Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

YUI Compressor VS esbuild

Compare YUI Compressor VS esbuild and see what are their differences

YUI Compressor logo YUI Compressor

Yahoo JS/CSS Compressor

esbuild logo esbuild

An extremely fast JavaScript bundler and minifier
  • YUI Compressor Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-08-02
  • esbuild Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-05-07

YUI Compressor features and specs

  • Efficiency
    YUI Compressor is known for its efficient compression, effectively reducing the size of CSS and JavaScript files without significant loss of readability or performance.
  • Cross-Compatibility
    The tool is compatible with different browsers and maintains functionality across various platforms, ensuring wide usability of the compressed files.
  • Error Checking
    YUI Compressor includes a level of error checking that helps identify potential issues during the minification process, helping developers quickly pinpoint and fix errors.
  • Command Line Utility
    Its command line interface is convenient for integrating into build scripts and automation processes, making it a suitable fit for larger projects and teams.

Possible disadvantages of YUI Compressor

  • Limited Modern Features
    YUI Compressor lacks support for newer JavaScript features and syntax, which can be a limitation for modern web development projects using ES6 or later.
  • No Active Maintenance
    As an older project, YUI Compressor is no longer actively maintained or updated, which could pose security risks and compatibility issues with newer technologies.
  • Complexity with Certain Code
    The compressor can sometimes struggle with more complex code or newer coding paradigms, potentially requiring workarounds or manual adjustments to the code.
  • Less Aggressive Compression
    Compared to newer tools, YUI Compressor's compression might not be as aggressive, possibly resulting in slightly larger file sizes than some modern alternatives.

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.

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.

YUI Compressor videos

Using YUI Compressor .NET (Web Optimization)

More videos:

  • Review - YUI Compressor .NET (MSBuild)
  • Review - Como utilizar YUI Compressor

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

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to YUI Compressor and esbuild)
Web Application Bundler
22 22%
78% 78
JS Build Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Tool
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using YUI Compressor and esbuild. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, esbuild seems to be a lot more popular than YUI Compressor. While we know about 143 links to esbuild, we've tracked only 1 mention of YUI Compressor. 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.

YUI Compressor mentions (1)

esbuild mentions (143)

  • ⚔️ Vite vs. Turbopack in 2025: Which One to Choose?
    Vite (pronounced veet) was created by Evan You (Vue's creator) and launched in 2020. It uses native ES modules in the browser and esbuild for lightning-fast dev servers and Rollup for optimized production builds. - Source: dev.to / 6 days ago
  • Understanding how Vite deals with your node_modules
    Pre-bundle all the dependencies on the "optimization boundary" list into node_modules/.vite/deps/ folder. This step is done by esbuild. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • Show HN: Nue – Apps lighter than a React button
    5. Show me metrics: https://esbuild.github.io/ nailed this one. - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • Extensible WASM Applications with Go
    ESBuild is a bundler. The subtitle on the website is literally “An extremely fast bundler for the web”. To bundle, pass —-bundle flag. https://esbuild.github.io/. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • How I Built a SpeedtestTracker with Raspberry PI and AWS Lambda
    Esbuild for bunding both the client and server separately. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

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

JavaScript Obfuscator - JavaScript Obfuscator is a free online tool that obfuscates your source code, preventing it from being stolen and used without permission.

Vite - Next Generation Frontend Tooling

Terser - JavaScript parser, mangler, optimizer and beautifier toolkit for ES6+

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.

UglifyJS - JavaScript minifier, beautifier, mangler and parser toolkit.

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