Sharp

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What Sharp is

Sharp is a free, open-source Node-API module for image processing, commonly used to turn large images into smaller, web-friendly images. It can resize, rotate, extract, composite, change color modes, and apply gamma correction. It reads JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF, AVIF, TIFF, and SVG, and can output those formats or raw pixel data. Inputs and outputs can use streams, Buffer objects, or the filesystem, and one input stream can feed multiple pipelines. Sharp also creates Deep Zoom image pyramids and can optimize JPEG, PNG, and animated GIF output size. It processes image regions using multiple CPU cores and supports Promises and async/await. The maker says resizing is typically 4–5 times faster than the quickest ImageMagick and GraphicsMagick settings. Sharp requires a Node-API v9-compatible runtime, such as Node.js 20.9.0 or newer; it also works with Deno and Bun. Prebuilt binaries are provided for macOS, Linux, and Windows. The optional WebAssembly package does not support browsers or single-threaded environments.

Who it suits

Sharp suits developers who need image processing in JavaScript runtimes and can work with a Node-API v9-compatible environment. It is available for macOS, Linux, and Windows, with FreeBSD support through WebAssembly.

What it does well

Reads JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF, AVIF, TIFF, and SVG.
Can output raw pixel data.
Supports streams, Buffers, and filesystem input/output.
Can generate Deep Zoom image pyramids.
Licensed under Apache License 2.0.

What to know first

Requires a Node-API v9-compatible runtime.
WebAssembly does not support browsers.
WebAssembly does not support single-threaded environments.

Limits

Sharp requires a Node-API v9-compatible runtime. Its optional WebAssembly package does not support web browsers or single-threaded environments.

Getting started

Install Sharp with npm, pnpm, yarn, Bun, or Deno
Use a Node-API v9-compatible runtime such as Node.js 20.9.0 or newer
Provide images through streams, Buffers, or the filesystem
Select resizing, conversion, optimization, or other processing operations
Write results to a stream, Buffer, or filesystem path

Verdict

Sharp covers a broad set of image operations and formats, with asynchronous processing and multiple input methods. Check the runtime requirement and browser limitation before choosing its WebAssembly package.

Questions

What does Sharp cost?

Sharp is free and open source under the Apache License 2.0.

Which runtimes support Sharp?

It works with JavaScript runtimes supporting Node-API v9, including Node.js 20.9.0 or newer, Deno, and Bun.

Which image formats can it read?

Sharp reads JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF, AVIF, TIFF, and SVG.

Which outputs are available?

It can output JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF, AVIF, TIFF, or raw pixel data.

Does Sharp run in a browser?

The optional WebAssembly package does not support use in web browsers.

Facts from Sharp's own pages

Browser limitation: The optional WebAssembly package does not support use in web browsers or single-threaded environments. · sharp.pixelplumbing.com, 3 Oct 2026
Deep Zoom: Sharp can generate Deep Zoom image pyramids for use with slippy map tile viewers such as OpenSeadragon. · sharp.pixelplumbing.com, 4 Oct 2026
Formats: Sharp reads JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF, AVIF, TIFF and SVG, and outputs JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF, AVIF, TIFF or raw pixel data. · sharp.pixelplumbing.com, 3 Oct 2026
Image input and output: Streams, Buffer objects and the filesystem can be used for input and output, and one input stream can feed multiple processing pipelines. · sharp.pixelplumbing.com, 3 Oct 2026
Image operations: It supports image resizing, rotation, extraction, compositing, and gamma correction. · sharp.pixelplumbing.com, 4 Oct 2026
Image optimization: It can use mozjpeg and pngquant features to optimize JPEG and PNG file sizes without separate imagemin processes. · sharp.pixelplumbing.com, 4 Oct 2026
Input and output: Streams, Buffer objects, and the filesystem can be used for input and output, and a single input stream can feed multiple processing pipelines. · sharp.pixelplumbing.com, 4 Oct 2026
Input formats: Sharp supports reading JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF, AVIF, TIFF, and SVG images. · sharp.pixelplumbing.com, 4 Oct 2026
Installation: The installation guide lists npm, pnpm, yarn, Bun, and Deno commands for installing Sharp. · sharp.pixelplumbing.com, 4 Oct 2026
License: The project is licensed under Apache License 2.0. · sharp.pixelplumbing.com, 4 Oct 2026
Output formats: Sharp can output JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF, AVIF, and TIFF images, as well as uncompressed raw pixel data. · sharp.pixelplumbing.com, 4 Oct 2026
Performance: The site says image resizing is typically 4x–5x faster than the quickest ImageMagick and GraphicsMagick settings, using libvips. · sharp.pixelplumbing.com, 4 Oct 2026
Platform binaries: Prebuilt binaries are listed for macOS, Linux, and Windows; FreeBSD is supported through WebAssembly. · sharp.pixelplumbing.com, 4 Oct 2026
Platform requirement: The installation guide requires a Node-API v9-compatible runtime, such as Node.js >= 20.9.0. · sharp.pixelplumbing.com, 4 Oct 2026
Processing model: Sharp processes small regions of uncompressed image data, uses multiple CPU cores, remains non-blocking, and supports Promises and async/await. · sharp.pixelplumbing.com, 3 Oct 2026
Product: Sharp is a high performance Node-API module for image processing, commonly used to convert large images into smaller web-friendly images. · sharp.pixelplumbing.com, 4 Oct 2026
Purpose: Sharp is a high-speed Node-API module for converting large images into smaller, web-friendly images. · sharp.pixelplumbing.com, 3 Oct 2026
Runtime requirement: Installation requires a Node-API v9 compatible runtime, such as Node.js 20.9.0 or newer. · sharp.pixelplumbing.com, 3 Oct 2026
Runtime support: Sharp works with JavaScript runtimes that support Node-API v9, including Node.js >= 20.9.0, Deno, and Bun. · sharp.pixelplumbing.com, 4 Oct 2026
Security: The security page says all input is assumed untrusted and rejected if decoding produces warnings, and the prebuilt binaries’ C, C++, and Rust dependencies are continuously fuzz-tested. · sharp.pixelplumbing.com, 4 Oct 2026
Security support: The latest version published to npm is supported with security updates, and genuine vulnerability reports can expect a response within 48 hours. · sharp.pixelplumbing.com, 4 Oct 2026
Security updates: The latest version published to npm is supported with security updates, and vulnerability reporters can expect a response within 48 hours for a genuine issue. · sharp.pixelplumbing.com, 3 Oct 2026
Supported systems: Prebuilt binaries are provided for macOS, Linux and Windows architectures, with stated architecture and system-library requirements. · sharp.pixelplumbing.com, 3 Oct 2026

Where Sharp stands on Freedom251

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