Technology · head to head
Safari vs Deno
Safari
Technology
Apple's WebKit browser, available only on Apple operating systems and updated only with them.
- From
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
Deno
Developer Tools
A fast, open-source, fully Node-compatible JS runtime with TypeScript baked right in
- From
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Safari it runs only on Apple operating systems; there has been no Windows build since 2012 and none for Linux or Android, so any team that must verify Safari behaviour has to buy Mac hardware or rent it from a device cloud, which is a line item Chrome and Firefox do not create.; Deno egress bandwidth overage costs $0.20/GB which can become expensive for high-traffic applications
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Safari and Deno actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Safari
- WebKit engine
- Intelligent Tracking Prevention
- Energy optimisation
- iCloud Private Relay
- Passkeys in iCloud Keychain
- Handoff and tab sync
- Profiles and Tab Groups
- Web Inspector
Only in Deno
Nothing recorded that Safari does not also cover.
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Safari
- Getting the longest battery life out of a MacBook, where the difference against Chromium browsers is hours rather than minutesnot Deno
- Debugging a site on a real iPhone or iPad, which requires Safari's Web Inspector connected over USB from a Macnot Deno
- An all-Apple household or team that wants tabs, passwords and passkeys to follow them across devices without a third-party accountnot Deno
- Privacy-conscious users on iCloud+ who want tracking protection and Private Relay working by default rather than through extensionsnot Deno
Deno
- Running TypeScript natively without transpilation overheadnot Safari
- Migrating Node.js applications to secure-by-default runtimenot Safari
- Deploying edge functions and serverless containers seamlesslynot Safari
- Consolidating developer tools into single binarynot Safari
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Safari
- It runs only on Apple operating systems; there has been no Windows build since 2012 and none for Linux or Android, so any team that must verify Safari behaviour has to buy Mac hardware or rent it from a device cloud, which is a line item Chrome and Firefox do not create.
- Safari's version is bound to the operating system's version, so a Mac that has fallen off the supported macOS list stops receiving Safari updates altogether; the browser's security life is the machine's OS life, roughly three years of updates after the last major release it can run.
- Distributing an extension means packaging it inside a signed macOS application and shipping it through the App Store with a paid Apple Developer Program membership, which makes a small internal or single-team extension impractical.
- Automated testing uses safaridriver, which runs on macOS only, has no headless mode and permits one session per machine, so Safari coverage in CI means real Macs in the pipeline rather than containers, and it does not parallelise the way Chromium does.
- Web platform features generally land in WebKit later than in Blink and Gecko, so Safari's current support is in practice the compatibility floor for any project, and a feature you can use everywhere else may be a year away here.
- Enterprise management is thin: configuration profiles cover a modest set of settings with nothing comparable to the several hundred administrative policies Chrome and Edge expose, so a managed fleet cannot control Safari to the same degree.
Deno
- Egress bandwidth overage costs $0.20/GB which can become expensive for high-traffic applications
- CPU time overage is $0.10/hour on Pro and Builder tiers, adding to costs for compute-intensive workloads
- Enterprise pricing is not disclosed; requires sales contact
Pricing, plan by plan
Safari
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Safari review.
Deno
Free- FreeFree
- 1 million requests/month
- 20GB egress bandwidth
- 10 apps
- Pro$20/month
- 5 million requests/month
- 200GB egress
- 50 apps
- Builder$200/month
- 25 million requests/month
- 2,000GB egress
- 10,000 apps
- Enterprise$null/month
- Custom limits on all metrics
- 99.95% reliability SLA
- Email support with SLA
Which should you pick?
Choose Safari if
- You need webkit engine.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want intelligent tracking prevention.
Questions people ask
- Is Safari or Deno better?
- Neither clearly leads. Safari starts at Free and Deno at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Safari or Deno?
- Safari starts at Free and Deno at Free.
- Does Safari or Deno run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Safari for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Safari best used for?
- Safari is most often used for getting the longest battery life out of a macbook, where the difference against chromium browsers is hours rather than minutes, debugging a site on a real iphone or ipad, which requires safari's web inspector connected over usb from a mac, an all-apple household or team that wants tabs, passwords and passkeys to follow them across devices without a third-party account, privacy-conscious users on icloud+ who want tracking protection and private relay working by default rather than through extensions. Of those, getting the longest battery life out of a macbook, where the difference against chromium browsers is hours rather than minutes and debugging a site on a real iphone or ipad, which requires safari's web inspector connected over usb from a mac are not what Deno is typically brought in for.
- What can Safari do that Deno cannot?
- Safari covers WebKit engine, Intelligent Tracking Prevention, Energy optimisation, iCloud Private Relay.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Safari: Can I run Safari on Windows or Linux?
No. The last Windows version was Safari 5.1.7 in 2012 and it is long unsupported. There has never been a Linux build. Testing Safari requires macOS, either your own or a rented cloud device.
Deno: How much does Deno Deploy cost?
Deno Deploy offers a free tier at $0/month, Pro at $20/month, and Builder at $200/month. Enterprise has custom pricing. All plans include base request and bandwidth limits, with overage charges for additional usage.
SourceSafari: How do I test my site in Safari without a Mac?
Through a cloud device farm such as BrowserStack, Sauce Labs or LambdaTest, which run real macOS and iOS instances. There is no reliable local emulation, because other browsers on Windows and Linux do not use WebKit.
Deno: What are Deno Deploy's overage charges?
Egress bandwidth overages cost $0.20 per GB. CPU time overages are $0.10 per hour on Pro and Builder tiers. Memory time and KV database operations also incur charges beyond included limits.
SourceSafari: Are other iPhone browsers really different from Safari?
Historically no: Apple required all iOS browsers to use WebKit, so Chrome and Firefox on iPhone were interface shells around Safari's engine. The EU's Digital Markets Act now permits alternative engines, but adoption is limited, so in practice iOS testing still means WebKit.
Deno: How many apps can I deploy on Deno's free plan?
The free tier includes 10 apps with up to 1 concurrent build. Pro tier supports 50 apps with 3 concurrent builds, and Builder supports 10,000 apps with 20 concurrent builds.
SourceSafari: Why does Safari not get a new version on my old Mac?
Safari ships with the operating system. When a Mac can no longer run a macOS version that Apple still updates, Safari stops updating too, including its security fixes.
Deno: How many team members can access Deno Deploy?
The free tier supports up to 3 team members. Pro supports 10 team members. Builder supports 25 team members. Enterprise has custom seat limits.
SourceSafari: What does it cost?
Nothing. It is included with Apple operating systems. Private Relay requires an iCloud+ subscription, and publishing an extension requires a paid Apple Developer Program membership.
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