Awesome Bun

Overview

Awesome Bun is the official curated list of resources for Bun, an incredibly fast JavaScript runtime that combines runtime, bundler, test runner, and package manager into a single tool. Bun aims to be a drop-in replacement for Node.js with significantly better performance.

Features

• Fast Runtime: Built on JavaScriptCore for extreme performance
• Built-in Bundler: No need for Webpack or esbuild
• Native TypeScript: Run TS files directly without transpiling
• Fast Package Manager: 10-100x faster than npm
• Web APIs: Native implementation of fetch, WebSocket, etc.
• Hot Reloading: Built-in watch mode
• Test Runner: Fast, Jest-compatible testing
• SQLite Built-in: Native database support

Getting Started

Installation

curl -fsSL https://bun.sh/install | bash

Basic Usage

• bun run file.ts - Run TypeScript directly
• bun install - Install dependencies
• bun test - Run tests
• bun build - Bundle for production

Frameworks

Web Frameworks

Hono

• Ultrafast web framework
• Works on Cloudflare Workers, Deno, and Bun
• Express-like API
• Middleware support
• TypeScript-first

Elysia

• Fast and friendly Bun web framework
• Type-safe by design
• OpenAPI documentation
• Validation and schema

Bun-Bakery

• Web framework built for Bun
• Simple and intuitive API
• High performance

Vixeny

• Pure functional web framework
• Works with Bun and Deno
• Composable routing

Full-Stack Frameworks

King Stack

• Full-stack TypeScript framework
• Built for Bun
• Modern development experience

Bun + React

• React integration with Bun
• Fast HMR
• Optimized builds

Libraries and Tools

Database

• Bun:sqlite: Built-in SQLite support
• Drizzle ORM: TypeScript ORM for Bun
• Prisma: Database toolkit with Bun support
• bun-mongodb: MongoDB driver for Bun

Testing

• Bun Test: Built-in Jest-compatible test runner
• bun:test: Native testing API
• Mock Functions: Built-in mocking

HTTP and APIs

• Hono: Lightweight web framework
• tRPC: Type-safe API layer
• GraphQL: GraphQL server implementations
• WebSockets: Native WebSocket support

Utilities

• bun-types: TypeScript definitions
• bun-utilities: Common utilities
• bun-plugin-*: Various plugins

Performance Benefits

Speed Comparisons

• Runtime: 3-4x faster than Node.js
• Package Manager: 10-100x faster than npm
• Bundler: Faster than Webpack, Rollup, Parcel
• Test Runner: Faster than Jest

Optimization Features

• JavaScriptCore engine (WebKit)
• Zig programming language (low-level)
• Native code for hot paths
• Optimized memory usage
• Fast startup time

APIs and Compatibility

Web APIs

• fetch: Native implementation
• WebSocket: Built-in support
• ReadableStream: Streams API
• FormData, Blob, File: Web platform APIs

Node.js Compatibility

• Most npm packages work
• Node.js API compatibility layer
• CommonJS and ESM support
• node: prefix support

Bun-Specific APIs

• Bun.serve: High-performance HTTP server
• Bun.file: Fast file operations
• Bun.write: Efficient file writing
• Bun.spawn: Process spawning
• Bun.password: Password hashing
• Bun.sleep: Async sleep

Deployment

Hosting Platforms

• Fly.io: Deploy Bun apps
• Railway: Bun support
• Render: Bun deployment
• Vercel: Edge runtime with Bun
• Cloudflare Workers: Bun compatibility

Docker

• Official Bun Docker images
• Multi-stage builds
• Optimized layers

Use Cases

Perfect For

• REST APIs and web services
• Full-stack applications
• CLI tools
• Serverless functions
• Scripts and automation
• Microservices

When to Consider Alternatives

• Production apps requiring battle-tested runtime
• Projects with Node.js-specific dependencies
• Teams unfamiliar with Bun ecosystem

Migration from Node.js

Easy Wins

• Replace npm install with bun install
• Run scripts with bun run
• Use bun test instead of Jest
• Bundle with bun build

Considerations

• Test compatibility of dependencies
• Update CI/CD pipelines
• Verify native module support
• Check platform-specific features

Community and Resources

Official

• bun.sh - Official website
• GitHub - Source code
• Discord - Community chat
• Documentation - Official docs

Learning Resources

• Bun tutorials and guides
• Video courses
• Blog posts and articles
• Example projects

Best Practices

• Use TypeScript for better DX
• Leverage built-in APIs
• Optimize with native features
• Test with bun test
• Monitor performance benefits
• Stay updated with releases

Pricing

Bun is free and open-source under MIT license.