Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Babel VS Gulp.js

Compare Babel VS Gulp.js and see what are their differences

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Babel logo Babel

Babel is a compiler for writing next generation JavaScript.

Gulp.js logo Gulp.js

Automate and enhance your workflow
  • Babel Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-02
  • Gulp.js Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-26

Babel features and specs

  • JavaScript Version Compatibility
    Babel allows developers to write code using the latest JavaScript features and syntax, and transpile it into a version of JavaScript that can run on older browsers. This ensures greater compatibility across different environments.
  • Future-Proof Code
    With Babel, developers can start using upcoming JavaScript features today. This means that codebases can stay modern and developers can take advantage of new functionalities without waiting for full browser support.
  • Ecosystem and Plugins
    Babel has a rich ecosystem of plugins and presets that can extend its capabilities, making it highly adaptable to different project needs. This modularity allows for customization and enhancement of the build process.
  • Integration with Modern Development Tools
    Babel integrates well with various development tools such as Webpack, making it easier to include in existing build processes and workflows. This helps streamline development and maintain efficient workflows.
  • Community and Support
    Babel has a large and active community, which means extensive documentation, tutorials, and support forums. This can be particularly useful for troubleshooting and staying updated with best practices.

Possible disadvantages of Babel

  • Performance Overhead
    Transpiling code with Babel introduces a performance overhead during the build process. This can slow down development workflows, especially for large codebases with many files.
  • Configuration Complexity
    Setting up Babel can be complex, particularly for beginners. The numerous options and plugins available can sometimes be overwhelming and require significant time to configure correctly.
  • Source Map Issues
    Generating accurate source maps can sometimes be tricky with Babel, leading to difficulties in debugging. Misconfigured source maps can make it harder to track down issues within the original source code.
  • Dependency Bloat
    Including Babel in a project can add a significant number of dependencies. This dependency bloat can increase the size of the project and potentially introduce maintenance challenges or security vulnerabilities.
  • Learning Curve
    There is a learning curve associated with Babel, especially for developers who are new to modern JavaScript tooling. Understanding how Babel works and how to effectively use its features can take time and effort.

Gulp.js features and specs

  • Efficiency
    Gulp.js is designed to be fast and efficient, handling asynchronous task execution seamlessly, reducing build times compared to many other task runners.
  • Code over Configuration
    Gulp uses code instead of complex configuration files, making it easier for developers to set up tasks in JavaScript, which can be more intuitive and flexible.
  • Strong Ecosystem
    Gulp has a rich ecosystem of plugins available for virtually any task a developer might need, from CSS preprocessing to live reloading, making it highly extensible.
  • Stream Processing
    Gulp leverages Node.js streams to process files, which helps in chaining tasks and minimizes the need to write temporary files, making tasks faster and more memory efficient.
  • Easy to Read and Maintain
    Gulp files are typically concise and easy to read, which can help in maintaining and updating build processes as project requirements evolve.

Possible disadvantages of Gulp.js

  • Steep Learning Curve
    For developers new to task runners or Node.js, Gulp can have a steep learning curve due to the need to understand concepts such as streams, pipes, and asynchronous execution.
  • Plugin Dependencies
    Relying on Gulp plugins can sometimes lead to compatibility issues or outdated plugins, which might require developers to write custom tasks or wait for plugin updates.
  • Limited Debugging
    Debugging Gulp tasks can be challenging, as error messages are not always descriptive, and tracking down bugs in the build process may require additional effort.
  • Maintenance Overhead
    Maintaining a Gulp setup can become burdensome as the number of tasks and complexity of the build process grows, potentially leading to complicated and hard-to-manage code.
  • Changing APIs
    Gulp has undergone significant changes across its major versions, which can lead to breaking changes and the need to refactor build scripts when upgrading.

Babel videos

Babel - Movie Review

More videos:

  • Review - Day 16 | Babel Review | 365 Films
  • Review - Worth The Hype? - BABEL Review
  • Review - Book CommuniTEA: Is BABEL a rac1st mani!fest0? [you should know the answer]
  • Review - Babel is a Masterpiece, And Here's Why

Gulp.js videos

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Babel and Gulp.js)
Development Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Web Application Bundler
0 0%
100% 100
Javascript UI Libraries
JS Build Tools
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Babel should be more popular than Gulp.js. It has been mentiond 147 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Babel mentions (147)

  • Valentine’s Day Breakup: React Dumps Create React App
    Create React App (CRA) is a command-line interface tool that allows developers to set up a React project easily. It primarily serves as a project scaffolding tool, allowing you to create a new project with a single command: npx create-react-app . CRA comes with tools like Webpack and Babel, which handle the bundling and transpiling of code. The tools are pre-configured. It comes with a development server that... - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • #wecode Landing Page - WeCoded Challenge March 2025
    @vitejs/plugin-react uses Babel for Fast Refresh. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • You Don’t Know JS Yet: My Weekly Journey Through JavaScript Mastery
    For new and incompatible syntax, the solution is transpiling—converting newer JS syntax to older syntax that can run on older engines. The most popular transpiler? Babel. This process ensures modern JS code can still reach a wide audience, even on legacy systems. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • Desktop apps for Windows XP in 2025
    Fortunately we have tools like PostCSS and Babel, that let you target your specific Browser version, and they'll do their best to transpile and polyfill your code to work with that version. This alone will do a lot of the heavy lifting for you if you are working with a lot of code. However, if you are just writing out a few HTML, CSS, and JS files, then that would be overkill and you can just figure out what code... - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • The Tools and APIs That Made My GeoGuessr 🌍 Project Possible
    Cross-Browser Compatibility: Some features worked differently across browsers. I used Babel to transpile my JavaScript code, ensuring it worked consistently everywhere. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
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Gulp.js mentions (28)

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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Babel and Gulp.js, you can also consider the following products

jQuery - The Write Less, Do More, JavaScript Library.

Webpack - Webpack is a module bundler. Its main purpose is to bundle JavaScript files for usage in a browser, yet it is also capable of transforming, bundling, or packaging just about any resource or asset.

React Native - A framework for building native apps with React

Grunt - The Grunt ecosystem is huge and it's growing every day.

Composer - Composer is a tool for dependency management in PHP.

Parcel - Blazing fast, zero configuration web application bundler