# swc

> JavaScript and TypeScript compiler

**Wikidata**: [Q103686338](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q103686338)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/swc

## Summary
swc is a high-performance JavaScript and TypeScript compiler designed for speed and efficiency. It serves as a drop-in replacement for Babel and supports modern language features while targeting older environments. Built with Rust, it offers significantly faster compilation times than traditional tools.

## Key Facts
- swc is licensed under both Apache 2.0 and MIT licenses.
- The project's source code is hosted at https://github.com/swc-project/swc.
- Official website: https://swc.rs/
- Programming language used: Rust (Q575650)
- Supports cross-platform operation including Windows, macOS, and Linux binaries.
- Used by major projects such as TypeScript.
- Latest stable version mentioned: 1.2.33 (released 2020-09-24).
- Available via npm as package `@swc/core`.
- Instance of: compiler, free software, JavaScript library.

## FAQs
### Q: What is swc used for?
A: swc is used to compile JavaScript and TypeScript into backward-compatible versions suitable for deployment across different environments. It can also perform transformations like transpilation, minification, bundling, and more.

### Q: Is swc open-source?
A: Yes, swc is free software distributed under the Apache Software License 2.0 and MIT License, allowing users to run, study, modify, and redistribute it freely.

### Q: How does swc compare to Babel?
A: swc is often considered a faster alternative to Babel due to its implementation in Rust rather than JavaScript. It aims to provide similar functionality but with improved performance, especially in large-scale applications.

## Why It Matters
swc plays a critical role in modern web development by providing an ultra-fast toolchain for compiling JavaScript and TypeScript. As front-end applications grow larger and more complex, build performance becomes increasingly important. swc addresses this need through its efficient architecture built on Rust, offering developers a viable alternative to slower tools like Babel. Its ability to handle tasks ranging from simple transpilation to full-scale code transformation makes it essential for optimizing developer workflows and improving application delivery speeds.

## Notable For
- Being one of the fastest JavaScript/TypeScript compilers available due to its Rust-based engine.
- Serving as a direct competitor to Babel with better performance benchmarks.
- Supporting multiple platform-specific native modules (e.g., win32-x64-msvc, darwin-x64).
- Integration with major frameworks and tools within the JavaScript ecosystem.
- Dual licensing model (Apache 2.0 and MIT), making it flexible for various use cases.

## Body
### Overview
swc stands for "speedy web compiler" and functions primarily as a JavaScript and TypeScript compiler. Designed for performance, it enables rapid transformation of modern ECMAScript syntax into compatible formats for broader browser support or Node.js execution.

### Technical Details
#### Implementation & Language
The core of swc is written in Rust, which contributes heavily to its performance advantage over other tools like Babel, traditionally implemented in JavaScript.

#### Licensing
swc is dual-licensed under:
- Apache Software License 2.0
- MIT License  
Both licenses were confirmed as of December 3, 2020, based on information from the GitHub repository.

#### Cross-Platform Support
swc operates on multiple systems and includes platform-specific packages such as:
- `@swc/core-win32-x64-msvc`
- `@swc/core-darwin-x64`
- `@swc/core-linux-x64-gnu`
These ensure optimized performance depending on the host environment.

### Releases and Versions
Several stable releases were documented between September 7 and September 24, 2020:
- v1.2.23 – Released 2020-09-07
- v1.2.24 – Released 2020-09-08
- v1.2.25 – Released 2020-09-11
- v1.2.26 – Released 2020-09-11
- v1.2.28 – Released 2020-09-13
- v1.2.30 – Released 2020-09-18
- v1.2.31 – Released 2020-09-22
- v1.2.32 – Released 2020-09-22
- v1.2.33 – Released 2020-09-24

Each release was published via npmjs and tracked with detailed metadata including download counts and package URLs.

### Dependencies
swc relies on several supporting libraries and tools:
- slash
- source-map
- commander
- fast-glob
Additionally, it uses platform-specific binary dependencies to optimize runtime behavior.

### Ecosystem Usage
swc is utilized by significant projects in the JavaScript ecosystem, including TypeScript itself, indicating its reliability and adoption among industry leaders.

### Resources
- **Website**: [https://swc.rs](https://swc.rs)
- **Documentation**: [https://swc.rs/docs/installation](https://swc.rs/docs/installation)
- **Blog**: [https://swc.rs/blog](https://swc.rs/blog)
- **Source Code Repository**: [https://github.com/swc-project/swc](https://github.com/swc-project/swc)

## References

1. [Source](https://github.com/swc-project/swc#license)
2. [Source](https://api.github.com/repos/swc-project/swc)
3. [2025](https://github.com/EvanLi/Github-Ranking/blob/master/Data/github-ranking-2025-07-06.csv)
4. [Release 1.2.23. 2020](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.23)
5. [npmjs](https://registry.npmjs.com/@swc/core)
6. [Release 1.2.24. 2020](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.24)
7. [Release 1.2.25. 2020](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.25)
8. [Release 1.2.26. 2020](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.26)
9. [Release 1.2.28. 2020](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.28)
10. [Release 1.2.29. 2020](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.29)
11. [Release 1.2.30. 2020](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.30)
12. [Release 1.2.31. 2020](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.31)
13. [Release 1.2.32. 2020](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.32)
14. [Release 1.2.33. 2020](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.33)
15. [Release 1.2.34. 2020](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.34)
16. [Release 1.2.35. 2020](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.35)
17. [Release 1.2.36. 2020](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.36)
18. [Release 1.2.37. 2020](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.37)
19. [Release 1.2.38. 2020](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.38)
20. [Release 1.2.39. 2020](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.39)
21. [Release 1.2.40. 2020](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.40)
22. [Release 1.2.42. 2020](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.42)
23. [Release 1.2.43. 2020](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.43)
24. [Release 1.2.44. 2021](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.44)
25. [Release 1.2.45. 2021](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.45)
26. [Release 1.2.46. 2021](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.46)
27. [Release 1.2.47. 2021](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.47)
28. [Release 1.2.48. 2021](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.48)
29. [Release 1.2.49. 2021](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.49)
30. [Release 1.2.50. 2021](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.50)
31. [Release 1.2.51. 2021](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.51)
32. [Release 1.2.52. 2021](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.52)
33. [Release 1.2.53. 2021](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.53)
34. [Release 1.2.54. 2021](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.54)
35. [Release 1.2.55. 2021](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.55)
36. [Release 1.2.56. 2021](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.56)
37. [Release 1.2.57. 2021](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.57)
38. [Release 1.2.58. 2021](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.58)
39. [Release 1.2.141. 2022](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.141)
40. [Release 1.2.142. 2022](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.142)
41. [Release 1.2.143. 2022](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.143)
42. [Release 1.2.144. 2022](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.144)
43. [Release 1.2.145. 2022](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.145)
44. [Release 1.2.146. 2022](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.146)
45. [Release 1.2.147. 2022](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.147)
46. [Release 1.2.148. 2022](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.148)
47. [Release 1.2.149. 2022](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.149)
48. [Release 1.2.150. 2022](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.150)
49. [Release 1.2.151. 2022](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.151)
50. [Release 1.2.152. 2022](https://github.com/swc-project/swc/releases/tag/v1.2.152)