Bun vs Node 22: Which Runtime Should You Use in 2026?

Runtimes in 2026: V8 vs JavaScriptCore

Node.js is built on Google's V8 engine, while Bun uses Apple's JavaScriptCore (JSC). JSC is traditionally optimized for faster startup and lower memory footprints, which is why Bun excels in serverless environments.

### The Package Manager War

Bun isn't just a runtime; it's a replacement for npm. bun install is consistently 10x-50x faster than npm install. For a developer, this means less time waiting for progress bars and more time writing code.

### Node 22 Improvements

Node 22 has significantly improved its ESM (ECMAScript Modules) support and added experimental native TS support. It's catching up to Bun's feature set, but the underlying engine architecture still favors Bun for speed.