Terser

Web · Windows · Mac · Linux · API

Freedom report

Three barsScore 6.6

Free tierA free tier is on its own pricing page
Open codeNo open-source code on record
Runs widely4 of 6 device platforms
DocumentedPlans, terms and facts published

Terser is ranked #5 of 27 in JavaScript build tools on Freedom251. It runs on API, Linux, macOS, Web, Windows. There is a free plan.

Terser plans and pricing

All plans

Terser Free JavaScript minifier toolkit terser.org · 4 Oct 2026

Compared on JavaScript build tools

Source maps: Yes

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The record

Purpose: Terser is an industry-standard JavaScript minifier that shrinks variable names, removes whitespace and comments, and drops unused code.
Ways to use: The site says Terser can be used through its command-line interface or Node.js API.
Browser use: The API reference says browser loading is supported and exposes a global `Terser` variable with a `.minify` property.
Compression and mangling: The API's `minify()` enables compression and mangling by default, and both can be configured or disabled.
Multiple input files: The CLI accepts multiple input files and parses them in sequence in the same global scope.
Input stream: If no input file is specified, the CLI reads from standard input.
Property mangling risk: The CLI documentation warns that property-name mangling can break code and advises using it only when its behavior is understood.
Property mangling safeguards: The options documentation says built-in DOM property mangling is disabled by default and is not recommended to enable.
Compatibility options: Terser provides options for ECMAScript targets, including an `ecma` setting that defaults to 5 for compression and output formatting.
Integrations: The project documentation describes using Terser with Acorn-produced SpiderMonkey AST input and replacing nested `uglify-es` dependencies with a Yarn resolution alias.
Support: The site links to Stack Overflow as a community resource, and its issue-reporting guide asks users to provide a minimal reproducible example.
Funding: The site invites individual and organizational financial contributions to support the project.
Price from: Free

Where it ranks on Freedom251

Best JavaScript Build Tools in 2026#5 of 27

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Sources

terser.org· checked 4 Oct 2026
terser.org/docs/api-reference/· checked 4 Oct 2026
terser.org/docs/cli-usage/· checked 4 Oct 2026
terser.org/docs/options/· checked 4 Oct 2026
terser.org/docs/miscellaneous/· checked 4 Oct 2026
terser.org/docs/reporting-issues/· checked 4 Oct 2026