Parcel vs gulp

Overview

gulp

Stacks15.3K

Followers9.1K

Votes1.7K

GitHub Stars33.0K

Forks4.2K

Parcel

Stacks874

Followers250

Votes18

GitHub Stars44.0K

Forks2.3K

Parcel vs gulp: What are the differences?

Introduction

Parcel and Gulp are both build tools that help automate various tasks in web development. While they have similarities, they also have key differences that make them unique. This article will outline the most significant differences between Parcel and Gulp.

Module Bundling: Parcel is a zero-config bundler that automatically detects dependencies and builds the output accordingly. It handles the bundling of different file types (e.g., JavaScript, CSS, HTML) without the need for explicit configuration. On the other hand, Gulp is a task runner that requires explicit configuration using a gulpfile.js. Developers need to define specific tasks for bundling modules and managing dependencies manually.
Code Splitting: Parcel performs automatic code splitting out-of-the-box. It analyzes the project's dependencies and splits the code into smaller chunks that can be loaded on demand. This results in more efficient and optimized loading of the application. Gulp, on the other hand, does not have built-in support for code splitting. Developers using Gulp need to use external plugins or manually implement code splitting techniques.
Transpiling and Preprocessing: Parcel has built-in support for transpiling modern JavaScript code using Babel and for preprocessing CSS using PostCSS. Developers can use the latest JavaScript features and CSS syntax without any additional configuration. Gulp, on the other hand, requires developers to configure and use specific plugins to achieve similar transpiling and preprocessing capabilities.
Binary Executables: Parcel is a standalone tool that can be installed globally on a system. Once installed, it can be executed directly from the command line using the parcel command. Gulp, on the other hand, is a JavaScript-based task runner that requires the installation of Node.js and Gulp globally. Developers need to run Gulp tasks through the command line using the gulp command.
Watch Mode: Parcel has a built-in watch mode that monitors file changes and automatically rebuilds the project on any modification. It provides automatic live reloading without the need for external plugins or additional configuration. Gulp can also watch files for changes, but developers need to define watch tasks explicitly in the gulpfile.js to enable this functionality.
Developer Experience: Due to its zero-config nature, Parcel provides a simplified developer experience, especially for beginners or those who prefer minimal configuration. It reduces setup time and makes it easier to get started with a new project quickly. In contrast, Gulp offers more flexibility and configurability, making it suitable for complex or customized build pipelines. Developers with more experience and specific requirements might prefer the flexibility of Gulp.

In summary, Parcel is a zero-config build tool with automatic module bundling, code splitting, and built-in support for transpiling and preprocessing. It provides a simplified developer experience and is suitable for simpler projects. Gulp, on the other hand, requires explicit configuration, offers more flexibility, and is ideal for complex or customized build pipelines.

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Advice on gulp, Parcel

António

Apr 13, 2021

Decided

Very simple to use and a great way to optimize repetitive tasks, like optimize PNG images, convert to WebP, create sprite images with CSS.

I didn't choose Grunt because of the fact it uses files and Gulp uses memory, making it faster for my use case since I need to work with 3000+ small images. And the fact Gulp has 32k+ stars on GitHub.

38.5k views38.5k

Comments

Detailed Comparison

gulp	Parcel
Build system automating tasks: minification and copying of all JavaScript files, static images. More capable of watching files to automatically rerun the task when a file changes.	Parcel is a web application bundler, differentiated by its developer experience. It offers blazing fast performance utilizing multicore processing, and requires zero configuration.
By preferring code over configuration, gulp keeps simple things simple and makes complex tasks manageable.;By harnessing the power of node's streams you get fast builds that don't write intermediary files to disk.;gulp's strict plugin guidelines assure plugins stay simple and work the way you expect.;With a minimal API surface, you can pick up gulp in no time. Your build works just like you envision it: a series of streaming pipes.	Blazing fast bundle times; Bundle all your assets; Automatic transforms; Zero config code splitting; Hot module replacement; Friendly error logging
Statistics
GitHub Stars 33.0K	GitHub Stars 44.0K
GitHub Forks 4.2K	GitHub Forks 2.3K
Stacks 15.3K	Stacks 874
Followers 9.1K	Followers 250
Votes 1.7K	Votes 18
Pros & Cons
Pros 451 Build speed 277 Readable 244 Code-over-configuration 210 Open source 175 Node streams	Pros 10 Zero configuration 8 Built-in dev server with livereload Cons 3 Lack of documentation
Integrations
No integrations available	JavaScript

What are some alternatives to gulp, Parcel?

