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esbuild VS MIT App Inventor

Compare esbuild VS MIT App Inventor and see what are their differences

esbuild logo esbuild

An extremely fast JavaScript bundler and minifier

MIT App Inventor logo MIT App Inventor

App Inventor is a cloud-based tool, which means you can create apps for phones or tablets right in your web browser.
  • esbuild Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-05-07
  • MIT App Inventor Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-23

esbuild features and specs

  • Speed
    esbuild is known for its blazing-fast performance because it is written in Go and optimized for efficiency. This makes it significantly faster than many other popular build tools.
  • Simplicity
    esbuild has a minimalistic and straightforward configuration, making it easy to set up and use without needing to navigate through complex configuration files.
  • Tree Shaking
    esbuild supports tree shaking, which helps in eliminating dead code, thereby resulting in smaller bundle sizes and improved performance.
  • TypeScript Support
    esbuild has built-in support for TypeScript, allowing developers to seamlessly integrate TypeScript into their build process without needing additional configuration.
  • CommonJS and ES Module Support
    esbuild supports both CommonJS and ES modules, providing flexibility in how modules are imported and exported.
  • Bundling
    esbuild can bundle multiple JavaScript files, resolving dependencies and optimizing the output, which is beneficial for production-ready applications.

Possible disadvantages of esbuild

  • Limited Plugin Ecosystem
    Compared to more mature tools like Webpack or Rollup, esbuild has a relatively smaller ecosystem of plugins, which might limit some advanced customization and integration capabilities.
  • Less Mature
    As a newer tool, esbuild might have less extensive community support and fewer resources such as tutorials and documentation compared to older and more established build tools.
  • Feature Parity
    While esbuild covers many essential features, it may lack some advanced features found in other build tools, potentially requiring additional tools or workarounds for complex scenarios.
  • Non-Configurable Output
    esbuild's approach to simplicity sometimes means less configurability compared to other tools. This might be restrictive for projects that require highly customized or specific build outputs.
  • Source Map Support
    While esbuild does support source maps, its support might be less comprehensive compared to some other build tools, potentially causing issues during debugging.

MIT App Inventor features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    MIT App Inventor offers a drag-and-drop interface, making it accessible for beginners and non-programmers to create mobile applications without writing code.
  • Educational Value
    The platform is designed to teach the fundamentals of programming and computational thinking, which makes it an excellent tool for educators and students.
  • Cloud-Based
    Projects are stored in the cloud, allowing users to access their work from any device with internet connectivity.
  • Extensive Resources
    A wealth of tutorials, guides, and community forums are available to help users learn and troubleshoot.
  • Rapid Prototyping
    The platform enables quick development and testing of app prototypes, which is useful for iterative design processes.
  • Real-Time Testing
    Real-time testing on connected devices speeds up the development cycle by providing immediate feedback.

Possible disadvantages of MIT App Inventor

  • Limited Functionality
    Advanced features and custom functionality can be difficult or impossible to implement due to the platform's limitations.
  • Performance Issues
    Apps created with MIT App Inventor may not be as optimized or performant as those developed with more complex programming environments.
  • Dependency on Internet
    Since it is a cloud-based tool, a stable internet connection is required to access services, which might be a constraint in some situations.
  • Basic User Interface Design
    The drag-and-drop interface may lead to less polished or professional UI/UX compared to apps designed with dedicated design tools.
  • Limited Platform Support
    Primarily supports Android development, which might be a downside for those looking to develop iOS applications.
  • Learning Curve for Complex Apps
    While it is user-friendly for simple applications, creating more complex apps can still require a significant amount of learning and problem-solving.

Analysis of esbuild

Overall verdict

  • Esbuild is considered a great tool for developers looking for a fast and efficient bundling solution. Its performance and feature set make it a preferred choice for projects where build speed is a critical factor.

Why this product is good

  • Esbuild is highly regarded due to its impressive speed and performance. It is built in Go, which allows it to be significantly faster than other JavaScript bundlers written in JavaScript. Esbuild is designed to handle large codebases quickly, making it a great tool for developers who prioritize build speed. Additionally, it supports modern JavaScript features and offers features like tree shaking, minification, and support for various module formats.

Recommended for

    Esbuild is recommended for developers who work on large projects and need a bundler that can significantly reduce build times. It is ideal for those who prefer using cutting-edge tools and technologies in their workflow. Additionally, it's suitable for developers who need to support modern JavaScript features and are looking for a straightforward configuration process.

esbuild videos

ESBuild and SWC: Worth your time?

More videos:

  • Review - Let's talk about esbuild
  • Tutorial - Introduction to ESBuild tutorial for React / JavaScript and Typescript bundling. Bye bye Webpack

MIT App Inventor videos

MIT App Inventor: Mobile Apps. Built by You.

