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🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️🏃 JS minification benchmarks: babel-minify, esbuild, terser, uglify-js, swc, google closure compiler, tdewolff/minify

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minification benchmarks

What's the best JavaScript minifier?

This project benchmarks the following minifiers:

Benchmarks last updated on Mar 15, 2025.


🙋‍♂️ Why?

  1. To help you pick a minifier that fits your needs
  2. To promote JS minifiers and document their performances
  3. To encourage healthy competition and improvement amongst minifiers

👟 Methodology

  • Each minifier is executed in its own process with a 10s timeout
  • Artifact integrity is verified by a test before and after minification
  • Each minifier is minimally configured (sourcemaps & comments disabled), comparing out-of-the-box experience
  • Minifier upgrade PRs are automated via WhiteSource Renovate
  • Benchmarks are updated on every PR via GitHub Actions
  • The raw benchmark data is available in /packages/data/data/data.json

⏱ Metrics

Minifiers are ranked by smallest minzipped size.

Minified size

Size of the minified output.

Minzipped size

Size of the minified output with Gzip compression.

For minifiers, this measures how compressable the output is.

For users, this measures network transfer size, which is usually the metric that matters most.

Time

How long minification took (average of 5 runs). Each time is annotated with a multiplier relative to the fastest minifier.

📋 Results

Tip

What's the verdict? ⚔️ See the Minifier showdown

---
config:
    xyChart:
        width: 720
        height: 360
        xAxis:
            labelPadding: 20
        yAxis:
            labelPadding: 10
---
xychart-beta
	title "react v17.0.2"
	x-axis ["Original",1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12]
	y-axis "Gzip size" 0 --> 19385
	bar [19385,8173,8177,8193,8265,8448,8493,8543,8628,8661,8668,8746,11040]
Loading
Artifact Original size Gzip size
react v17.0.2 (Source) 72.13 kB 19.39 kB
Minifier Minified size Minzipped size Time
1. @swc/core -68% 22.86 kB 🏆-58% 8.17 kB 6x 17 ms
2. uglify-js 🏆-69% 22.64 kB -58% 8.18 kB 185x 497 ms
3. google-closure-compiler -68% 22.83 kB -58% 8.19 kB 1145x 3,070 ms
4. terser -68% 23.07 kB -57% 8.27 kB 102x 275 ms
5. babel-minify -67% 23.60 kB -56% 8.45 kB 241x 647 ms
6. oxc-minify -67% 23.52 kB -56% 8.49 kB 🏆 3 ms
7. esbuild -67% 23.70 kB -56% 8.54 kB 4x 12 ms
8. @tdewolff/minify -67% 23.49 kB -55% 8.63 kB 1x 3 ms
9. bun -67% 23.99 kB -55% 8.66 kB 5x 15 ms
10. uglify-js (no compress) -65% 25.03 kB -55% 8.67 kB 34x 91 ms
11. terser (no compress) -65% 25.08 kB -55% 8.75 kB 44x 118 ms
12. tedivm/jshrink -43% 40.82 kB -43% 11.04 kB 45x 123 ms 
---
config:
    xyChart:
        width: 720
        height: 360
        xAxis:
            labelPadding: 20
        yAxis:
            labelPadding: 10
---
xychart-beta
	title "moment v2.29.1"
	x-axis ["Original",1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12]
	y-axis "Gzip size" 0 --> 36231
