esbuild vs ncc
esbuild
esbuild.github.ioncc
github.comSide by side
| Figure | esbuild | ncc |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · JavaScript Build Tools | 8.4 (#3) | 8.2 (#5) |
| Installation | The recommended installation method is the native executable installed using npm. | The README gives `npm i -g @vercel/ncc` as the installation command. |
| Integrations | The FAQ names Vite, Amazon CDK, and Phoenix as projects that use esbuild. | The package support guide gives configuration examples for Sequelize with MariaDB and for `@google-cloud/vision` with `google-proto-files`. |
| License | The repository provides esbuild under the MIT License, which permits use, copying, modification, distribution, sublicensing, and sale subject to the license conditions. | The repository lists an MIT license. |
| Purpose | esbuild is an extremely fast bundler for the web designed to improve build tool performance and be easy to use. | ncc is a CLI that compiles a Node.js module and its dependencies into a single file. |
Plans
In their own words
esbuild
esbuild is a free bundler for web projects, designed to improve build-tool performance while remaining easy to use. It bundles ESM and CommonJS modules, including CSS modules, with built-in support for JavaScript, CSS, TypeScript and JSX. Optimization features include tree shaking, minification and source maps; development tools include a local server, watch mode and plugins. Developers can use the command-line, JavaScript or Go interface. The recommended installation is the native executable installed with npm. An alternative WebAssembly package works across platforms, though it can be substantially slower than the native package. esbuild is MIT-licensed. It does not type-check TypeScript, and its FAQ recommends running tsc separately. The FAQ describes code-splitting support as primitive. The maintainer says the project receives periodic releases and is maintained, but active feature development is not underway. The FAQ also notes that a project primarily built by one developer may not fit organizations seeking a larger or more active community.
ncc
ncc is a free, MIT-licensed command-line tool for compiling a Node.js module and its dependencies into one file. It is distributed through npm as `@vercel/ncc`, with `npm i -g @vercel/ncc` given as the global installation command. The project targets publishing minimal npm packages and sending only relevant application code to serverless environments. Its design goals include zero configuration, built-in TypeScript support, and handling Node.js programs and npm modules. Inputs can include TypeScript, binary addons, and dynamic requires. Build options cover minification, source maps, watched builds, external modules, and ECMAScript target selection. Node.js programs can call ncc programmatically with options for caching, externals, minification, source maps, and asset builds. `.ts` and `.tsx` inputs require a `tsconfig.json`. Module-format behavior includes automatic ES module output for `.mjs` files and `.js` files inside a `type: module` package boundary. Support examples cover Sequelize with MariaDB and `@google-cloud/vision` with `google-proto-files`. Dynamically loaded assets that static analysis cannot identify may not work correctly. It runs on Linux.