JavaScript Bundlers, a Comparison

How do JavaScript bundlers stack up against each other?

In this article I’m going to introduce you to JavaScript module loaders and bundlers. I’ll explain what they are and why they exist. First, I’ll give you an overview of the different module formats and module loaders out there and I’ll present some examples for each. Then, I’ll talk about the most well-known bundlers and I’ll compare them with each other.

If you are familiar with the different module definitions and loaders you may want to skip to the “Bundlers” section. If you just want to read the comparisons you can skip to the “Comparisons” section.

Please note that the comparisons done in this article are based on a very simple example. I’m working on another article in which I’ll compare bundling results for bundling a React app.

Below are the specs of the machine that I used to run the builds:

• MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015)
• Processor: 2.2 GHz Intel Core i7
• Memory: 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3
• Graphics: Intel Iris Pro 1536 MB

All the code examples for this article are available on Gitlab.

TL;DR

• JavaScript over time became widely…