Webpack

A bundler for javascript and friends. Packs many modules into a few bundled assets. Code Splitting allows to load parts for the application on demand. Through "loaders" modules can be CommonJs, AMD, ES6 modules, CSS, Images, JSON, Coffeescript, LESS, ... and your custom stuff.

Grunt

The less work you have to do when performing repetitive tasks like minification, compilation, unit testing, linting, etc, the easier your job becomes. After you've configured it, a task runner can do most of that mundane work for you—and your team—with basically zero effort.

Brunch

Brunch is an assembler for HTML5 applications. It's agnostic to frameworks, libraries, programming, stylesheet & templating languages and backend technology.

rollup

It is a module bundler for JavaScript which compiles small pieces of code into something larger and more complex, such as a library or application. It uses the new standardized format for code modules included in the ES6 revision of JavaScript, instead of previous idiosyncratic solutions such as CommonJS and AMD.

Backpack

Backpack is minimalistic build system for Node.js. Inspired by Facebook's create-react-app, Zeit's Next.js, and Remy's Nodemon, Backpack lets you create modern Node.js apps and services with zero configuration. Backpack handles all the file-watching, live-reloading, transpiling, and bundling, so you don't have to.

Vite

It is an opinionated web dev build tool that serves your code via native ES Module imports during dev and bundles it with Rollup for production.

Pingy CLI

Gulp and Grunt and other heavyweight build tools are great for complicated build workflows. Sometimes you want something simpler that doesn't take lots of configuration to get up and running. That's Pingy CLI.

Microbundle

Zero-configuration bundler for tiny modules, powered by Rollup.

System.js

It is a Universal Module Loader for JavaScript. If you've used RequireJs or a CommonJs bundler in the past, you have probably created modules.Configurable module loader enabling dynamic ES module workflows in browsers and NodeJS.

Esbuild

It is an extremely fast JavaScript and CSS bundler and minifier. Current build tools for the web are 10-100x slower than they could be. The main goal of this project is to bring about a new era of build tool performance, and create an easy-to-use modern bundler along the way.

Related Comparisons

Parcel vs gulp: What are the differences?

Introduction

Module Bundling: Parcel is a zero-config bundler that automatically detects dependencies and builds the output accordingly. It handles the bundling of different file types (e.g., JavaScript, CSS, HTML) without the need for explicit configuration. On the other hand, Gulp is a task runner that requires explicit configuration using a gulpfile.js. Developers need to define specific tasks for bundling modules and managing dependencies manually.
Code Splitting: Parcel performs automatic code splitting out-of-the-box. It analyzes the project's dependencies and splits the code into smaller chunks that can be loaded on demand. This results in more efficient and optimized loading of the application. Gulp, on the other hand, does not have built-in support for code splitting. Developers using Gulp need to use external plugins or manually implement code splitting techniques.
Transpiling and Preprocessing: Parcel has built-in support for transpiling modern JavaScript code using Babel and for preprocessing CSS using PostCSS. Developers can use the latest JavaScript features and CSS syntax without any additional configuration. Gulp, on the other hand, requires developers to configure and use specific plugins to achieve similar transpiling and preprocessing capabilities.
Binary Executables: Parcel is a standalone tool that can be installed globally on a system. Once installed, it can be executed directly from the command line using the parcel command. Gulp, on the other hand, is a JavaScript-based task runner that requires the installation of Node.js and Gulp globally. Developers need to run Gulp tasks through the command line using the gulp command.
Watch Mode: Parcel has a built-in watch mode that monitors file changes and automatically rebuilds the project on any modification. It provides automatic live reloading without the need for external plugins or additional configuration. Gulp can also watch files for changes, but developers need to define watch tasks explicitly in the gulpfile.js to enable this functionality.
Developer Experience: Due to its zero-config nature, Parcel provides a simplified developer experience, especially for beginners or those who prefer minimal configuration. It reduces setup time and makes it easier to get started with a new project quickly. In contrast, Gulp offers more flexibility and configurability, making it suitable for complex or customized build pipelines. Developers with more experience and specific requirements might prefer the flexibility of Gulp.

Parcel vs gulp

Overview

Parcel vs gulp: What are the differences?