You Don't Need Moment.js
A guide to replacing Moment.js with native JavaScript or lighter date libraries, plus an ESLint plugin.
- Stars
- 13.3k
- Forks
- 312
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- JavaScript
- Last update
- 10 months ago
- Type
- Learning resource
What it is
This is a reference guide, not a runnable program. It lists common date and time tasks (parsing, formatting, adding and subtracting, comparing) and shows how to do each one without Moment.js, using native JavaScript or smaller libraries such as date-fns and dayjs. It also includes a comparison table and an ESLint plugin that flags places in your code where Moment.js may not be needed.
- Look up the native or date-fns equivalent of a Moment.js call such as add, subtract, or format
- Add the ESLint plugin to a project to highlight Moment.js-dependent code
- Compare bundle size, tree-shaking, and locale support across Moment.js, Luxon, date-fns, and dayjs
Great for
- Developers maintaining a web app that loads Moment.js and wants a smaller bundle
- Teams planning a migration away from Moment.js who want a side-by-side reference
- Developers who only use a few simple Moment.js functions
- Projects that want to find Moment.js usages automatically via ESLint
Not ideal for
- Projects that rely heavily on Moment.js timezone features, since the README says Moment.js timezone support is good via moment-timezone and suggests this guide is for apps not using timezones
- Developers looking for a single drop-in library, since the guide covers several alternatives rather than recommending one
How to get it
- 1
Install with a package manager
You'll need: Node.js and npm (for the ESLint plugin) · ESLint (for the ESLint plugin)
Install the ESLint plugin as a dev dependency
npm install --save-dev eslint-plugin-you-dont-need-momentjs - 2
Run it
- Install the ESLint plugin with the command above
- Add "plugin:you-dont-need-momentjs/recommended" to your ESLint extends setting
- Run ESLint on your project to see flagged Moment.js usages
- Open the guide website or the README to look up replacements for flagged code
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Use the Quick Links section to jump straight to the date task you need to replace
- Compare the Feature Parity table to decide whether native JavaScript, date-fns, or dayjs fits your needs
- Check the Brief Comparison table for bundle size and tree-shaking support before choosing a replacement
- Read the linked dayjs and date-fns docs for details the guide does not cover
Downloads
Strengths
- Clear, organized list of common date tasks with alternatives for each
- Includes a feature parity table against native JavaScript and Temporal
- Provides an ESLint plugin to help find code that could drop Moment.js
Trade-offs
- The README is truncated in this data, so not every function's details could be verified here
- The comparison table's size and star figures are badge links that may change over time
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| You-Dont-Need-Momentjs (this) | 13.3k | Learning resource | beginner | 10 months ago | Developers maintaining a web app that loads Moment.js and wants a smaller bundle |
| dayjs | 48.7k | Library | beginner | 2 months ago | JavaScript developers who used Moment.js and want a smaller library |
| luxon | 16.5k | Library | beginner | 3 months ago | JavaScript developers who need to work with dates and time zones in an app |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.