while still handling complex date scenarios.
Time Zone Support
- date-fns: date-fns does not provide built-in time zone support, but it can be extended with date-fns-tz for handling time zones effectively, making it versatile for various applications.
- dayjs: Day.js has a plugin for time zone support, allowing developers to manage time zones effectively, but it requires additional setup compared to libraries with built-in support.
- moment: Moment.js has robust time zone support through the Moment Timezone plugin, allowing for easy manipulation and formatting of dates across various time zones.
- luxon: Luxon has excellent built-in time zone support, making it easy to work with dates and times in different time zones. It automatically handles daylight saving time and provides a clear API for time zone manipulation.
- date-fns-tz: date-fns-tz is specifically designed to handle time zones, providing a seamless way to work with dates in different time zones and ensuring accurate date calculations across regions.
Performance
- date-fns: date-fns is optimized for performance with its functional programming style, allowing for faster execution times and smaller memory usage compared to heavier libraries.
- dayjs: Day.js is designed to be extremely fast and lightweight, making it one of the fastest date manipulation libraries available, which is crucial for performance-critical applications.
- moment: Moment.js is known for its comprehensive features but can be slower and heavier than other libraries, especially in large applications where performance is critical.
- luxon: Luxon's performance is generally good, but it may not match the speed of lighter libraries like Day.js. However, its rich feature set often justifies any minor performance trade-offs.
- date-fns-tz: date-fns-tz maintains the performance characteristics of date-fns while adding time zone capabilities, ensuring that performance remains a strong point even with added complexity.
Localization
- date-fns: date-fns provides localization support, allowing developers to format dates in various languages and cultures, 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 more integrated solutions.
- moment: Moment.js has extensive localization support, with a wide range of languages available out of the box, making it a strong choice for applications that need to cater to diverse audiences.
- luxon: Luxon has built-in support for internationalization (i18n), making it easy to format dates and times according to different locales, which is essential for global applications.
- date-fns-tz: date-fns-tz inherits the localization capabilities of date-fns, ensuring that time zone handling is also culturally relevant and accurate.
Learning Curve
- date-fns: date-fns has a relatively gentle learning curve, especially for developers familiar with functional programming concepts, making it easy to pick up and use effectively.
- dayjs: Day.js is designed to be easy to learn, with a familiar API for those who have used Moment.js, making it an excellent choice for quick adoption.
- moment: Moment.js is widely known and has extensive documentation, making it relatively easy to learn, but its complexity can be overwhelming for newcomers due to its many features.
- luxon: Luxon has a steeper learning curve due to its rich feature set and object-oriented approach, but it provides comprehensive documentation to assist developers in mastering its capabilities.
- date-fns-tz: date-fns-tz is straightforward to learn, particularly for those already familiar with date-fns, as it extends its functionality without introducing significant complexity.