	bar [36231,18568,18690,18699,18910,19119,19260,19334,19482,19569,19683,19857,24998]
Loading
Artifact Original size Gzip size
moment v2.29.1 (Source) 173.90 kB 36.23 kB
Minifier Minified size Minzipped size Time
1. uglify-js 🏆-67% 57.73 kB 🏆-49% 18.57 kB 200x 1,149 ms
2. terser -66% 59.14 kB -48% 18.69 kB 116x 668 ms
3. @swc/core -66% 58.27 kB -48% 18.70 kB 7x 43 ms
4. google-closure-compiler -66% 58.27 kB -48% 18.91 kB 655x 3,753 ms
5. babel-minify -66% 59.70 kB -47% 19.12 kB 255x 1,465 ms
6. oxc-minify -66% 59.52 kB -47% 19.26 kB 1x 9 ms
7. esbuild -66% 59.82 kB -47% 19.33 kB 3x 18 ms
8. @tdewolff/minify -66% 59.87 kB -46% 19.48 kB 🏆 6 ms
9. uglify-js (no compress) -64% 62.50 kB -46% 19.57 kB 37x 215 ms
10. terser (no compress) -64% 63.15 kB -46% 19.68 kB 47x 270 ms
11. bun -64% 61.84 kB -45% 19.86 kB 3x 19 ms
12. tedivm/jshrink -44% 97.63 kB -31% 25.00 kB 49x 282 ms 
---
config:
    xyChart:
        width: 720
        height: 360
        xAxis:
            labelPadding: 20
        yAxis:
            labelPadding: 10
---
xychart-beta
	title "jquery v3.5.1"
	x-axis ["Original",1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12]
	y-axis "Gzip size" 0 --> 84498
	bar [84498,30881,30903,30912,30970,31446,31470,31621,31799,31954,32653,33086,40879]
Loading
Artifact Original size Gzip size
jquery v3.5.1 (Source) 287.63 kB 84.50 kB
Minifier Minified size Minzipped size Time
1. @swc/core -69% 89.18 kB 🏆-63% 30.88 kB 9x 75 ms
2. uglify-js 🏆-69% 88.45 kB -63% 30.90 kB 200x 1,593 ms
3. terser -69% 89.54 kB -63% 30.91 kB 111x 891 ms
4. oxc-minify -69% 89.33 kB -63% 30.97 kB 1x 15 ms
5. @tdewolff/minify -69% 89.68 kB -63% 31.45 kB 🏆 8 ms
6. uglify-js (no compress) -67% 94.08 kB -63% 31.47 kB 39x 314 ms
7. terser (no compress) -67% 94.55 kB -63% 31.62 kB 44x 353 ms
8. babel-minify -68% 92.10 kB -62% 31.80 kB 301x 2,398 ms
9. esbuild -69% 90.07 kB -62% 31.95 kB 4x 36 ms
10. bun -68% 92.55 kB -61% 32.65 kB 3x 29 ms
11. google-closure-compiler -68% 92.70 kB -61% 33.09 kB 509x 4,056 ms
12. tedivm/jshrink -50% 144.14 kB -52% 40.88 kB 45x 363 ms 
---
config:
    xyChart:
        width: 720
        height: 360
        xAxis:
            labelPadding: 20
        yAxis:
            labelPadding: 10
---
xychart-beta
	title "vue v2.6.12"
	x-axis ["Original",1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12]
	y-axis "Gzip size" 0 --> 89668
	bar [89668,42728,42919,43036,43370,43925,44230,44354,44368,44450,44679,45400,57169]
Loading
Artifact Original size Gzip size
vue v2.6.12 (Source) 342.15 kB 89.67 kB
Minifier Minified size Minzipped size Time
1. @swc/core -66% 115.74 kB 🏆-52% 42.73 kB 7x 100 ms
2. terser -66% 116.80 kB -52% 42.92 kB 84x 1,102 ms
3. uglify-js 🏆-67% 113.80 kB -52% 43.04 kB 169x 2,206 ms
4. oxc-minify -66% 117.25 kB -52% 43.37 kB 1x 19 ms
5. babel-minify -66% 117.90 kB -51% 43.93 kB 207x 2,696 ms
6. google-closure-compiler -66% 115.61 kB -51% 44.23 kB 360x 4,686 ms
7. @tdewolff/minify -66% 117.67 kB -51% 44.35 kB 🏆 13 ms
8. esbuild -65% 118.14 kB -51% 44.37 kB 3x 41 ms
9. uglify-js (no compress) -63% 126.14 kB -50% 44.45 kB 28x 364 ms
