Deno 2.0 arrives, ready to battle Node.js

Deno 2.0, a major update to the open source Deno runtime for JavaScript, TypeScript, and WebAssembly, is now available as a production release. It emphasizes backward compatibility with the rival Node.js runtime and NPM and a stabilized standard library.

Proponents say the Deno 2.0 update was designed to make JavaScript development simpler and more scalable. The production release, from Deno Land, was announced October 9 and can be installed from dotcom–2.deno.

“Deno 2.0 is fully compatible with existing Node.js projects, allowing developers to run their existing applications seamlessly while also taking advantage of Deno’s modern, all-in-one toolchain,” Ryan Dahl, creator of both Deno and Node.js, said. “It’s designed to help teams cut through the complexity of today’s JavaScript landscape with zero-config tooling, native TypeScript, and robust support for frameworks like Next.js, Astro, and more.” Dahl said full compatibility with Node.js and NPM makes it easy to adopt Deno incrementally. Long-term support (LTS) releases, meanwhile, provide stability in production environments.

The standard library is considered stable in Deno 2.0 and consists of dozens of audited utility modules covering data manipulation, web-related logic, JavaScript-specific functionalities, and more. It is available on the JSR JavaScript registry and can be used by other runtimes and environments.

For package management in Deno 2.0, deno install quickly installs dependencies, while deno add and deno remove can be used to add and remove packages to and from package.json or deno.json. Deno proponents also said that beginning with the Deno 2.1 release, a long-term support release channel would be started. The channel will receive critical bug fixes support for six months, ensuring a stable and reliable base for production use. After six months, a new LTS branch will be created, based on the latest stable version.

Version 2.0 was issued as a release candidate on September 19, with Deno proponents citing features such as changes to global variables and improved dependency management. The Deno 2.0 production release includes the following updates:

• Private NPM registries are supported.
• Workspaces and monorepo are supported.
• deno fmt can now format HTML, CSS, and YAML.
• deno lint now has Node-specific rules and quick fixes.
• deno coverage can now output reports in HTML.