Bun vs. Deno vs. Node.js 2026: Real Benchmarks Mislead

# Summary Synthetic benchmarks showing Bun significantly outperforming Node.js and Deno are misleading—real-world applications with databases and business logic show nearly identical performance (~12,000 RPS across all three). Actual performance differences exist in cold starts and tooling speed, where Bun excels with 8-15ms startup times and 35x faster package installation, making it valuable for serverless and developer productivity rather than throughput. Runtime selection should prioritize ecosystem maturity (Node.js for enterprise), security features (Deno), or development speed (Bun) rather than marketing benchmark claims.