10. terser (no compress) -63% 126.58 kB -50% 44.68 kB 34x 443 ms
11. bun -64% 121.50 kB -49% 45.40 kB 2x 32 ms
12. tedivm/jshrink -42% 197.36 kB -36% 57.17 kB 36x 479 ms 
---
config:
    xyChart:
        width: 720
        height: 360
        xAxis:
            labelPadding: 20
        yAxis:
            labelPadding: 10
---
xychart-beta
	title "lodash v4.17.21"
	x-axis ["Original",1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12]
	y-axis "Gzip size" 0 --> 96690
	bar [96690,24686,24972,25186,25219,25503,25862,25979,26200,26221,26498,26655,36327]
Loading
Artifact Original size Gzip size
lodash v4.17.21 (Source) 544.09 kB 96.69 kB
Minifier Minified size Minzipped size Time
1. uglify-js 🏆-87% 68.17 kB 🏆-74% 24.69 kB 149x 1,689 ms
2. google-closure-compiler -86% 73.47 kB -74% 24.97 kB 390x 4,402 ms
3. terser -87% 70.67 kB -74% 25.19 kB 84x 947 ms
4. @swc/core -87% 69.91 kB -74% 25.22 kB 6x 77 ms
5. babel-minify -87% 72.37 kB -74% 25.50 kB 184x 2,083 ms
6. uglify-js (no compress) -86% 74.61 kB -73% 25.86 kB 29x 333 ms
7. oxc-minify -87% 71.38 kB -73% 25.98 kB 1x 14 ms
8. esbuild -87% 72.48 kB -73% 26.20 kB 2x 30 ms
9. terser (no compress) -86% 75.29 kB -73% 26.22 kB 33x 377 ms
10. @tdewolff/minify -87% 71.90 kB -73% 26.50 kB 🏆 11 ms
11. bun -87% 73.45 kB -72% 26.66 kB 2x 24 ms
12. tedivm/jshrink -73% 148.78 kB -62% 36.33 kB 32x 365 ms 
---
config:
    xyChart:
        width: 720
        height: 360
        xAxis:
            labelPadding: 20
        yAxis:
            labelPadding: 10
---
xychart-beta
	title "d3 v6.3.1"
	x-axis ["Original",1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9]
	y-axis "Gzip size" 0 --> 130686
	bar [130686,87016,87229,88087,88162,88319,89156,90800,92395,94121]
Loading
Artifact Original size Gzip size
d3 v6.3.1 (Source) 555.77 kB 130.69 kB
Minifier Minified size Minzipped size Time
1. uglify-js 🏆-53% 263.56 kB 🏆-33% 87.02 kB 93x 3,927 ms
2. @swc/core -52% 265.34 kB -33% 87.23 kB 4x 207 ms
3. terser -52% 267.77 kB -33% 88.09 kB 54x 2,274 ms
4. oxc-minify -51% 270.84 kB -33% 88.16 kB 🏆 42 ms
5. uglify-js (no compress) -50% 275.35 kB -32% 88.32 kB 16x 711 ms
6. terser (no compress) -50% 276.47 kB -32% 89.16 kB 24x 1,011 ms
7. esbuild -51% 270.13 kB -31% 90.80 kB 1x 70 ms
8. bun -51% 273.41 kB -29% 92.40 kB 1x 50 ms
9. google-closure-compiler -51% 270.30 kB -28% 94.12 kB 168x 7,048 ms
10. babel-minify ❌ Minification ❌ ❌ -
11. @tdewolff/minify ❌ Post-validation ❌ ❌ -
12. tedivm/jshrink ❌ Minification ❌ ❌ - 
---
config:
    xyChart:
        width: 720
        height: 360
        xAxis:
            labelPadding: 20
        yAxis:
            labelPadding: 10
---
xychart-beta
	title "terser v5.30.3"
	x-axis ["Original",1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11]
	y-axis "Gzip size" 0 --> 193763
	bar [193763,122364,123071,123334,123482,124428,124609,124885,126562,126707,127653,145178]
Loading
Artifact Original size Gzip size
terser v5.30.3 (Source) 1.01 MB 193.76 kB
Minifier Minified size Minzipped size Time
1. oxc-minify -56% 440.17 kB 🏆-37% 122.36 kB 1x 41 ms
2. @swc/core -55% 455.49 kB -36% 123.07 kB 6x 186 ms
