Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Browserify VS Gulp.js

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

Browserify logo Browserify

Browserify lets you require('modules') in the browser by bundling up all of your dependencies.

Gulp.js logo Gulp.js

Automate and enhance your workflow
  • Browserify Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-29
  • Gulp.js Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-26

Browserify features and specs

  • Node.js module system support
    Browserify allows developers to use the Node.js-style require() function for module loading in the browser, enabling the use of NPM packages designed for Node.js.
  • Code organization
    By enabling modular code, Browserify helps developers organize their code better, making it more maintainable and scalable.
  • Ecosystem integration
    Browserify seamlessly integrates with the Node.js ecosystem and encourages code sharing between the server and client.
  • Customizability
    With Browserify's plugin system, developers can easily customize and extend its functionality to fit their needs.
  • Performance optimization
    Advanced features like code splitting and static analysis can improve performance by reducing the amount of code sent to the browser.

Possible disadvantages of Browserify

  • Build process complexity
    Integrating Browserify into your workflow can add complexity to your build process, especially for developers who are not familiar with build tools.
  • Plugins and transformations
    While Browserify is customizable, managing a large number of plugins and transformations can become cumbersome and difficult to understand.
  • Performance overhead
    The bundling process can introduce performance overhead during development due to the time taken to bundle the files.
  • Modern alternatives
    Modern alternatives like Webpack and Rollup offer more features and optimizations, making Browserify less attractive for some use cases.
  • Limited built-in features
    Compared to alternatives like Webpack, Browserify has fewer built-in features, which can necessitate additional tools or plugins for functionalities like hot module replacement.

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.

Browserify videos

MacBook Pro Retina vs MacBook Air - Django collect static & browserify

More videos:

  • Review - Atlanta JavaScript Presents Mobile Development with Cordova and Browserify with Roman Shtylman HD

Gulp.js videos

No Gulp.js videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Browserify and Gulp.js)
JS Build Tools
35 35%
65% 65
Web Application Bundler
33 33%
67% 67
Front End Package Manager
Module Bundler
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Browserify and Gulp.js

Browserify Reviews

First impressions with Parcel JS
Heard of Webpack, Rollup or Browserify? They are popular bundlers. If you’ve used one of them, you’ve used a bundler. A bundler does what it says on the tin, bundles your code 📦
Source: codeburst.io

Gulp.js Reviews

We have no reviews of Gulp.js yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Gulp.js might be a bit more popular than Browserify. We know about 28 links to it since March 2021 and only 22 links to Browserify. 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.

Browserify mentions (22)

  • Node.js: A brief history of cjs, bundlers, and esm
    Npm packages dramatically sped up the productivity of developers by being able to leverage other developers' work. However, it had a major disadvantage: cjs was not compatible with web browsers. To solve this problem, the concept of bundlers was born. Browserify was the first bundler which essentially worked by traversing an entry point and "bundling" all the require()-ed code into a single .js file compatible... - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • How to Create a Real-time Public Transportation Schedule App
    Browserify to use node packages in the browser. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • 5 Different Tools to Bundle Node.js Apps
    Browserify is a widely used JavaScript bundler with over 2 million NPM weekly downloads. In addition to Node.js support, allowing developers to use require() statements in the browser is one of its highlighted features. - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
  • JavaScript Module Bundlers and all that Jazz ✨
    This began to change when NPM came in and running npm install became a quick and easy way to install dependencies. Browserify became the first JavaScript bundler. As its documentation says -. - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
  • Hack to Run React Application inside Service Worker
    One problem was to run jsDOM as UMD module. But luckly I was able to use browserify to compile jsDOM into UMD. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
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Gulp.js mentions (28)

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What are some alternatives?

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

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.

Parcel - Blazing fast, zero configuration web application bundler

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

rollup.js - Rollup is a module bundler for JavaScript which compiles small pieces of code into a larger piece such as application.

RequireJS - RequireJS is a JavaScript file and module loader.

SystemJS - Configurable module loader enabling dynamic ES module workflows in browsers and NodeJS.