How-To Guide

How to Install Bun

Bun is a fast, all-in-one JavaScript runtime that combines Node.js, npm, and a bundler in a single tool. Here's how to install it in under 5 minutes.

📋 What You'll Need

A computer running Windows 10+, macOS, or Linux
A terminal (PowerShell, Terminal, or bash)
About 200 MB of free disk space
5 minutes of your time

✅ Bun is completely free and open source.

🥟 What Is Bun?

Bun is a JavaScript runtime like Node.js, but built for speed. It runs JavaScript and TypeScript directly, includes a package manager, a bundler, a test runner, and a transpiler — all in one binary.

Use it when you want:

Faster install times than npm (often 10-25x)
To run TypeScript without a separate compiler
One tool instead of Node + npm + esbuild + jest

Open Your Terminal

Windows users: open PowerShell (not Command Prompt). Mac and Linux: open Terminal.

Run the Install Command

macOS / Linux:

curl -fsSL https://bun.sh/install | bash

Windows (PowerShell):

powershell -c "irm bun.sh/install.ps1 | iex"

Or via npm (works on any OS if you already have Node.js):

npm install -g bun

Verify Installation

Close and reopen your terminal, then run:

bun --version

You should see something like 1.1.30. If you get "command not found", restart your terminal — Bun adds itself to your PATH on install.

Test with a Script

Create a file called hello.ts (yes, TypeScript works natively):

const message: string = "Hello from Bun!";
console.log(message);

Run it:

bun run hello.ts

You should see Hello from Bun! — no compilation step needed. 🎉

💡 Bun runs .ts files directly. No tsc compile step, no ts-node. It parses TypeScript on the fly.

🧠 Essential Bun Commands

bun install              # install dependencies (like npm install)
bun add react            # add a package (like npm install react)
bun add -d typescript    # add a dev dependency
bun remove lodash        # remove a package
bun run script.ts        # run a script
bun test                 # run tests
bun build ./index.ts     # bundle for production

If you know npm, you already know Bun — the commands map one-to-one.

⚖️ Bun vs Node.js

Speed: Bun starts up faster and installs packages much faster
TypeScript: Bun runs .ts directly; Node needs compilation
Ecosystem: Node has 15+ years of libraries; Bun runs most of them but not all edge cases
Stability: Node is battle-tested; Bun is newer but maturing fast
Best for: Bun for new projects and speed; Node for maximum compatibility