3. uglify-js -55% 451.19 kB -36% 123.33 kB 124x 3,787 ms
4. terser -55% 458.29 kB -36% 123.48 kB 71x 2,172 ms
5. terser (no compress) -53% 474.40 kB -36% 124.43 kB 31x 967 ms
6. uglify-js (no compress) -53% 472.16 kB -36% 124.61 kB 25x 778 ms
7. @tdewolff/minify -55% 456.58 kB -36% 124.89 kB 🏆 30 ms
8. google-closure-compiler 🏆-56% 439.95 kB -35% 126.56 kB 217x 6,579 ms
9. esbuild -55% 458.89 kB -35% 126.71 kB 2x 62 ms
10. bun -54% 466.80 kB -34% 127.65 kB 1x 47 ms
11. tedivm/jshrink -37% 633.71 kB -25% 145.18 kB 44x 1,341 ms
12. babel-minify ❌ Minification ❌ ❌ - 
---
config:
    xyChart:
        width: 720
        height: 360
        xAxis:
            labelPadding: 20
        yAxis:
            labelPadding: 10
---
xychart-beta
	title "three v0.124.0"
	x-axis ["Original",1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11]
	y-axis "Gzip size" 0 --> 248267
	bar [248267,158751,159071,159198,160831,162998,163036,163198,163725,164608,166210,193471]
Loading
Artifact Original size Gzip size
three v0.124.0 (Source) 1.25 MB 248.27 kB
Minifier Minified size Minzipped size Time
1. @swc/core -48% 643.13 kB 🏆-36% 158.75 kB 6x 283 ms
2. uglify-js 🏆-49% 641.59 kB -36% 159.07 kB 107x 5,046 ms
3. terser -48% 653.25 kB -36% 159.20 kB 62x 2,934 ms
4. oxc-minify -48% 647.01 kB -35% 160.83 kB 1x 60 ms
5. google-closure-compiler -48% 644.45 kB -34% 163.00 kB 182x 8,569 ms
6. uglify-js (no compress) -46% 674.49 kB -34% 163.04 kB 21x 994 ms
7. terser (no compress) -46% 675.50 kB -34% 163.20 kB 27x 1,287 ms
8. esbuild -48% 646.76 kB -34% 163.73 kB 1x 89 ms
9. @tdewolff/minify -48% 642.46 kB -34% 164.61 kB 🏆 47 ms
10. bun -47% 655.93 kB -33% 166.21 kB 1x 59 ms
11. tedivm/jshrink -24% 952.01 kB -22% 193.47 kB 36x 1,715 ms
12. babel-minify ❌ Timed out - - ⚠️ +10,000 ms 
---
config:
    xyChart:
        width: 720
        height: 360
        xAxis:
            labelPadding: 20
        yAxis:
            labelPadding: 10
---
xychart-beta
	title "victory v35.8.4"
	x-axis ["Original",1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]
	y-axis "Gzip size" 0 --> 309942
	bar [309942,157435,157900,158706,162262,166386,167579,181071,182671]
Loading
Artifact Original size Gzip size
victory v35.8.4 (Source) 2.13 MB 309.94 kB
Minifier Minified size Minzipped size Time
1. uglify-js 🏆-67% 694.78 kB 🏆-49% 157.44 kB 82x 6,579 ms
2. @swc/core -67% 707.60 kB -49% 157.90 kB 4x 393 ms
3. terser -66% 715.58 kB -49% 158.71 kB 49x 3,977 ms
4. oxc-minify -66% 716.14 kB -48% 162.26 kB 🏆 80 ms
5. terser (no compress) -64% 759.34 kB -46% 166.39 kB 20x 1,606 ms
6. uglify-js (no compress) -65% 756.53 kB -46% 167.58 kB 16x 1,314 ms
7. esbuild -66% 724.14 kB -42% 181.07 kB 1x 124 ms
8. bun -66% 727.90 kB -41% 182.67 kB 1x 83 ms
9. google-closure-compiler ❌ Timed out - - ⚠️ +10,000 ms
10. babel-minify ❌ Minification ❌ ❌ -
11. tedivm/jshrink ❌ Post-validation ❌ ❌ -
12. @tdewolff/minify ❌ Post-validation ❌ ❌ - 
---
config:
    xyChart:
        width: 720
        height: 360
        xAxis:
            labelPadding: 20
        yAxis:
            labelPadding: 10
---
xychart-beta
	title "echarts v5.1.1"