More videos:

  • Tutorial - How to Send Data to a Google Sheet with MIT App Inventor
  • Review - Thunkable Vs AppyBuilder Vs Makroid Vs MIT App Inventor ||difference||
  • Tutorial - Create First App in MIT App Inventor 2

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to esbuild and MIT App Inventor)
Developer Tools
66 66%
34% 34
IDE
0 0%
100% 100
JS Build Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Application Builder
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare esbuild and MIT App Inventor

esbuild Reviews

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MIT App Inventor Reviews

Top 10 Android Studio Alternatives For App Development
MIT App Inventor is a visual programming environment which is developed by Google. It allows users to build apps for tablets and smartphones.
Top 5 App Builder To Build Your Own App Without Coding
Undoubtedly, Kodular has been the best app builder in recent years. It was founded on 6 July 2017 by the partnership of 7 people such as Conor shipp, Vishwas Adiga, Pavitra Golchha, Sander Jochems, Sivagiri Visakan, and Diego Barreiro. It is a Builder based on the MIT App inventor. You can make your apps on this platform without any charges. Everything is 100% free in this...
THE BEST 34 APP DEVELOPMENT SOFTWARE IN 2022 LIST
AppInventor.org is a site for learning and teaching how to program mobile apps with MITโ€™s App Inventor. These tutorials are refined versions of the tutorials that have been on the Google and MIT App Inventor sites from App Inventorโ€™s inceptionโ€“ thousands of beginners have used them to learn programming and learn App Inventor.
Best Mobile App Development Tools for Kids
MIT App Inventor is a web application integrated development environment originally provided by Google and now maintained by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It allows newcomers to computer programming to create application software(apps) for two operating systems (OS): Android, and iOS. It is free and open-source software released under dual licensing.
Source: codinghero.ai
10 Best Android Studio Alternatives For App Development
Thunkable is a powerful drag and drops app builder. And this is made by two of the very first MIT engineers on the MIT app inventor. The platform is geared for the most professional users, who may want higher quality and robust apps for their business, community or just for themselves. Thus, Thunkable has an amazingly active and engaged community. And it also offers live...
Source: techdator.net

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, esbuild should be more popular than MIT App Inventor. It has been mentiond 148 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.

esbuild mentions (148)

  • Down the Rabbit Hole with Claude Code: My Journey to Window Key Switcher
    I used Zod and bundled with esbuild, and it works great! - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • How To Build An API With Node, Without Additional Framework (SQL Included)
    TypeScript requires a compilation step before execution. Although Node "is starting" to offer native support for .ts, I opted here for ESBuild (an ultra-efficient bundler), to generate a JavaScript file executable simply with Node: esbuild src/index.ts --bundle --format=esm --outfile=dist/index.js --platform=node --target=node22.14 && node dist/index.js. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • So I Quit $200k Job To Write A Framework
    If the developer needs to enable rich on-page interactivity or embed a mini React app โ€” esbuild is embedded and integrated. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • 10 Performance Tips for Scaling Your Node.js API
    Use webpack or esbuild for bundling and pruning dead code Want to audit your bundle? Tools like pkg-size or cost-of-modules can show you which packages are inflating your deploy size. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Why and how to optimize your Lambda
    I recommend using NodeJS, not because it fits the event-driven, non-blocking model, but because it is very well-suited for reducing file size by bundling the code. Esbuild is a great tool to bundle your Lambda. It is already included in the CDK construct NodeJSFunction when using AWS CDK, and you don't need source maps, at least not in production. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
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MIT App Inventor mentions (41)

  • Awesome-no-code-tools
    App Inventor - Create powerful Android apps without code using blocs coding. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Looking for savable graphing methods
    First thought, play with MIT App Inventor https://appinventor.mit.edu/, they have dedicated blocks for graphing and cross-platform implementations of Bluetooth for Android and iOS. The data format is still up to you. Source: over 2 years ago
  • App for recording time periods
    Or you could go to https://appinventor.mit.edu/ and design your own custom app (no widget, though). Source: over 2 years ago
  • Easiest code to learn to make an app?
    If you want to make a mobile app you could try https://appinventor.mit.edu/. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Trying to have a Ubuntu server I can turn on from my phone, log in as user, and start the Docker containers for my server. How do I automate this process?
    Maybe a raspberry pi that's on 24/7 connected to wifi and use that to send the wake over lan signal to the server? Arduino on the power pins also works, I did something quite similar but with a Bluetooth board, the code was really simple I just made an Android app with MIT app inventor that sent a signal to the hc_05 bt board, once the Arduino received that signal it shorted the power pin to 5v for half a second... Source: over 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing esbuild and MIT App Inventor, you can also consider the following products

Vite - Next Generation Frontend Tooling

Thunkable - Powerful but easy to use, drag-and-drop mobile app builder.

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.

Android Studio - Android development environment based on IntelliJ IDEA

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

Kodular - Much more than a modern app creator without coding