# Browserify vs Metro

**Leader by vioscaleAI score:** Metro

| Attribute | Browserify | Metro |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 52.9 (66% (medium)) | 65.9 (66% (medium)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 4 | 73 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 365,847 | 305,465 |
| adoption.github_stars | 14,694 | 5,648 |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"Browserify is a development tool that bundles Node.js modules and their dependencies for use in the browser, supporting source maps for debugging and a flexible plugin system for transforming source files. It is indexed under Bundlers.","source":"https://browserify.org","question":"What is Browserify?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Browserify is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the MIT licence. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://browserify.org","question":"Is Browserify free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Browserify supports a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://browserify.org","question":"What platforms does Browserify support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Browserify is published under the MIT licence, a permissive licence that generally allows commercial use and modification. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/browserify/browserify","question":"Is Browserify open source?","confidence":0.95}]` | `[{"answer":"Optimized JavaScript bundler for React Native that prioritizes rapid feedback cycles and supports large-scale projects with thousands of modules. It is indexed under Bundlers.","source":"https://metrobundler.dev","question":"What is Metro?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Metro is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the MIT licence. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://metrobundler.dev","question":"Is Metro free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Metro supports a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://metrobundler.dev","question":"What platforms does Metro support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Metro can be deployed self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://metrobundler.dev","question":"Can Metro be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Metro is published under the MIT licence, a permissive licence that generally allows commercial use and modification. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/facebook/metro","question":"Is Metro open source?","confidence":0.95}]` |
| deployment.options | - | `{"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | A tool for combining JavaScript modules into files that can run in web browsers, enabling developers to write code once and use it in both server and browser contexts. Includes support for source maps to maintain debugging visibility. | Optimized JavaScript bundler for React Native that prioritizes rapid feedback cycles and supports large-scale projects with thousands of modules. |
| features.capabilities | `{"source_maps":true,"code_splitting":true}` | `{"source_maps":true,"dev_server_hmr":true}` |
| language.primary | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| license.spdx | MIT | MIT |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true,"web":true}` | `{"cli":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"open_source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://browserify.org","retrievedAt":"2026-08-20T16:32:30.741Z"}` | `{"type":"open_source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://metrobundler.dev","retrievedAt":"2026-08-20T16:36:51.300Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | open_source | open_source |
| pricing.price_level | free | free |
| pricing.transparent | yes | - |
| release.cadence_days | 68 | 11 |
| release.history | `[{"url":"https://github.com/browserify/browserify/releases/tag/v17.0.1","date":"2024-10-03T19:44:42Z","type":"stable","version":"v17.0.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/browserify/browserify/releases/tag/v17.0.0","date":"2020-10-10T09:33:42Z","type":"stable","version":"v17.0.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/browserify/browserify/releases/tag/v16.5.1","date":"2020-03-30T10:25:49Z","type":"stable","version":"v16.5.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/browserify/browserify/releases/tag/v16.5.0","date":"2019-08-25T12:04:38Z","type":"stable","version":"v16.5.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/browserify/browserify/releases/tag/v16.4.0","date":"2019-08-25T12:04:23Z","type":"stable","version":"v16.4.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/browserify/browserify/releases/tag/v16.3.0","date":"2019-07-11T11:25:21Z","type":"stable","version":"v16.3.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/browserify/browserify/releases/tag/v16.2.3","date":"2018-09-25T14:35:35Z","type":"stable","version":"v16.2.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/browserify/browserify/releases/tag/v16.2.2","date":"2018-05-09T08:01:15Z","type":"stable","version":"v16.2.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/browserify/browserify/releases/tag/v16.2.1","date":"2018-05-09T08:01:06Z","type":"stable","version":"v16.2.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/browserify/browserify/releases/tag/v16.2.0","date":"2018-04-11T13:11:21Z","type":"stable","version":"v16.2.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/browserify/browserify/releases/tag/v16.1.1","date":"2018-04-11T13:11:12Z","type":"stable","version":"v16.1.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/browserify/browserify/releases/tag/v16.1.0","date":"2018-04-11T13:11:05Z","type":"stable","version":"v16.1.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/browserify/browserify/releases/tag/v16.0.0","date":"2018-04-11T13:10:49Z","type":"stable","version":"v16.0.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/browserify/browserify/releases/tag/v15.1.0","date":"2018-01-11T02:25:30Z","type":"stable","version":"v15.1.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/browserify/browserify/releases/tag/13.0.1","date":"2016-05-06T13:48:14Z","type":"stable","version":"13.0.1"}]` | `[{"url":"https://github.com/react/metro/releases/tag/v0.87.1","date":"2026-09-13T10:34:37Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.87.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/metro/releases/tag/v0.84.6","date":"2026-09-02T15:51:55Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.84.6"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/metro/releases/tag/v0.84.5","date":"2026-08-19T15:29:25Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.84.5"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/metro/releases/tag/v0.83.8","date":"2026-08-19T15:21:23Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.83.8"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/metro/releases/tag/v0.87.0","date":"2026-07-13T15:23:08Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.87.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/metro/releases/tag/v0.86.0","date":"2026-07-06T16:46:29Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.86.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/metro/releases/tag/v0.85.0","date":"2026-06-23T16:07:47Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.85.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/metro/releases/tag/v0.84.4","date":"2026-04-30T11:39:20Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.84.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/metro/releases/tag/v0.83.7","date":"2026-04-29T10:46:10Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.83.7"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/metro/releases/tag/v0.83.6","date":"2026-04-13T17:00:24Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.83.6"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/metro/releases/tag/v0.84.3","date":"2026-04-13T16:04:32Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.84.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/metro/releases/tag/v0.83.5","date":"2026-03-01T16:15:07Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.83.5"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/metro/releases/tag/v0.84.2","date":"2026-02-27T17:48:20Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.84.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/metro/releases/tag/v0.84.1","date":"2026-02-25T15:02:37Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.84.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/metro/releases/tag/v0.84.0","date":"2026-02-20T20:49:15Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.84.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/metro/releases/tag/v0.83.4","date":"2026-02-20T03:41:11Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.83.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/metro/releases/tag/v0.83.3","date":"2025-10-01T12:22:13Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.83.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/metro/releases/tag/v0.83.2","date":"2025-09-18T16:05:59Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.83.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/metro/releases/tag/v0.83.1","date":"2025-07-24T14:02:11Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.83.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/react/metro/releases/tag/v0.83.0","date":"2025-07-13T11:12:43Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.83.0"}]` |
| security.scorecard | 4.9 | 5.2 |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=npm&package_name=browserify&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=npm&package_name=metro-minify-uglify&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` |

## Capabilities (Bundlers)

| Capability | Browserify | Metro |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Capabilities** |  |  |
| Dev server hmr | - | ✓ |
| Native esm dev | - | - |
| Code splitting | ✓ | - |
| Tree shaking | - | - |
| Css bundling | - | - |
| Zero config | - | - |
| Webpack plugin compat | - | - |
| Rollup plugin compat | - | - |
| Monorepo aware | - | - |
| Source maps | ✓ | ✓ |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-16T19:15:36.723Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*