	x-axis ["Original",1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]
	y-axis "Gzip size" 0 --> 684611
	bar [684611,321269,321987,324635,330736,331412,331563,331914,337934]
Loading
Artifact Original size Gzip size
echarts v5.1.1 (Source) 3.20 MB 684.61 kB
Minifier Minified size Minzipped size Time
1. @swc/core 🏆-69% 994.58 kB 🏆-53% 321.27 kB 6x 752 ms
2. terser -69% 1.00 MB -53% 321.99 kB 51x 6,005 ms
3. oxc-minify -69% 1.01 MB -53% 324.64 kB 1x 218 ms
4. terser (no compress) -66% 1.07 MB -52% 330.74 kB 22x 2,649 ms
5. uglify-js (no compress) -67% 1.07 MB -52% 331.41 kB 14x 1,756 ms
6. esbuild -68% 1.01 MB -52% 331.56 kB 1x 193 ms
7. @tdewolff/minify -68% 1.01 MB -52% 331.91 kB 🏆 117 ms
8. bun -68% 1.02 MB -51% 337.93 kB 1x 131 ms
9. babel-minify ❌ Timed out - - ⚠️ +10,000 ms
10. google-closure-compiler ❌ Timed out - - ⚠️ +10,000 ms
11. uglify-js ❌ Timed out - - ⚠️ +10,000 ms
12. tedivm/jshrink ❌ Minification ❌ ❌ - 
---
config:
    xyChart:
        width: 720
        height: 360
        xAxis:
            labelPadding: 20
        yAxis:
            labelPadding: 10
---
xychart-beta
	title "antd v4.16.1"
	x-axis ["Original",1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]
	y-axis "Gzip size" 0 --> 825175
	bar [825175,452827,457786,463357,471728,475480,478572,488279,491833]
Loading
Artifact Original size Gzip size
antd v4.16.1 (Source) 6.67 MB 825.18 kB
Minifier Minified size Minzipped size Time
1. @swc/core 🏆-68% 2.15 MB 🏆-45% 452.83 kB 8x 1,101 ms
2. terser -66% 2.25 MB -45% 457.79 kB 50x 6,823 ms
3. oxc-minify -66% 2.28 MB -44% 463.36 kB 1x 230 ms
4. @tdewolff/minify -66% 2.29 MB -43% 471.73 kB 🏆 135 ms
5. terser (no compress) -64% 2.43 MB -42% 475.48 kB 23x 3,111 ms
6. uglify-js (no compress) -64% 2.42 MB -42% 478.57 kB 18x 2,525 ms
7. esbuild -65% 2.31 MB -41% 488.28 kB 2x 291 ms
8. bun -66% 2.30 MB -40% 491.83 kB 1x 184 ms
9. babel-minify ❌ Timed out - - ⚠️ +10,000 ms
10. google-closure-compiler ❌ Timed out - - ⚠️ +10,000 ms
11. tedivm/jshrink ❌ Timed out - - ⚠️ +10,000 ms
12. uglify-js ❌ Timed out - - ⚠️ +10,000 ms 
---
config:
    xyChart:
        width: 720
        height: 360
        xAxis:
            labelPadding: 20
        yAxis:
            labelPadding: 10
---
xychart-beta
	title "typescript v4.9.5"
	x-axis ["Original",1,2,3,4,5,6]
	y-axis "Gzip size" 0 --> 1884998
	bar [1884998,858287,860673,875811,876535,879301,915551]
Loading
Artifact Original size Gzip size
typescript v4.9.5 (Source) 10.95 MB 1.88 MB
Minifier Minified size Minzipped size Time
1. @swc/core 🏆-70% 3.32 MB 🏆-54% 858.29 kB 8x 2,228 ms
2. oxc-minify -69% 3.35 MB -54% 860.67 kB 2x 730 ms
3. @tdewolff/minify -69% 3.35 MB -54% 875.81 kB 🏆 258 ms
4. uglify-js (no compress) -68% 3.54 MB -53% 876.54 kB 15x 4,029 ms
5. terser (no compress) -68% 3.53 MB -53% 879.30 kB 20x 5,318 ms
6. esbuild -68% 3.49 MB -51% 915.55 kB 1x 496 ms
7. terser ❌ Timed out - - ⚠️ +10,000 ms
8. babel-minify ❌ Timed out - - ⚠️ +10,000 ms
9. google-closure-compiler ❌ Timed out - - ⚠️ +10,000 ms
10. uglify-js ❌ Timed out - - ⚠️ +10,000 ms
11. tedivm/jshrink ❌ Timed out - - ⚠️ +10,000 ms
12. bun ❌ Post-validation ❌ ❌ -

