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esbuild vs Mmhmm

esbuild logo

esbuild

Web Development

Extremely fast JavaScript bundler written in Go

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Mmhmm logo

Mmhmm

Remote Work

Presentation platform for video calls

From
$10/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only esbuild has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: esbuild deliberately does not type-check TypeScript, only strips types, so tsc still runs separately; Mmhmm renamed to Airtime and split into four separate tools, Camera, Recorder, Creator and Stacks, rather than the single app the mmhmm name refers to
  • They diverge on capability: esbuild covers Very fast builds, Mmhmm covers Custom layouts.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which esbuild and Mmhmm actually diverge.

Attributes where esbuild and Mmhmm differ
AttributeesbuildMmhmm
Starting priceFree$10/month
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feefreemium
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, macOS, WindowsDesktop Mac, Desktop Windows
CategoryWeb DevelopmentRemote Work
FoundedUnknown2020

Identical on both: 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 esbuild

  • Very fast builds
  • TypeScript support
  • Tree shaking and minification
  • Simple API

Only in Mmhmm

  • Custom layouts
  • Screen sharing
  • Virtual backgrounds
  • Picture-in-picture
  • Recording
  • Zoom
  • Google Meet
  • Microsoft Teams

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

esbuild

  • Build pipelines where bundle time is the bottlenecknot Mmhmm
  • Libraries and tools needing a fast, embeddable bundlernot Mmhmm
  • Replacing slower bundlers where the plugin ecosystem is not needednot Mmhmm

Mmhmm

  • Putting a presenter on screen over slides during a video callnot esbuild
  • Recording a screen walkthrough up to an hournot esbuild
  • Adding effects and reactions to a webcam feednot esbuild
  • Collecting materials for a meeting in a shared stacknot esbuild

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

esbuild

  • Deliberately does not type-check TypeScript, only strips types, so tsc still runs separately
  • Plugin API is far narrower than webpack or Rollup, and complex builds hit its limits
  • Code splitting support has historically lagged the more established bundlers
  • Frequently used indirectly through Vite, so direct use is a narrower need than the download numbers suggest

Mmhmm

  • Renamed to Airtime and split into four separate tools, Camera, Recorder, Creator and Stacks, rather than the single app the mmhmm name refers to
  • Screen recordings are capped at one hour
  • Windows support requires Windows 10 or 11
  • Pricing is not shown on the product pages

Pricing, plan by plan

esbuild

Free
  • esbuildFree
    • Full functionality
    • Commercial use permitted
    • Community support

Mmhmm

$10/month
  • Individual$10/month
    • Single user
    • Unlimited meetings and recordings
    • No storage or time limits
  • Individual Annual$120/year
    • Single user
    • 17% savings vs monthly billing
  • Team$10/month
    • Per-seat billing
    • Admin dashboard
    • Centralized billing
  • Team Annual$120/year
    • Per-seat billing
    • 17% savings vs monthly

Which should you pick?

Choose esbuild if

  • You need very fast builds.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want typescript support.
esbuild review

Choose Mmhmm if

  • You need custom layouts.
  • You work on Desktop Mac, Desktop Windows.
  • You also want screen sharing.
Mmhmm review

Questions people ask

Is esbuild or Mmhmm better?
Neither clearly leads. esbuild starts at Free and Mmhmm at $10/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, esbuild or Mmhmm?
esbuild has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for esbuild and $10/month for Mmhmm.
Does esbuild or Mmhmm run on more platforms?
esbuild runs on Linux, macOS, Windows. Mmhmm runs on Desktop Mac, Desktop Windows.
Can I use esbuild for free?
Yes. esbuild has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Mmhmm starts at $10/month.
What is esbuild best used for?
esbuild is most often used for build pipelines where bundle time is the bottleneck, libraries and tools needing a fast, embeddable bundler, replacing slower bundlers where the plugin ecosystem is not needed. Of those, build pipelines where bundle time is the bottleneck and libraries and tools needing a fast, embeddable bundler are not what Mmhmm is typically brought in for.
What can esbuild do that Mmhmm cannot?
esbuild covers Very fast builds, TypeScript support, Tree shaking and minification, Simple API. Mmhmm covers Custom layouts, Screen sharing, Virtual backgrounds, Picture-in-picture.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

esbuild: Is esbuild free?

Yes, open source under the MIT licence.

Mmhmm: How much does Airtime cost?

Airtime (formerly mmhmm) costs 10 USD/month for Individual plan or 120 USD/year with annual billing providing 17% savings. Team plans also charge 10 USD per seat per month or 120 USD per seat per year.

Source
esbuild: Does esbuild type-check TypeScript?

No. It strips types for speed and does not check them. Run tsc separately if you need type checking.

Mmhmm: Is there a free trial?

Yes, a 14-day free trial is available with full access to Creator, Camera, and Stacks. Recorder feature is limited to 5 recordings of 5 minutes each during trial. No credit card required.

Source
esbuild: Do I need esbuild if I use Vite?

You already have it. Vite uses esbuild internally for dependency pre-bundling and transforms.

Mmhmm: What are the seat limits?

Individual plan supports single user; Team plan uses per-seat billing with volume discounts available for 20+ users under Enterprise plan.

Source
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