Bun HTTP Server

beginner

Ultra-fast JavaScript runtime with built-in HTTP server.

Overview

Bun is a revolutionary JavaScript runtime built from the ground up in Zig, designed to be a drop-in replacement for Node.js with dramatically improved performance. Created by Jarred Sumner at Oven, Bun combines a JavaScript runtime, bundler, test runner, and package manager into a single binary, eliminating the need for separate tools like webpack, jest, or npm. What sets Bun apart is its incredible speed - up to 4x faster than Node.js for many operations - and its native support for TypeScript and JSX without requiring compilation steps. This Docker configuration leverages Bun's built-in HTTP server capabilities through the Bun.serve() API, which provides one of the fastest web server implementations available in the JavaScript ecosystem. The container runs a TypeScript server file directly, taking advantage of Bun's native TypeScript execution without transpilation overhead. The setup mounts your application code as a volume, enabling hot-reload development while maintaining the performance benefits of Bun's optimized runtime. This stack is ideal for developers seeking maximum performance from their JavaScript applications, teams migrating from Node.js who want faster build times and execution, and projects requiring a lightweight yet powerful web server solution. Startups benefit from Bun's all-in-one approach that reduces toolchain complexity, while performance-critical applications gain from its superior request handling and lower memory footprint compared to traditional Node.js setups.

Key Features

Native TypeScript and JSX execution without compilation or transpilation steps
Built-in HTTP server with Bun.serve() API delivering 4x faster performance than Node.js
Integrated package manager compatible with npm packages and lockfiles
Hot-reload development support with volume mounting for live code changes
All-in-one runtime combining bundler, test runner, and package manager in single binary
Zig-powered engine providing significantly lower memory usage and faster startup times
Drop-in Node.js compatibility allowing existing npm ecosystem usage
Built-in WebSocket support with optimized performance for real-time applications

Common Use Cases

1High-performance API servers requiring maximum request throughput and low latency
2TypeScript-first web applications wanting to skip build pipeline complexity
3Development environments needing fast hot-reload and instant TypeScript execution
4Microservices architectures where startup time and memory efficiency are critical
5Real-time applications using WebSockets for chat, gaming, or live data streaming
6Migration projects moving from Node.js to gain performance improvements without code changes
7Prototyping and MVP development where quick iteration and minimal setup are priorities

Prerequisites

Docker and Docker Compose installed with support for Linux containers
Application directory structure with server.ts file in ./app/ folder
Basic understanding of JavaScript/TypeScript and HTTP server concepts
Port 3000 available on host system for web server access
Minimum 512MB RAM allocated to Docker for optimal Bun performance
Understanding of Bun.serve() API and fetch handler function structure

For development & testing. Review security settings, change default credentials, and test thoroughly before production use. See Terms

docker-compose.yml

1services: 
2  bun: 
3    image: oven/bun:latest
4    container_name: bun-server
5    restart: unless-stopped
6    working_dir: /app
7    command: bun run server.ts
8    volumes: 
9      - ./app:/app
10    ports: 
11      - "3000:3000"
12    networks: 
13      - bun-network
14
15networks: 
16  bun-network: 
17    driver: bridge

.env Template

.env

1# Bun server configuration

Usage Notes

1Docs: https://bun.sh/docs
2Fastest JavaScript runtime (written in Zig)
3Built-in bundler, test runner, package manager
4Drop-in Node.js replacement - npm packages work
5Native TypeScript/JSX support - no transpilation needed
6HTTP server: Bun.serve({ fetch(req) { return new Response('Hi') } })

Quick Start

terminal

1# 1. Create the compose file
2cat > docker-compose.yml << 'EOF'
3services:
4  bun:
5    image: oven/bun:latest
6    container_name: bun-server
7    restart: unless-stopped
8    working_dir: /app
9    command: bun run server.ts
10    volumes:
11      - ./app:/app
12    ports:
13      - "3000:3000"
14    networks:
15      - bun-network
16
17networks:
18  bun-network:
19    driver: bridge
20EOF
21
22# 2. Create the .env file
23cat > .env << 'EOF'
24# Bun server configuration
25EOF
26
27# 3. Start the services
28docker compose up -d
29
30# 4. View logs
31docker compose logs -f

One-Liner

Run this command to download and set up the recipe in one step:

terminal

1curl -fsSL https://docker.recipes/api/recipes/bun-server/run | bash

Troubleshooting

Container exits immediately: Ensure server.ts exists in ./app/ directory and contains valid Bun.serve() configuration
Port 3000 connection refused: Verify server.ts binds to '0.0.0.0' instead of 'localhost' for Docker networking
TypeScript errors on startup: Check Bun version compatibility with your TypeScript syntax and decorators usage
Hot reload not working: Confirm ./app volume mount path matches your local project structure and file permissions
Package installation failures: Verify package.json exists and run 'bun install' command before 'bun run server.ts'
High memory usage: Monitor for memory leaks in fetch handlers and ensure proper response object cleanup

Community Notes

Loading notes...

Download Recipe Kit

Get all files in a ready-to-deploy package

Includes docker-compose.yml, .env template, README, and license

Components

bun

Related Recipes

Ad Space

Shortcuts: C CopyF FavoriteD Download