esbuild vs vite | JavaScript Build Tools Comparison

Package	Downloads	Stars	Size	Issues	Publish	License

esbuild	67,163,846	39,179	135 kB	562	15 days ago	MIT
vite	33,710,123	74,513	2.27 MB	636	10 days ago	MIT

Package

Downloads

Stars

Size

Issues

Publish

License

esbuild

67,163,846

39,179

135 kB

562

15 days ago

MIT

vite

33,710,123

74,513

2.27 MB

636

10 days ago

MIT

Build Speed

esbuild:
esbuild is known for its lightning-fast build times, especially for large projects. Its performance is due to being written in Go and using parallel processing, making it one of the fastest bundlers available.
vite:
vite provides extremely fast builds during development by serving files over native ES modules. For production, it uses esbuild for bundling, ensuring quick build times while maintaining high efficiency.

Development Experience

esbuild:
esbuild focuses on fast bundling and minification, but it does not provide a development server or hot module replacement (HMR) out of the box. It is primarily used as a build tool in CI/CD pipelines.
vite:
vite offers a superior development experience with a built-in development server, instant HMR, and support for modern JavaScript features. It is designed to enhance productivity during the development phase.

Configuration

esbuild:
esbuild has a simple and minimal configuration model, making it easy to set up for quick builds. However, it lacks some advanced features that require more complex configurations.
vite:
vite provides a flexible and extensible configuration system, allowing for easy customization and integration with plugins. It supports both simple and complex configurations, making it suitable for a wide range of projects.

Plugin Ecosystem

esbuild:
esbuild has a growing ecosystem of plugins, but it is still limited compared to more established tools. Its plugin architecture is simple and efficient, allowing for quick integration of third-party plugins.
vite:
vite boasts a rich and rapidly growing plugin ecosystem, thanks to its popularity and flexibility. It supports a wide range of plugins, including those for CSS, images, and more, making it highly extensible.

Code Splitting

esbuild:
esbuild supports code splitting out of the box, allowing for more efficient bundling and loading of JavaScript modules. This feature helps reduce the initial load time of applications by splitting the code into smaller chunks.
vite:
vite also supports code splitting, leveraging native ES module features during development and esbuild for production. This results in efficient bundling and optimized loading of JavaScript files.

Ease of Use: Code Examples

esbuild:

Basic esbuild Configuration

const esbuild = require('esbuild');
esbuild.build({
  entryPoints: ['src/index.js'],
  bundle: true,
  outfile: 'dist/bundle.js',
}).catch(() => process.exit(1));

vite:

Basic vite Configuration

import { defineConfig } from 'vite';
export default defineConfig({
  server: {
    port: 3000,
  },
});