Node.js

Node.js is the runtime that made server-side JavaScript a thing. It is built on V8, ships with npm, and powers the majority of production JavaScript backends. Recent versions added a native test runner, a stable watch mode, and built-in TypeScript support via type stripping. Node remains the safest default: it is what your hosting provider runs, what your dependencies expect, and what your team probably already knows. The trade-off versus Bun and Deno is raw speed and out-of-the-box ergonomics.