Which is Better JavaScript Date and Time Libraries?
date-fns vs luxon vs react-intl vs intl
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What's JavaScript Date and Time Libraries?

JavaScript date and time libraries are essential tools for managing, manipulating, and formatting dates and times in web applications. These libraries provide functionalities that simplify the complexities of date handling, such as parsing, formatting, localization, and time zone management. By utilizing these libraries, developers can ensure consistent date and time representation across different locales and handle various date-related operations efficiently, enhancing user experience and application reliability.

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date-fns23,557,35634,87322.6 MB7632 months agoMIT
luxon9,827,08415,4284.48 MB1833 months agoMIT
react-intl1,590,21214,324277 kB3012 days agoBSD-3-Clause
intl538,9121,697-798 years agoMIT
Feature Comparison: date-fns vs luxon vs react-intl vs intl

Modularity

  • date-fns: date-fns is designed with modularity in mind, allowing developers to import only the specific functions they need. This results in smaller bundle sizes and improved performance, as it avoids loading unnecessary code.
  • luxon: Luxon is a more monolithic library compared to date-fns, but it provides a rich set of features out of the box. It is not as modular, but it offers a cohesive API for handling dates, times, and durations effectively.
  • react-intl: react-intl is modular in the sense that you can use only the components and APIs necessary for your React application. However, it is tightly integrated with React, making it less flexible if you are not using React.
  • intl: The Intl API is not modular in the same sense as date-fns; it provides a comprehensive set of internationalization features built into JavaScript. This means you have access to all functionalities without the need for additional imports, but it lacks the granularity of function selection.

Time Zone Support

  • date-fns: date-fns has limited time zone support. While it can handle date manipulations, it does not natively support time zones. Developers often need to combine it with other libraries like `date-fns-tz` for comprehensive time zone handling.
  • luxon: Luxon excels in time zone support, allowing developers to easily work with dates and times in different time zones. It provides a robust API for converting between time zones and handling daylight saving time changes seamlessly.
  • react-intl: react-intl leverages the Intl API for time zone support, allowing for localized date formatting based on the user's locale and time zone. However, it is primarily focused on formatting rather than manipulation.
  • intl: The Intl API provides basic time zone support through the `Intl.DateTimeFormat` object, allowing for localized date and time formatting based on the user's time zone. However, it does not offer extensive manipulation capabilities.

Localization

  • date-fns: date-fns provides localization support through its built-in locale files. Developers can easily format dates according to different locales, making it suitable for applications with international audiences.
  • luxon: Luxon has strong localization capabilities, allowing developers to format dates and times according to various locales. It also supports custom formatting options, making it versatile for different use cases.
  • react-intl: react-intl is built for localization in React applications, providing components and APIs that facilitate the formatting of dates, numbers, and strings based on the user's locale. It simplifies the process of creating multilingual applications.
  • intl: The Intl API is specifically designed for internationalization, offering extensive localization features for formatting dates, numbers, and currencies. It is a powerful choice for applications that need to cater to diverse user bases.

Learning Curve

  • date-fns: date-fns has a relatively low learning curve due to its functional programming style and straightforward API. Developers familiar with JavaScript can quickly grasp its usage and start implementing it in their projects.
  • luxon: Luxon has a moderate learning curve. While it offers a rich API, developers may need some time to familiarize themselves with its concepts and methods, especially for advanced date manipulations and time zone handling.
  • react-intl: react-intl has a learning curve similar to other React libraries. Developers familiar with React will find it relatively easy to integrate and use, but they may need to understand localization concepts to utilize its full potential.
  • intl: The Intl API is part of the JavaScript standard, so developers familiar with the language can easily learn to use it. However, its functionalities may require some understanding of internationalization concepts.

Extensibility

  • date-fns: date-fns is highly extensible through its modular design, allowing developers to create custom functions or use additional libraries to enhance its capabilities without bloating the main library.
  • luxon: Luxon is extensible to some extent, allowing developers to create custom formatting functions or extend its capabilities. However, it is primarily designed to be a comprehensive solution out of the box.
  • react-intl: react-intl is extensible within the React ecosystem. Developers can create custom components or integrate it with other libraries to enhance its functionality, particularly for specific localization needs.
  • intl: The Intl API is not designed for extensibility; it provides a fixed set of functionalities. However, developers can build on top of it by combining it with other libraries for more advanced features.
How to Choose: date-fns vs luxon vs react-intl vs intl
  • date-fns: Choose date-fns if you prefer a lightweight, modular approach to date manipulation. It offers a functional programming style and allows you to import only the functions you need, minimizing bundle size.
  • luxon: Choose Luxon if you require a comprehensive solution for date and time manipulation with time zone support. It is built on the modern JavaScript Date API and provides a rich API for working with dates, times, and durations, making it ideal for complex date handling.
  • react-intl: Choose react-intl if you are building a React application that requires internationalization. It provides components and APIs for formatting dates, numbers, and strings in a way that respects the user's locale, making it easy to create multilingual applications.
  • intl: Choose Intl if you need built-in internationalization support for formatting dates, numbers, and currencies. It is part of the ECMAScript Internationalization API, making it a good choice for applications that require native support without additional dependencies.
Similar Npm Packages to date-fns

date-fns is a popular JavaScript library for manipulating and formatting dates. It provides a comprehensive set of functions that allow developers to work with dates in a functional programming style. With its modular approach, you can import only the functions you need, making it lightweight and efficient. date-fns is known for its simplicity and ease of use, making it a great choice for both small and large projects.

