Introduction
Turbopack has matured into the default bundler for Next.js. But how does it really compare to Webpack in day-to-day frontend development?
Build Speed
Turbopack is 5 to 10 times faster than Webpack in production builds. For large projects, the difference goes from minutes to seconds.
Hot Module Replacement
Turbopack's HMR is virtually instant. While Webpack can take hundreds of milliseconds to reflect changes, Turbopack does it in under 50ms.
Configuration
Webpack requires extensive configuration with loaders and plugins. Turbopack works with zero config in Next.js, automatically detecting TypeScript, CSS Modules, and more.
Compatibility
Webpack has a more mature plugin ecosystem. Turbopack is still catching up but already supports the most common use cases.
Which to choose
For new Next.js projects, Turbopack is the obvious choice. For legacy Webpack projects, progressive migration is possible thanks to partial compatibility.
Conclusion
Turbopack is the present and future of bundling in the Next.js ecosystem. At Vynta, we help migrate projects from Webpack to Turbopack to leverage the speed.