DevTools VS

esbuild vs webpack

Updated Mar 4, 2026

Quick Verdict

webpack has 1.7x more GitHub stars, while esbuild has 3.1x more weekly downloads.

GitHub Stars
esbuild 39.8K
vs
webpack 66.0K
Downloads/wk
esbuild 129.8M
vs
webpack 41.7M
Contributors
esbuild 124
vs
webpack 971
Bundle Size
esbuild N/A
vs
webpack 853.6 KB

esbuild

Website

An extremely fast JavaScript and CSS bundler written in Go

bundlerfastgominifier

webpack

Website

A module bundler for modern JavaScript applications

bundlermodulesloadersplugins

Detailed Comparison

Side-by-side metrics from GitHub and npm

Metric
esbuild
webpack
GitHub Stars
39.8K
66.0K
Weekly Downloads
129.8M
41.7M
Forks
1.3K
9.3K
Open Issues
601
202
Contributors
124
971
Bundle Size (gzip)
N/A
853.6 KB
Dependencies
0
25
Latest Version
0.27.3
5.105.4
Last Commit
Feb 5, 2026
Mar 4, 2026
License
MIT
MIT
First Published
Nov 26, 2017
Mar 11, 2012

Download Trends

Weekly npm downloads over the past 52 weeks

Feature Comparison

Framework capabilities at a glance

Feature
esbuild
webpack
Hmr
Tree Shaking
Code Splitting
Typescript
Css Modules
Plugins
Esm

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about esbuild vs webpack

Is esbuild better than webpack?

It depends on your use case. esbuild is an extremely fast javascript and css bundler written in go, while webpack is a module bundler for modern javascript applications. Compare the stats and features above to decide which fits your needs.

Is esbuild still maintained in 2026?

Yes, esbuild was last updated on February 5, 2026 and has 124 contributors.

Can I migrate from esbuild to webpack?

Migration complexity depends on how deeply esbuild is integrated into your project. Both tools serve similar purposes in the Bundlers & Build Tools space, so migration is generally feasible with proper planning.

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