While date-fns is a powerful option for date manipulation, there are several alternatives in the JavaScript ecosystem that also provide date handling capabilities. Here are a few notable alternatives:

  • datejs is a JavaScript library that provides a comprehensive set of date manipulation functions. It offers a simple and intuitive API for parsing, formatting, and manipulating dates. datejs is particularly useful for developers who need to work with various date formats and perform complex date calculations. However, it may not be as lightweight as some other libraries, making it more suitable for projects where extensive date manipulation is required.

  • dayjs is a minimalist JavaScript library that offers a simple and fast alternative to Moment.js. It has a similar API to Moment.js, making it easy to switch for those familiar with it. dayjs is designed to be small in size and provides a wide range of date manipulation functions. If you're looking for a lightweight library with a familiar API, dayjs is an excellent choice.

  • luxon is a powerful library for working with dates and times in JavaScript. It is built on the modern JavaScript Date API and provides a rich set of features for date manipulation, formatting, and time zone handling. luxon is particularly useful for applications that require robust time zone support and internationalization. If your project involves complex date and time requirements, luxon is a strong contender.

  • moment is one of the most well-known date manipulation libraries in the JavaScript ecosystem. It provides a comprehensive set of features for parsing, validating, manipulating, and formatting dates. However, it has become less favored in recent years due to its larger size and performance concerns compared to newer libraries. While moment is still widely used, developers are increasingly turning to lighter alternatives like date-fns and dayjs.

To see how date-fns compares with datejs, dayjs, luxon, and moment, check out the comparison: Comparing date-fns vs datejs vs dayjs vs luxon vs moment.

Similar Npm Packages to luxon

luxon is a powerful library for working with dates and times in JavaScript. It provides a comprehensive set of features for parsing, formatting, and manipulating dates and times, making it an excellent choice for applications that require robust date handling. Luxon is built on the modern JavaScript Date API and offers a more intuitive and user-friendly interface compared to the native Date object. It also supports time zones, which is a significant advantage for applications that need to handle dates and times across different regions.

While Luxon is a great option for date and time manipulation, there are several alternatives that developers can consider:

  • date-fns is a popular library that offers a modular approach to date manipulation. It provides a wide range of functions for formatting, parsing, and manipulating dates, allowing developers to import only the functions they need. This modularity helps keep bundle sizes small and improves performance. If you prefer a functional programming style and want to avoid the overhead of a large library, date-fns is an excellent choice.
  • dayjs is another lightweight alternative to Luxon that offers a simple and elegant API for date manipulation. It is designed to be a drop-in replacement for Moment.js, providing similar functionality with a much smaller footprint. Day.js is particularly useful for projects that require a minimalistic approach to date handling without sacrificing performance. Its API is easy to use, making it a great choice for developers looking for a straightforward solution.

To see how Luxon compares with date-fns and dayjs, check out the comparison: Comparing luxon vs date-fns vs dayjs.

Similar Npm Packages to react-intl

react-intl is a popular internationalization (i18n) library for React applications. It provides a set of components and APIs to help developers easily format dates, numbers, and strings in a way that is appropriate for different locales. With react-intl, you can create multilingual applications that cater to a global audience, making it easier to manage translations and localization.

While react-intl is a robust solution for internationalization, there are other libraries that offer similar functionalities. Here are a few alternatives:

  • react-i18next is a powerful internationalization framework for React based on the i18next ecosystem. It provides a comprehensive set of features for managing translations, including support for dynamic loading of translations, pluralization, and interpolation. react-i18next is particularly well-suited for applications that require advanced i18n capabilities and flexibility. Its integration with React hooks makes it easy to use in functional components, and it supports a wide range of languages and translation formats.

  • react-intl-universal is another internationalization library that aims to provide a simple and universal solution for managing translations in React applications. It allows developers to load translation files dynamically and supports multiple languages out of the box. react-intl-universal is designed to be lightweight and easy to integrate, making it a good choice for projects that need a straightforward approach to internationalization without the overhead of more complex libraries.

To see how react-intl compares with react-i18next and react-intl-universal, check out the comparison: Comparing react-i18next vs react-intl vs react-intl-universal.

Similar Npm Packages to intl

intl is a JavaScript library that provides internationalization (i18n) support for applications. It enables developers to format dates, numbers, and currencies according to the user's locale, making it easier to create applications that cater to a global audience. While intl offers robust internationalization features, there are several alternatives in the ecosystem that also provide similar capabilities. Here are a few notable options:

  • date-fns is a modern JavaScript date utility library that provides a comprehensive set of functions for manipulating and formatting dates. Unlike intl, which focuses on internationalization, date-fns offers a modular approach to date manipulation, allowing developers to import only the functions they need. This results in a smaller bundle size and better performance. If your application requires extensive date manipulation without the overhead of a full internationalization library, date-fns is an excellent choice.
  • luxon is a powerful library for working with dates and times in JavaScript. It was created by one of the Moment.js maintainers and is designed to handle time zones, durations, and intervals with ease. luxon provides a rich API for formatting and parsing dates, making it a great alternative to intl for applications that require advanced date and time handling. If you need to manage time zones or perform complex date calculations, luxon is a highly recommended option.
  • react-intl is a library specifically designed for React applications that need internationalization support. It builds on the intl API and provides components and hooks to manage translations, formatting, and locale-specific data directly within React components. If you are building a React application and need to implement internationalization, react-intl offers a seamless integration with the React ecosystem, making it easier to manage translations and formatting.

To see how these libraries compare, check out the comparison: Comparing date-fns vs intl vs luxon vs react-intl.

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

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