Oxlint vs ESLint: The Revolutionary Rust-Powered JavaScript Linter That's Up to 50x Faster

The JavaScript ecosystem has a new contender in the linting space: Oxlint 1.0. This Rust-powered linter has made bold claims about its performance, stating it's 50 to 100 times faster than ESLint and twice as fast as Biome. As developers increasingly look for tools that can enhance productivity without sacrificing code quality, the emergence of Rust-based development tools like Oxlint represents a significant shift in the JavaScript tooling landscape.

Benchmarking Oxlint Against Other Linters

To evaluate these performance claims objectively, we need to compare Oxlint with other popular linters in a real-world scenario. Using the date-fns library (a popular JavaScript date utility library with over 500 TypeScript files and more than 100,000 lines of code) as our test subject, we can measure the relative performance of different linters.

When running on an M1 MacBook Pro with zero configuration, Oxlint indeed performed impressively, running 0.03 times faster than Biome and 0.17 times faster than ESLint. While these numbers don't quite match the "50-100 times faster" claim in the marketing materials, they still demonstrate a significant performance advantage.

Configuration and Real-World Usage

Most development teams don't use linters with zero configuration, so it's important to test these tools with realistic setups. When testing with configuration files on the pact repository, the results were interesting: Biome actually ran slightly faster and found more errors than Oxlint. However, Oxlint's error display format was notably more user-friendly.

The comparison doesn't end with ESLint and Biome. When we include other Rust-powered linters like Deno's linter and RSLint in our benchmarks, both actually outperformed Oxlint in raw speed. This suggests that while Oxlint is certainly fast, it's not necessarily the fastest Rust-based JavaScript linter available.

Beyond Speed: Oxlint's Feature Set

Speed isn't everything when it comes to linting tools. Oxlint stands out for several other reasons that make it a compelling choice for JavaScript developers:

• Custom rule set specifically designed for modern JavaScript development
• Support for over 500 ESLint rules, making migration easier
• IDE integrations for VS Code, WebStorm, and Zed
• Widespread adoption with usage in nearly 6,000 different repositories
• Backing from major companies like Shopify, Airbnb, and Mercedes-Benz

The Rust Revolution in JavaScript Tooling

The emergence of Rust-powered JavaScript tools isn't limited to linters. We're seeing a broader trend of Rust-based replacements for traditional JavaScript development tools. The comparison between lint vs ESLint, prettier vs linter, and various Rust linter VSCode integrations highlights a shift in how developers approach code quality tools.

Oxlint is just one part of a larger initiative by the Oxidation compiler team, which plans to release eight JavaScript tools in total. These will include a minifier, a formatter, and even a new JavaScript engine. This ambitious project, along with other Rust-powered tools like Roll Down and TSO, represents a significant shift in the JavaScript tooling ecosystem.

Setting Up Oxlint in Your Project

If you're interested in trying Oxlint in your own projects, here's how to get started:

For VS Code users, you can enhance your development experience by installing the Oxlint extension, which provides real-time linting feedback directly in your editor. This integration makes it easier to catch and fix issues as you code, similar to how you might run linter VSCode extensions for other tools.

Comparing Linter Ecosystems: Rust vs JavaScript

The rise of Rust-based linters isn't limited to JavaScript. Python developers are also benefiting from Python linter Rust implementations that offer similar performance advantages. The trend of rewriting development tools in Rust is gaining momentum across multiple programming languages.

1. JavaScript: ESLint (JS-based) vs Oxlint, Biome, RSLint (Rust-based)
2. Python: Pylint (Python-based) vs Ruff (Rust-based)
3. General web development: Various JS tools vs Rust-powered alternatives

When comparing lint vs ESLint or prettier vs linter options, the key differences aren't just about the language they're written in, but also their approach to performance, extensibility, and developer experience. Rust-based tools typically offer better performance but may have fewer plugins or extensions compared to their more established JavaScript counterparts.

Conclusion: Is Oxlint Worth Switching To?

While Oxlint may not fully live up to its claim of being 50-100 times faster than ESLint in all scenarios, it does offer impressive performance gains along with a solid feature set. For large projects where linting performance is becoming a bottleneck, Oxlint represents a compelling alternative to traditional JavaScript-based linters.

The decision to switch should consider factors beyond raw speed, including your team's specific needs, existing configurations, and integration requirements. As the JavaScript tooling ecosystem continues to evolve with more Rust-powered alternatives, developers have more options than ever to optimize their workflows.

Whether you choose to run linter VSCode integrations with Oxlint, stick with ESLint, or explore other Rust-based alternatives like Biome or RSLint, the competition in this space ultimately benefits developers by driving innovation and performance improvements across the board.