Node.js 22 vs Bun vs Deno trade‑offs — Design Review Checklist — Practical Guide (Nov 3, 2025)

Node.js 22 vs Bun vs Deno trade‑offs — Design Review Checklist

Level: Experienced

As of November 3, 2025, server-side JavaScript runtimes have evolved notably, with Node.js 22, Bun (v1.0+), and Deno (v1.36+) offering distinct capabilities and philosophies. This article lays out a modern design review checklist focusing on trade‑offs among these three leading runtimes, helping seasoned engineers make considered choices based on project requirements.

Prerequisites

• Familiarity with JavaScript/TypeScript development fundamentals.
• Experience deploying server-side apps or libraries.
• Basic understanding of runtime internals (event loop, native bindings).
• Local installs of Node.js 22 (or latest stable), Bun v1.0+, and Deno v1.36+.
• Command-line proficiency and package management knowledge.

Hands-on steps

1. Setup and sanity checks

Install each runtime using official instructions, then validate versions.

# Node.js 22 (using nvm)
nvm install 22
node -v
# Output: v22.x.x

# Bun (1.0+)
curl -fsSL https://bun.sh/install | bash
bun --version
# Output: bun 1.x.x

# Deno (1.36+)
curl -fsSL https://deno.land/install.sh | sh
deno --version
# Output: deno 1.36.x

2. Running a simple HTTP server

Comparing how each runtime handles an HTTP server quickly reveals API and ecosystem differences.

// Node.js 22
import http from 'node:http';

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
  res.end('Hello from Node.js 22');
});

server.listen(3000, () => {
  console.log('Node.js running on http://localhost:3000');
});

// Bun
import { serve } from "bun";

serve({
  port: 3000,
  fetch(req) {
    return new Response('Hello from Bun');
  },
});
console.log('Bun running on http://localhost:3000');

// Deno (TypeScript/ESM by default)
import { serve } from "https://deno.land/std@0.202.0/http/server.ts";

serve((_req) => new Response("Hello from Deno"), { port: 3000 });
console.log('Deno running on http://localhost:3000');

3. Dependency management

Node.js uses npm or yarn. Bun provides a drop-in compatible package manager with faster install speeds. Deno is more import-url focused with no centralized package.json by default, encouraging direct imports from URLs or local files.

Common pitfalls

Compatibility and ecosystem maturity

• Node.js 22 — Most mature ecosystem, vast native module support, but maintaining legacy callback APIs can be cumbersome.
• Bun — Promising performance, especially for Fastify-like workloads and frontend tooling replacement, but some Node.js core APIs or native dependencies are incomplete or unstable; stay updated on Bun’s compatibility matrix.
• Deno — Secure by default (sandboxed permissions), excellent TypeScript integration without transpilation steps, but less straightforward migration for Node.js apps due to different standard modules and permission model.

Security contexts and permissions

Deno’s permission system is a double-edged sword: it hardens runtime security but adds development friction on initial run. Node.js and Bun operate with fewer restrictions by default, requiring extra configuration or third-party libraries to emulate these controls.

TypeScript support and build requirements

• Deno supports TypeScript out of the box without transpilation tools.
• Bun also supports TypeScript natively but watch for integration changes in preview features as of late 2025.
• Node.js requires build tooling (e.g., tsc, Babel) or loaders for seamless TS support.

Validation

Checklist for validation tests in your workspace:

• Run existing Node.js modules — verify Bun and Deno compatibility with your dependencies and native addons.
• Measure startup and runtime performance including cold start latency and memory usage for your workloads.
• Confirm your CI/CD pipeline supports the runtime’s debugging and profiling tools.
• Test permission controls (for Deno) under your deployment environment requirements.
• Validate logging, monitoring, and error handling align with your observability strategy.
• Check platform support (Windows, Linux, macOS) matches your infrastructure — especially for native modules.

Checklist / TL;DR

When to choose what?

Node.js 22 is your best choice for established backend systems, complex applications with native dependencies, or when full ecosystem compatibility is critical.

Bun shines when you want ultra-fast development cycles, desire fewer tools in your stack, or need blended front-to-back tooling with reasonable ecosystem compromise.

Deno fits projects prioritising secure defaults, type-safe codebases by design, and where cutting-edge ES modules and sandboxed environments are advantageous—for instance, cloud edge or microservice architectures.

References

• Node.js Official Documentation
• Bun Official Documentation
• Deno Manual
• Node.js 22 Release Notes
• Deno 1.36 Release Notes
• Bun 1.0 Release Blog
• Node.js Release Schedule

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