tsup vs webpack
webpack is downloaded 8.3× more often than tsup (193,238,293 vs 23,284,612 per month), so it has the larger community and more answered questions online. tsup ships 91% less gzipped JavaScript (79.0 kB vs 887.2 kB), which matters if bundle size is a priority. Both projects are actively maintained.
| Metric | tsup | webpack |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly downloads | 5,764,074 | 45,317,862✓ |
| Monthly downloads | 23,284,612 | 193,238,293✓ |
| GitHub stars | 11,256 | 65,739✓ |
| Minified size | 305.4 kB✓ | 3630.8 kB |
| Minified + gzipped | 79.0 kB✓ | 887.2 kB |
| Dependencies | 17✓ | 23 |
| Open issues | 401 | 186✓ |
| Last commit | 2026-06-01✓ | 2026-05-31 |
| Latest version | 8.5.1 | 5.107.2 |
| License | MIT | MIT |
When to choose which
tsup
Bundle TypeScript libraries with almost no config.
Choose it when: Publishing a TS library — esbuild-powered bundling with type declarations and near-zero configuration.
- + Near zero-config
- + Very fast (esbuild)
- + Emits .d.ts
- - Library-focused, not for apps
- - Thin abstraction over esbuild
webpack
The powerful, highly-configurable app bundler.
Choose it when: Complex application builds that need its mature plugin/loader ecosystem and fine-grained control.
- + Most flexible
- + Huge plugin/loader ecosystem
- + Battle-tested
- - Slow vs modern tools
- - Complex configuration
Feature comparison
| Feature | tsup | webpack |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Build tool | Bundler |
| Speed | Very fast | Moderate |
| Configuration | Minimal | Complex / powerful |
| Best for | Libraries | Applications |
| Written in | Go (esbuild) | JavaScript |
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[](https://devcompare.dev/compare/tsup-vs-webpack)Data from npm, Bundlephobia and GitHub. Last updated 2026-06-02.