# esbuild vs Metro

**Leader by vioscaleAI score:** Metro

| Attribute | esbuild | Metro |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 54.1 (66% (medium)) | 65.9 (66% (medium)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 0 | 73 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 491,246 | 305,465 |
| adoption.github_stars | 40,078 | 5,648 |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"A fast bundler that combines JavaScript and other web assets into optimized output, with built-in TypeScript support and APIs accessible through command-line, JavaScript, and Go interfaces. It is indexed under Bundlers.","source":"https://esbuild.github.io","question":"What is esbuild?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"esbuild supports a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://esbuild.github.io","question":"What platforms does esbuild support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. esbuild 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/evanw/esbuild","question":"Is esbuild 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 fast bundler that combines JavaScript and other web assets into optimized output, with built-in TypeScript support and APIs accessible through command-line, JavaScript, and Go interfaces. | 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,"css_bundling":true,"tree_shaking":true}` | `{"source_maps":true,"dev_server_hmr":true}` |
| language.primary | Go | JavaScript |
| license.spdx | MIT | MIT |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true}` | `{"cli":true}` |
| pricing | - | `{"type":"open_source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://metrobundler.dev","retrievedAt":"2026-08-20T16:36:51.300Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | - | yes |
| pricing.model | - | open_source |
| pricing.price_level | - | free |
| release.cadence_days | 21 | 11 |
| release.history | `[{"url":"https://github.com/evanw/esbuild/releases/tag/v0.28.2","date":"2026-08-08T19:58:58Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.28.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/evanw/esbuild/releases/tag/v0.28.1","date":"2026-06-11T22:47:14Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.28.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/evanw/esbuild/releases/tag/v0.28.0","date":"2026-04-02T20:38:53Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.28.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/evanw/esbuild/releases/tag/v0.27.7","date":"2026-04-02T16:43:53Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.27.7"},{"url":"https://github.com/evanw/esbuild/releases/tag/v0.27.5","date":"2026-04-02T00:29:36Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.27.5"},{"url":"https://github.com/evanw/esbuild/releases/tag/v0.27.4","date":"2026-03-12T14:24:07Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.27.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/evanw/esbuild/releases/tag/v0.27.3","date":"2026-02-05T22:03:54Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.27.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/evanw/esbuild/releases/tag/v0.27.2","date":"2025-12-17T01:05:56Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.27.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/evanw/esbuild/releases/tag/v0.27.1","date":"2025-12-03T20:25:19Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.27.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/evanw/esbuild/releases/tag/v0.27.0","date":"2025-11-09T19:02:27Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.27.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/evanw/esbuild/releases/tag/v0.26.0","date":"2025-11-09T03:28:02Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.26.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/evanw/esbuild/releases/tag/v0.25.12","date":"2025-11-01T23:36:36Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.25.12"},{"url":"https://github.com/evanw/esbuild/releases/tag/v0.25.11","date":"2025-10-15T02:13:49Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.25.11"},{"url":"https://github.com/evanw/esbuild/releases/tag/v0.25.10","date":"2025-09-17T16:19:38Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.25.10"},{"url":"https://github.com/evanw/esbuild/releases/tag/v0.25.9","date":"2025-08-12T23:27:19Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.25.9"},{"url":"https://github.com/evanw/esbuild/releases/tag/v0.25.8","date":"2025-07-19T19:24:41Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.25.8"},{"url":"https://github.com/evanw/esbuild/releases/tag/v0.25.7","date":"2025-07-18T22:51:51Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.25.7"},{"url":"https://github.com/evanw/esbuild/releases/tag/v0.25.6","date":"2025-07-07T17:00:15Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.25.6"},{"url":"https://github.com/evanw/esbuild/releases/tag/v0.25.5","date":"2025-05-27T03:14:08Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.25.5"},{"url":"https://github.com/evanw/esbuild/releases/tag/v0.25.4","date":"2025-05-06T00:31:55Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.25.4"}]` | `[{"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 | 5 | 5.2 |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"count":3,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=npm&package_name=esbuild&per_page=100","last_12m":2,"max_severity":"HIGH"}` | `{"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 | esbuild | 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 2026-10-16T18:31:36.201Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*