Babel vs ECMAScript 6
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A compiler that converts newer JavaScript into versions older browsers and runtimes can run.
Open source · MIT
A reference page summarizing the new features added in ECMAScript 6 (JavaScript 2015) with code examples.
The short answer
Choose Babel if you need…
- Web developers who want to use recent JavaScript syntax while still supporting older browsers
- Teams with a build pipeline that can add a compile step
- Library authors who need output that runs in a range of environments
- Developers curious how JavaScript syntax transforms work under the hood
Choose ECMAScript 6 if you need…
- Developers who know older JavaScript and want a quick tour of ES6 syntax
- Students learning modern JavaScript concepts
- Developers reading legacy code that uses ES6 features and need a reference
- Teams deciding which ES6 features to adopt
Side-by-side
| Babel | ECMAScript 6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Dev tool | Learning resource |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 44.1k | 29k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Beginner |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Read it online |
| Main language | TypeScript | — |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 4 years ago |
What each one is
Babel
Babel is a tool that lets you write modern JavaScript and then converts it into an older form that environments without support for those features can still run. The README gives an example of turning a newer nullish-coalescing operator into an equivalent older expression. Developers use it as a build step in web projects so they can use new language features without waiting for every browser to support them.
ECMAScript 6
This is a written overview of ECMAScript 6, the 2015 update to the JavaScript language standard. It walks through each major new feature, such as arrow functions, classes, template strings, destructuring, let and const, modules, and promises, with a short code example for each. It is mainly useful for learning what changed in modern JavaScript and why.
Best for
Babel
- Web developers who want to use recent JavaScript syntax while still supporting older browsers
- Teams with a build pipeline that can add a compile step
- Library authors who need output that runs in a range of environments
- Developers curious how JavaScript syntax transforms work under the hood
ECMAScript 6
- Developers who know older JavaScript and want a quick tour of ES6 syntax
- Students learning modern JavaScript concepts
- Developers reading legacy code that uses ES6 features and need a reference
- Teams deciding which ES6 features to adopt
Strengths
Babel
- Widely used, with 44,052 GitHub stars and a large npm download count shown in the README
- Open source under the MIT license
- Actively pushed to, with a recent release listed as v8.0.9
ECMAScript 6
- Short, example-driven sections that are easy to skim
- Links to MDN pages for deeper reading on each feature
- Widely starred and referenced, so many readers have already used it as a starting point
Not ideal for
Babel
- People who only write code for modern browsers or Node versions that already support every feature they use, since there may be nothing to compile
- Non-developers looking for an app with a graphical interface; the README describes a command-line and build-tool library
- Anyone needing a full guide to setup; the README points to external docs at babeljs.io for detailed usage
ECMAScript 6
- Readers who need the full formal specification; the README points to the ECMA-262 standard document for that
- Anyone looking for a current guide to ES2015 and later releases, since the README covers only ES6 and was last pushed in January 2023
Trade-offs
Babel
- The README is short on setup detail and points elsewhere for documentation
- Configuration and plugin choices are not described in this README excerpt, so setup may take learning
- Maintained largely by volunteers, as the README states, which may affect response times
ECMAScript 6
- The README is truncated here, so features after generators are not covered in this analysis
- It is a collection of notes rather than a tutorial, so beginners may need additional explanation
- Some examples are dated in style, and the repository has not been updated recently
Getting started
Babel
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/babel/babelECMAScript 6
Clone the repository to read it locally
git clone https://github.com/lukehoban/es6featuresFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Babel and ECMAScript 6?
Babel: A compiler that converts newer JavaScript into versions older browsers and runtimes can run. ECMAScript 6: A reference page summarizing the new features added in ECMAScript 6 (JavaScript 2015) with code examples. Babel suits web developers who want to use recent javascript syntax while still supporting older browsers, while ECMAScript 6 suits developers who know older javascript and want a quick tour of es6 syntax.
Are Babel and ECMAScript 6 free?
Babel: Free and open source. ECMAScript 6: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, Babel or ECMAScript 6?
ECMAScript 6 is easier to get started with (rated beginner); Babel is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is Babel or ECMAScript 6 more popular?
Babel has more GitHub stars (44.1k) than ECMAScript 6 (29k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Babel and ECMAScript 6?
Other options people compare them with include esbuild, Parcel, Electron React Boilerplate.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.