⚔️ Minifier showdown

Note

🤖 This analysis is AI generated

Folks, we’ve got a heavyweight showdown in JavaScript minification! From lightning-fast contenders to the most disciplined compressors, the results are in, and the competition was fierce across a dazzling lineup of scenarios. Let’s dive in!

Best minifier

@swc/core takes the crown for overall excellence! This remarkable tool crushed every significant challenge with consistent top-tier compression percentages (like 36.55% for jQuery and 45.53% for TypeScript) and blistering speeds (e.g., 393.03ms for Victory or 752.15ms for ECharts). Sure, some minifiers managed to scrape a fractionally better size, but @swc/core's combination of world-class compression, fast processing, and reliability makes it the champion for the average user. It’s hard to beat a tool that balances power and speed so gracefully!

Honorable mentions

  • oxc-minify, the sprinter in our race! Boasting unmatched speeds, it consistently completed compression in milliseconds—even for large files like Victory (79.9ms) and TypeScript (729.57ms). A tiny trade-off in size (e.g., 26.87% for Lodash vs. Uglify's 25.53%) keeps it from gold, but it’s hands-down the fastest minifier for when you’re in a crunch.
  • uglify-js stands as the grandmaster of compression. This champion achieved the smallest sizes across several rounds (25.53% for Lodash, 50.79% for Victory, and 66.58% for d3). But its painstakingly slow speeds (e.g., 6578.69ms for Victory) mean you'll need patience to revel in its tighter results. Worth it if transfer times trump processing speeds for you!
  • esbuild, while slightly less aggressive in compression, turned in a strong performance and blazingly fast times (like 290.8ms for AntD and 495.94ms for TypeScript). It's recommended for developers prioritizing "good enough" compression delivered at warp speed.

Eliminated

  • babel-minify, @tdewolff/minify, and tedivm/jshrink fumbled hard by tripping over improper handling of JavaScript edge cases. Runtime errors during standard minification (e.g., D3) make them a risky choice—you wouldn’t want your build to fail at the worst moment!
  • bun, while promising, failed validation for a critical file format difference (\r\n vs. \n). Standards compliance matters in production tools, so Bun has some brushing up to do.
  • google-closure-compiler, the tortoise in this race, delivers respectably tight compression but at an astronomical price: massive delays in every test. It even timed out entirely on larger packages (like Victory and ECharts). Best left for specialized cases requiring its advanced closure features, not in general battle.

Everyone, let’s give these tools a round of applause—they’ve all come a long way to compete today. Whether you’re after absolute size savings, blazing speeds, or a balanced compromise, it’s clear there’s a tool tailored for your needs in this thrilling bunch!

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🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️🏃 JS minification benchmarks: babel-minify, esbuild, terser, uglify-js, swc, google closure compiler, tdewolff/minify

Topics

javascript webpack gzip speed uglifyjs benchmarks size swc minification minifier measures google-closure-compiler uglify-js babel-minify gzip-size minifiers esbuild tesrser minification-benchmarks minification-performance

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License

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