Popular JavaScript Runtimes Used in 2024
![](https://geekszine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/popular-javascript-runtimes-2024.jpg)
JavaScript runtimes are essential environments where JavaScript code is executed and in 2024, there seems to be a race, not just that we see tons of upgrades by the communities over the course of time. They provide the necessary features and APIs for JavaScript programs to run efficiently outside of a web browser context. Here’s a detailed review of some of the popular JavaScript runtimes, highlighting their features, use cases, and providing code examples where applicable.
Each JavaScript runtime has its unique strengths and use cases:
- Node.js: Best for traditional server-side applications and extensive ecosystem requirements.
- Deno: Ideal for secure, modern applications with native TypeScript support.
- Bun: Focuses on performance and efficiency, suitable for high-performance web servers.
- GraalVM: Excellent for polyglot applications and high-performance needs with language interoperability.
1. Node.js
Node.js is the most popular JavaScript runtime. It allows developers to run JavaScript on the server side, providing an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model that makes it lightweight and efficient. Node.js uses the V8 JavaScript engine developed by Google for Chrome:
- Event-driven architecture: Handles multiple connections concurrently using event-driven callbacks
- Non-blocking I/O: Facilitates scalable network applications
- Rich ecosystem: Access to npm, the largest package repository
- Cross-platform: Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux
Use Cases:
- Web servers and APIs
- Real-time applications (e.g., chat applications)
- Command-line tools
- Microservices
// A simple HTTP server using Node.js
const http = require('http');
const hostname = '127.0.0.1';
const port = 3000;
const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
res.statusCode = 200;
res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'text/plain');
res.end('Hello, World!\n');
});
server.listen(port, hostname, () => {
console.log(`Server running at http://${hostname}:${port}/`);
});
2. Deno
Deno is a modern runtime for JavaScript and TypeScript built by Ryan Dahl, the original creator of Node.js. Deno aims to address some of the design flaws in Node.js, offering a secure and developer-friendly experience:
- Secure by default: Runs code in a sandbox environment with explicit permissions.
- Supports TypeScript: Built-in TypeScript support without additional configuration.
- Single executable: Ships as a single executable file.
- Standard modules: Offers a set of audited standard modules for common tasks.
- V8 engine: Uses the V8 engine for execution.
Use Cases
- Secure server-side applications
- CLI tools
- Scripting
// A simple HTTP server using Deno
import { serve } from "https://deno.land/[email protected]/http/server.ts";
const handler = (request: Request): Response => {
return new Response("Hello, World!", { status: 200 });
};
console.log("Server running on http://localhost:8000");
serve(handler);
3. Bun
Bun is a fast JavaScript runtime, bundler, and package manager. It is designed to be a drop-in replacement for existing tools with a focus on performance. Bun aims to provide a high-performance runtime that is highly compatible with Node.js:
- Performance: Optimized for speed and efficiency.
- All-in-one tool: Includes a runtime, bundler, and package manager.
- Node.js compatibility: Aims to support most Node.js APIs and npm packages.
- Modern development: Written in Zig, a modern systems programming language.
Use Cases
- High-performance web servers
- Development tools
- Web applications
// A simple HTTP server using Bun
import { serve } from "bun";
const server = serve({
fetch(req) {
return new Response("Hello, World!", {
headers: { "Content-Type": "text/plain" },
});
},
port: 3000,
});
console.log("Server running at http://localhost:3000/");
4. GraalVM
GraalVM is a high-performance runtime that supports multiple programming languages, including JavaScript. It allows running JavaScript code alongside other languages like Java, Python, and Ruby, offering interoperability and high performance:
- Polyglot: Supports multiple languages.
- High performance: Uses advanced optimizations and just-in-time compilation.
- Interoperability: Seamlessly integrates with other languages and JVM-based applications.
- Native image: Can compile JavaScript code to native binaries.
Use Cases
- Polyglot applications
- High-performance server-side applications
- Microservices
- Integration with JVM-based ecosystems
// JavaScript code running on GraalVM
print('Hello, World!');