Biome: A Fast, Modern Alternative to ESLint
Biome is a relatively new tool in the JavaScript ecosystem that combines linting and formatting into a single, unified platform. Think of it as a modern replacement for the typical ESLint + Prettier stack — designed from the ground up for speed, simplicity, and better developer experience.
Learn more: Official Biome homepage
How Biome Compares to ESLint
ESLint has been the industry standard for years. It's mature, highly extensible, and backed by a massive plugin ecosystem. That maturity is also its biggest downside: configuration complexity, slower performance on large codebases, and a toolchain that often includes multiple tools (ESLint, Prettier, plugins, parsers, and custom configs).
Biome takes a very different approach: it unifies formatting and linting in one tool with minimal configuration and extremely fast performance.
Documentation: Biome's linter docs
| ESLint + Prettier | Biome | |
|---|---|---|
| Tools | Multiple tools | One tool |
| Architecture | Plugin-based | Built-in rules |
| Performance | Slower on large repos | Extremely fast |
| Configuration | Heavy configuration | Minimal configuration |
| Error Messages | Mixed quality | Clear, actionable |
Why I Love It
I love Biome because it feels fast in everyday use. Running checks feels instantaneous even on larger projects, and by combining linting and formatting into a single engine, everyday setup and maintenance are simpler.
Error messages are clear and actionable — when something is wrong, Biome typically tells you what the issue is and how to fix it. That quality of diagnostics is noticeably better than many ESLint setups.
Another major win is that it's one tool instead of many: linting and formatting are built in and play nicely together, avoiding the typical ESLint-vs-Prettier configuration clashes.
Configuration: Official configuration docs
Trade-offs
Biome is still a young project compared to ESLint. It doesn't yet have the same breadth of plugins or ecosystem support, and there are niche use cases where ESLint's maturity still matters.
That said, its user base is growing rapidly and development is active. For many modern teams, Biome already covers the common use cases and the DX advantage is hard to ignore.
Bottom Line
Choose ESLint if: Your priority is maximum flexibility and the richest plugin ecosystem.
Choose Biome if: You want speed, simplicity, and a modern developer experience with fewer tools to configure.
Biome is already compelling for many teams — and it keeps improving quickly.