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esbuild VS Violentmonkey

Compare esbuild VS Violentmonkey and see what are their differences

esbuild logo esbuild

An extremely fast JavaScript bundler and minifier

Violentmonkey logo Violentmonkey

Violentmonkey is a userscript manager to support running userscripts in web pages.
  • esbuild Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-05-07
  • Violentmonkey Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-16

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.

Violentmonkey features and specs

  • Free and Open Source
    Violentmonkey is freely available to use and the source code is open for anyone to inspect, modify, and contribute to. This ensures transparency and community-driven development.
  • Active Development
    The project is actively maintained and updated, which means that bugs are fixed promptly and new features are regularly added.
  • Cross-Browser Support
    Violentmonkey is compatible with multiple browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Opera, providing flexibility to users regardless of their browser preference.
  • User Script Manager
    It allows users to manage and run custom scripts to enhance web pages, providing extensive customization options for a tailored browsing experience.
  • Easy Backup and Sync
    Features like backup and sync allow users to easily transfer their settings and scripts across different devices, ensuring a consistent experience.

Possible disadvantages of Violentmonkey

  • Learning Curve
    For new users, especially those not familiar with scripting, there might be a learning curve involved in understanding how to write and manage scripts effectively.
  • Security Risks
    As with any tool that runs third-party scripts, there is a potential risk for malicious scripts that can compromise user security and privacy if not properly vetted.
  • Dependency on Community Scripts
    The quality and functionality of Violentmonkey heavily rely on the availability and maintenance of user-submitted scripts, which can vary in quality.
  • Browser Performance Impact
    Running multiple or poorly optimized scripts can affect browser performance by increasing loading times and resource consumption.

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.

Analysis of Violentmonkey

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Violentmonkey is a reliable and efficient userscript manager that caters to the needs of users who want to customize their web browsing experience.

Why this product is good

  • Violentmonkey is considered a good choice for users looking to manage userscripts on their web browsers. It provides a clean and straightforward interface, supports a wide range of script sources, and is compatible with multiple browsers including Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. Moreover, it is open-source, allowing for community contributions and transparency.

Recommended for

  • Tech-savvy users interested in enhancing their web browser functionality through userscripts.
  • Developers who want to test userscripts in a flexible environment.
  • Users looking for an open-source alternative to other popular script managers like Greasemonkey or Tampermonkey.

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

Violentmonkey videos

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to esbuild and Violentmonkey)
JS Build Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Browser Extensions
0 0%
100% 100
Developer Tools
86 86%
14% 14
Dark Mode
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, esbuild should be more popular than Violentmonkey. It has been mentiond 153 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 (153)

  • What Happens When You Run `npm run dev`
    Vite uses esbuild written in Go, absurdly fast to pre-process your node_modules dependencies. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • Creating Your First Lambda Function
    The Metadata section tells SAM how to build your TypeScript code. Instead of running tsc and bundling manually, SAM uses esbuild โ€” a JavaScript/TypeScript bundler. It compiles your TypeScript, minifies the output, generates sourcemaps for debugging, and packages it all up. You don't need to install esbuild yourself โ€” SAM handles it during sam build. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Claude Code's Source Didn't Leak. It Was Already Public for Years.
    The reality is simple: minification was never security. It's a size optimization that bundlers like esbuild, Webpack, and Rollup do by default. Variable renaming slows down human readers but LLMs read minified code like you read formatted code. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • How to Minify JavaScript Without Build Tools
    Esbuild is written in Go and is 10-100x faster than JavaScript-based minifiers:. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Anatomy of a package: @vanilla-extract/css
    In the following sections, we will explore how does it do what it does using one such tool called esbuild. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
View more

Violentmonkey mentions (46)

  • Show HN: UserScript to manually choose model for ChatGPT website
    - GPT 4o mini, so you can save your 4o calls for more complex queries https://github.com/altbdoor/userscripts/raw/master/force-gpt3.user.js. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • If your Firefox suddenly started to hang or become extremely slow today, check if you have tampermonkey 5.0. Disable it for now as it seems to be the culprit.
    Since Tampermonkey seems to be misbehaving, consider using Violentmonkey. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Current plan for the flag
    Step 1Install violentmonkey (or your favorite user script manager). Source: about 3 years ago
  • Andrej Karpathy โ€“ State of GPT ( At MSBuild 2023)
    Sounds like a good violent monkey [0] script for you do this weekend. :) [0] https://violentmonkey.github.io/. - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago
  • Auto expand for reports button in modqueue
    Toolbox is great, but if that is all you really need, here's this! You can copy and paste this as a new script to use in ViolentMonkey [AMO] or whatever script manager you use. Source: over 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing esbuild and Violentmonkey, you can also consider the following products

Vite - Next Generation Frontend Tooling

Greasemonkey - Customize the way a web page displays or behaves, by using small bits of JavaScript.

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.

Tampermonkey - Greasemonkey compatible script manager.

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

Greasy Fork - A site for user scripts.