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In an October 3, 2026, report, developer David Bushell described returning to Node.js after years of using Deno. He said a static site generator migration required few changes and built 15% faster, while also citing package management and reliability frustrations with Deno.
Developer David Bushell said he has returned to Node.js after years of using Deno, reporting that a static site generator migration to Node.js v26.10.0 took little work and produced builds he measured as 15% faster. The account, published October 3, describes one developer’s experience on client work and does not establish a general performance comparison between the runtimes.
Bushell wrote that he had been using Node extensively during the month on a SvelteKit client project and was surprised by how much the runtime had changed since his earlier experience. He cited modern ECMAScript support and said he no longer needed to use CommonJS require() in his work. He also described using Fast Node Manager to switch Node versions and PNPM for package management, including settings intended to delay newly published dependency releases.
For a separate migration, Bushell replaced Deno’s filesystem APIs with node:fs, switched from Deno.serve to Hono’s Node adapter, and replaced Deno’s standard path module with node:path. He reported that the converted static site generator built 15% faster. He did not provide benchmark methodology, machine specifications, or a detailed before-and-after build record, so the result applies to his project as described.
Bushell also outlined trade-offs. Node’s refusal to strip TypeScript types from files inside node_modules meant he needed a bundling tool for his TypeScript packages, he said. He used PNPM’s trust policy to allow his own packages after self-hosting Forgejo, and noted that his packages had lost registry provenance. Those details reflect his setup and choices, rather than a formal evaluation of package ecosystems.
A Lower-Effort Runtime Switch
The account offers a practical example of how a project using Deno-specific APIs may be moved to Node with a limited set of code changes. For teams weighing a runtime switch, Bushell’s experience suggests that familiarity with the existing code and the APIs it uses may shape migration effort. His reported 15% faster builds may prompt interest, but without published test conditions the figure should not be treated as evidence that Node is faster for other applications.
The report also highlights the choices developers face around dependency security and distribution. Bushell selected PNPM and configured release-age and trust settings, while accepting the extra work of bundling TypeScript packages. His experience illustrates that moving runtimes can change tooling and publishing workflows alongside application code.
Node.js v26.10.0 development tools
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Why Bushell Revisited Node
Bushell’s post frames the move as a return after a long stretch of using Deno. He said habit and familiarity had kept him with Deno, while his recent work gave him a reason to reassess Node. His comparison reflects his own earlier experience with Node, including package tools he had found frustrating, and his current experience with the versions and configuration he selected.
He also described problems that contributed to his decision to leave Deno: broken Zsh integration, repeated HTTP 429 responses from JSR, and bugs affecting concurrent HTTP requests. These are issues Bushell reported; the post does not establish how widespread or persistent they were for other users. He criticized Deno’s company and direction as well, but those judgments are his assessment, not independently verified findings in the report.
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Limits of One Migration
The report does not explain how the 15% build-time difference was measured, how many runs were compared, or whether the same conditions were used before and after migration. It also does not say whether the gain would hold after further optimization of the Deno version or additional tuning of the Node version. Bushell himself said he had not yet explored other built-in Node APIs that might affect performance.
The scope of the reported Deno problems is also unclear. The post gives no independent verification, issue links, or response from Deno Land or JSR. It is not clear whether the reported integration, rate-limit, and concurrency problems were later resolved, or whether other developers encountered them in the same way.
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Further Node Performance Work
Bushell said he may explore additional Node APIs to improve the migrated project, whose code still favors Deno idioms. He also described the conversion as a minimum-viable migration, leaving open whether he will make broader changes to the codebase or tooling.
The post does not announce a planned follow-up, a response from Deno, or a wider project decision. For readers considering a similar move, the next useful evidence would be a repeatable comparison on their own workloads and a review of their dependencies, TypeScript publishing needs, and package trust settings.
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Key Questions
Who is moving from Deno to Node?
Developer David Bushell described his return to Node.js in a report published October 3, 2026. He discussed recent SvelteKit client work and a migration of his static site generator.
Did the Node migration make builds faster?
Bushell reported that builds for his static site generator were 15% faster after the migration. He did not publish the measurement method or test conditions, so the result should be read as a report about his project.
What code changes did he make?
He replaced Deno’s filesystem APIs with node:fs, switched from Deno.serve to Hono’s Node adapter, and changed Deno’s path module to node:path. He described the required work as limited.
Why did Bushell leave Deno?
He cited broken Zsh integration, JSR rate-limit responses, and bugs with concurrent HTTP requests, alongside broader dissatisfaction with Deno’s direction. These are his reported experiences and opinions; the post does not establish how broadly they affected users.
Does Node support running TypeScript directly?
Bushell said Node can run TypeScript in some cases, but refuses to strip types from TypeScript files inside node_modules. He used a bundling tool to publish his TypeScript packages.
Source: hn
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