Head-to-Head: Bunyan vs log4js-node Analysis

bunyan

v1.8.15(over 3 years ago)

This package was last published over a year ago. It may not be actively maintained.Types definitions are provided via a separate npm package: @types/bunyanNumber of direct dependencies: 4Monthly npm downloads

Bunyan is a simple and fast JSON logging library for Node.js applications. It is designed to be easy to use and highly performant, making it ideal for logging structured data in a production environment. Bunyan allows you to log messages at different levels of severity, add contextual information to log entries, and easily integrate with various logging transports like files, streams, and external services.

Alternatives:
pino+
winston+
log4js+
morgan+
bole+
debug+
roarr+
consola+
signale+
winston-daily-rotate-file+

Tags: node.jsloggingJSONstructured-dataperformance

log4js

v6.9.1(over 1 year ago)

This package was last published over a year ago. It may not be actively maintained.Types definitions are bundled with the npm packageNumber of direct dependencies: 5Monthly npm downloads

Log4js is a flexible and feature-rich logging library for Node.js applications, offering various logging levels, appenders, layouts, and configuration options. It provides a simple and intuitive API for logging messages to different outputs like files, consoles, databases, and more. Log4js supports log rolling, log filtering, and log formatting, making it suitable for both small-scale and large-scale projects.

Alternatives:
winston+
pino+
bunyan+
morgan+
loglevel+
consola+
roarr+
signale+
debug+
winston-daily-rotate-file+

Tags: node.jslogginglog4jlibraryflexible

Fight!

Popularity

Both Bunyan and Log4js are popular logging libraries in the Node.js ecosystem. Bunyan has been around for longer and has a larger user base, but Log4js has also gained popularity and has a growing community.

Features

Bunyan and Log4js offer similar core logging functionalities such as log levels, log formatting, and log output to various destinations. However, Bunyan is known for its simple and straightforward API, while Log4js provides more advanced features like loggers hierarchy, log rolling, and log filtering.

Performance

Both libraries are designed to be performant, but Bunyan is known for its high-performance logging capabilities. It is optimized for speed and has minimal overhead, making it suitable for high-throughput applications. Log4js also performs well, but it may have slightly higher overhead due to its additional features.

Integration

Bunyan is primarily designed for Node.js applications and integrates well with other Node.js libraries and frameworks. It provides built-in support for logging in JSON format, which is commonly used in Node.js environments. Log4js, on the other hand, is more versatile and can be used in both Node.js and browser environments, making it suitable for full-stack applications.

Configuration

Bunyan uses a simple JSON-based configuration format, which makes it easy to configure and customize logging settings. Log4js, on the other hand, offers more flexibility in configuration options, allowing you to configure logging through JSON, JavaScript, or YAML files.

Community and Maintenance

Both Bunyan and Log4js have active communities and are actively maintained. However, Bunyan has a larger community and a longer history of development, which may provide more stability and support. Log4js, although newer, has been gaining popularity and has regular updates and bug fixes.