Which is Better JavaScript Date Manipulation Libraries?
date-fns vs dayjs vs moment vs luxon vs date-fns-tz
1 Year
date-fnsdayjsmomentluxondate-fns-tzSimilar Packages:
What's JavaScript Date Manipulation Libraries?

JavaScript date manipulation libraries provide developers with tools to handle, format, and manipulate dates and times in web applications. These libraries aim to simplify the complexities of date operations, such as parsing, formatting, and time zone management, which are often cumbersome with native JavaScript Date objects. By offering a range of functionalities, they enhance productivity and ensure accuracy in date-related tasks, making them essential for any web development project that involves date handling.

NPM Package Downloads Trend
Github Stars Ranking
Stat Detail
Package
Downloads
Stars
Size
Issues
Publish
License
date-fns22,174,92134,60722.6 MB73714 days agoMIT
dayjs21,900,55846,763670 kB1,008a month agoMIT
moment21,683,58947,9624.35 MB2549 months agoMIT
luxon9,437,96415,3094.48 MB1812 months agoMIT
date-fns-tz3,430,6541,057218 kB68a day agoMIT
Feature Comparison: date-fns vs dayjs vs moment vs luxon vs date-fns-tz

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.
How to Choose: date-fns vs dayjs vs moment vs luxon vs date-fns-tz
  • date-fns: Choose date-fns for its modularity and tree-shakable design, allowing you to import only the functions you need, which can lead to smaller bundle sizes. It's ideal for projects that require lightweight date manipulation without the overhead of a larger library.
  • dayjs: Opt for Day.js if you prefer a lightweight alternative to Moment.js with a similar API. It provides a fast and simple way to manipulate dates and is particularly useful for projects where performance and size are critical.
  • moment: Select Moment.js for its comprehensive feature set and widespread adoption, but be cautious of its larger size and performance issues. It's best for legacy projects or when you need extensive functionality without concern for bundle size.
  • luxon: Choose Luxon for its rich feature set and built-in support for internationalization (i18n) and time zones. It's well-suited for applications that require extensive date formatting and manipulation capabilities, especially in a global context.
  • date-fns-tz: Select date-fns-tz if your project requires robust time zone support alongside the functionality of date-fns. It's perfect for applications that need to handle dates across different time zones accurately.
README for date-fns

🔥️ NEW: date-fns v4.0 with first-class time zone support is out!

date-fns

date-fns provides the most comprehensive, yet simple and consistent toolset for manipulating JavaScript dates in a browser & Node.js

👉 Documentation

👉 Blog


It's like Lodash for dates

  • It has 200+ functions for all occasions.
  • Modular: Pick what you need. Works with webpack, Browserify, or Rollup and also supports tree-shaking.
  • Native dates: Uses existing native type. It doesn't extend core objects for safety's sake.
  • Immutable & Pure: Built using pure functions and always returns a new date instance.
  • TypeScript: The library is 100% TypeScript with brand-new handcrafted types.
  • I18n: Dozens of locales. Include only what you need.
  • and many more benefits
import { compareAsc, format } from "date-fns";

format(new Date(2014, 1, 11), "yyyy-MM-dd");
//=> '2014-02-11'

const dates = [
  new Date(1995, 6, 2),
  new Date(1987, 1, 11),
  new Date(1989, 6, 10),
];
dates.sort(compareAsc);
//=> [
//   Wed Feb 11 1987 00:00:00,
//   Mon Jul 10 1989 00:00:00,
//   Sun Jul 02 1995 00:00:00
// ]

The library is available as an npm package. To install the package run:

npm install date-fns --save

Docs

See date-fns.org for more details, API, and other docs.


License

MIT © Sasha Koss