Side by side

esbuild vs Rolldown

Both stand on javascript build tools. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

esbuild

Free plan AndroidAPILinux+4

esbuild combines bundling and optimization features in free MIT-licensed software. Its lack of TypeScript type checking and limited code splitting are important considerations for project setup.

Visit esbuild

Rolldown

Free plan AndroidAPILinux+3

Rolldown combines a Rollup-compatible API with built-in transforms and code-splitting options. Check the experimental module types, API stability note, and platform guidance before adopting it.

Visit Rolldown

The facts

	esbuild	Rolldown
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Open source	Not published	Not published
Runs on	Android, API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows	Android, API, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows
Lowest paid plan	Free or on request	Free or on request
Plans published	1	1
Maker	Not published	Not published
Website	esbuild.github.io	rolldown.rs
On javascript build tools	#1 of 27	#5 of 27

esbuild: what it does well

Built-in support for JavaScript, CSS, TypeScript, and JSX
Bundles ESM, CommonJS, and CSS modules
Includes tree shaking, minification, and source maps
Interfaces available through CLI, JavaScript, and Go
MIT-licensed software

What to know first

Does not type-check TypeScript
Code-splitting support is described as primitive
Active feature development is not currently underway
Primarily built by one developer

Rolldown: what it does well

Free and open source under the MIT license.
Can reuse most existing Rollup plugins.
Built-in TypeScript and JSX transforms.
Supports configurable manual code splitting.
Online REPL is available.

What to know first

Module types are experimental.
JavaScript build() API may change in patch releases.
Windows file-system access can slow builds.
Some targets lack distributed prebuilt binaries.

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