Side by side
Parcel 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.
Free plan APIExtensionLinux+3
Parcel combines broad built-in file support with development and production build tools, plus options for plugins and programmatic integration. Its one-target development server and default modern-browser target are worth noting when planning a workflow.
Visit Parcel
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 RolldownThe facts
| Parcel | Rolldown | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | API, Extension, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows | Android, API, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Not published | Free or on request |
| Plans published | None | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | parceljs.org | rolldown.rs |
| On javascript build tools | #9 of 27 | #5 of 27 |
Parcel: what it does well
- Supports many web languages and asset types out of the box
- Development server includes HTTPS and an API proxy
- Integrates with React Fast Refresh and Vue hot reloading
- Offers tree shaking, minification, image optimization and code splitting
What to know first
- Development server builds only one target at a time
- Development server defaults to a modern browser target
- Gzip and Brotli compression are not enabled by default
- No remote build cache
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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