TypeScript tool: tsx vs ts-node

Key differences between ts-node and tsx:

• tsx: Faster, more modern TypeScript runner built on top of esbuild
• ts-node: Traditional TypeScript runner that uses the TypeScript compiler directly

tsx advantages:

• Much faster compilation (uses esbuild under the hood)
• Better ESM (ES modules) support
• Smaller and more focused
• Less configuration needed
• Works better in containerized environments

Running TypeScript in Node.js: tsx vs. ts-node vs. native - LogRocket Blog

TypeScript Execute (tsx) | tsx.js

Frequently Asked Questions | tsx

Node.js — Running TypeScript with a runner

tsx - npm

ts-node - npm

TypeScript Execute (tsx)

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tsx stands for TypeScript Execute and it's a Node.js enhancement to run TypeScript.

For starters, think of tsx as an alias to node and use it the same way:

sh

node file.js

→

sh

tsx file.ts

You can pass in Node CLI flags and JS files too:

sh

tsx --env-file=.env ./file.js