Bun 1.2 vs Node.js 22: Which Runtime Should You Pick in 2026?
Bun 1.2 brings native S3/R2 APIs and 90% Node.js compatibility while Node.js 22 adds a built-in SQLite module - here is the full benchmark and decision guide.
Two years ago, choosing a JavaScript runtime meant choosing Node.js. Today you have three serious options: Node.js 22, Bun 1.2, and Deno 2. This guide focuses on the two most common choices for new backend projects in 2026: Bun 1.2 and Node.js 22.
What Bun 1.2 Adds
Bun 1.2 is a major compatibility and productivity release:
Native S3 and R2 API - Bun.s3 and Bun.r2 for object storage without the AWS SDK
90% Node.js API compatibility - virtually all npm packages work now
Hot module reloading - bun --hot for server-side hot reload
Node.js test runner compatibility - node:test module supported
Windows stability - first fully stable Windows release
// Native S3 in Bun 1.2 - no AWS SDK needed
const file = Bun.s3.file("uploads/photo.png");
await file.write(imageBuffer, { type: "image/png" });
const url = file.presign({ expiresIn: 3600 });
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These numbers are from independent benchmarks on identical hardware (M2 Pro, 16GB RAM):
Workload
Bun 1.2
Node.js 22
Difference
HTTP server (req/s)
130,000
35,000
3.7x faster
File I/O (MB/s)
9,200
3,100
3x faster
Startup time
8ms
45ms
5.6x faster
JSON parse (ops/s)
850,000
420,000
2x faster
SQLite (ops/s)
680,000
210,000*
3.2x faster
*Node.js 22 now includes a built-in SQLite module (node:sqlite), though Bun's is faster.
bun --hot vs nodemon
Bun's native hot reload is faster and does not require a separate package:
# Bun - built in
bun --hot server.ts
# Node.js - requires nodemon or tsx --watch
npx nodemon --exec ts-node server.ts
With --hot, Bun reloads only the changed module and its dependents, preserving open connections. This is closer to Vite HMR than a full process restart.
Node.js 22: What's New
Node.js 22 is not standing still:
// Built-in SQLite - no better-sqlite3 needed
import { DatabaseSync } from "node:sqlite";
const db = new DatabaseSync(":memory:");
db.exec("CREATE TABLE users (id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY, name TEXT)");
const insert = db.prepare("INSERT INTO users (name) VALUES (?)");
insert.run("Alice");
require(esm) is now stable - you can require() ES modules from CommonJS code without async imports. This unblocks a long-standing ecosystem problem.
Node.js 22 also gets permission model improvements (experimental --experimental-permission) and a native test runner that has matured significantly.
When to Pick Bun
New API services where performance matters
Scripts and CLI tools (startup time is critical)
Projects that need native S3/R2 without the AWS SDK
Teams comfortable on the bleeding edge
When to Pick Node.js
Existing codebases with complex webpack/PostCSS build pipelines
Projects requiring 100% ecosystem compatibility (rare edge cases still hit Bun)
Enterprise environments with Node.js as the supported runtime
When deploying to platforms that only support Node.js officially
Install and Try
# Install Bun
curl -fsSL https://bun.sh/install | bash
# Run a Node.js project with Bun (usually zero config)
bun install
bun run start
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Mahmudul Haque Qudrati
CEO & ML Engineer
CEO and ML Engineer at Pristren. Builds AI-powered software for teams and writes about machine learning, LLMs, developer tools, and practical AI applications.
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