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The best ts-node alternatives

3 tools that do a similar job to ts-node, 3 of them open source. Each entry says what it does and who it suits, so you can pick the one that fits instead of the most famous.

You're replacing

ts-node

Runs TypeScript files directly in Node.js, with a REPL, without a separate build step.

  1. 1

    tsx

    Open source · MIT · ★ 12.2k

    Runs TypeScript files directly in Node.js without a separate compile step.

    Best for: Developers who already use Node.js and want to run TypeScript scripts quickly; People trying out TypeScript code without setting up a build pipeline

  2. 2

    Deno

    Open source · MIT · ★ 109k

    A runtime for running JavaScript and TypeScript programs, with secure defaults.

    Best for: Developers who want to run TypeScript without a separate build setup; Developers building small web servers or APIs

  3. 3

    NodeSource Distributions

    Open source · MIT · ★ 13.9k

    Scripts that install Node.js on Linux from NodeSource's apt and yum package repositories.

    Best for: Linux users who want a Node.js version installed through their system package manager; Server admins setting up Node.js on Debian or Ubuntu style systems

How we pick: tools in the same category that solve the same problem, projects that name each other as alternatives, and open-source projects that describe themselves as an alternative to ts-node. We don't take payment for placement.