Compare software

TypeScript vs SWC: catalog facts
TypeScript	SWC
Best for: JavaScript developers who want type checking and better editor tooling	Best for: JavaScript and TypeScript developers who want faster builds than Babel
Free Free and open source.	Free Free and open source under the Apache 2.0 licence.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Web, Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux, Web, Command line
Catches type errors in the editor before code runs Outputs plain JavaScript that runs anywhere JavaScript does All 4 strengths for TypeScript Catches type errors in the editor before code runs Outputs plain JavaScript that runs anywhere JavaScript does Online playground for trying it without installing anything Type inference works on existing JavaScript code	Much faster transpilation than Babel by the project's benchmarks Handles compilation, minification and bundling All 4 strengths for SWC Much faster transpilation than Babel by the project's benchmarks Handles compilation, minification and bundling Prebuilt binaries for many platforms Used by widely adopted tools such as Next.js and Deno
Adds a compile step to JavaScript projects Type definitions for third-party libraries vary in quality	Most people use it through another build tool rather than directly Plugins via WebAssembly add complexity compared with Babel plugins
Downloadable app, Web application	Downloadable app, Web application
Open source	Open source
License: Apache-2.0	License: Apache-2.0
No account needed	No account needed
Offline features available	Offline features available
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for TypeScript typescriptlang.org Catalog checked September 24, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for SWC swc.rs Catalog checked October 2, 2026

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