Luxon vs Moment.js
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A JavaScript library for working with dates, times, and time zones.
Open source · MIT
A JavaScript library for parsing, validating, manipulating and formatting dates; now in maintenance mode.
The short answer
Choose Luxon if you need…
- JavaScript developers who need to work with dates and time zones in an app
- Teams moving away from Moment.js, since the README has a guide for Moment users
- Projects that want to avoid shipping large locale or time zone data files
Choose Moment.js if you need…
- Maintaining existing JavaScript projects that already depend on Moment.js
- Developers who need a familiar date API and are not starting a new project
- Teams whose code already uses Moment and need bug-level upkeep
Side-by-side
| Luxon | Moment.js | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 16.5k | 47.9k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Beginner |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Last code update | 3 months ago | 29 days ago |
What each one is
Luxon
Luxon is a JavaScript library for handling dates and times. It provides DateTime, Duration, and Interval types, and uses the browser or runtime's built-in Intl and time zone support rather than bundling its own locale or time zone data. Developers use it to parse, format, and do math on dates in a chainable, immutable way.
Moment.js
Moment.js is a JavaScript library that helps programs work with dates and times: reading date strings, checking whether they are valid, changing them (adding days, shifting time zones, and so on), and displaying them in readable formats. It is installed into a JavaScript project with npm, yarn, or bun. The README now marks it as a legacy project in maintenance mode, so it is not accepting new features.
Best for
Luxon
- JavaScript developers who need to work with dates and time zones in an app
- Teams moving away from Moment.js, since the README has a guide for Moment users
- Projects that want to avoid shipping large locale or time zone data files
Moment.js
- Maintaining existing JavaScript projects that already depend on Moment.js
- Developers who need a familiar date API and are not starting a new project
- Teams whose code already uses Moment and need bug-level upkeep
Strengths
Luxon
- Immutable, chainable API that the README describes as unambiguous
- Uses native time zone and Intl support, so no separate locale or time zone files are needed
- MIT licensed with a large star count and documented API and upgrade guide
Moment.js
- Widely used, with a large community and many years of existing code and examples
- MIT licensed and distributed through npm
- Maintained under the OpenJS Foundation, which provides governance and a security policy
Not ideal for
Luxon
- Non-developers, since it is a code library and needs to be called from a program
- Projects that cannot rely on the platform's Intl and time zone support, since Luxon uses it rather than bundling its own data
- Anyone who only needs a simple date display and not a library dependency
Moment.js
- New projects: the README says new features are not being accepted, so newer date libraries may be a better long-term choice
- Users who need a tool with no programming involved, since this is a code library
Trade-offs
Luxon
- Depends on the runtime's Intl and time zone support, so behavior can vary across environments (inferred from the feature description)
- The README does not list a latest release, and the project mentions planning a major version 4.0, so check the current status before adopting
- The README is brief; detailed usage is on the external documentation site
Moment.js
- Maintenance mode: no new features are being accepted, so the library will not gain modern capabilities
- The README does not detail its size or performance trade-offs, so check those for your use case
Getting started
Luxon
Install from npm (package name from npm badge link)
npm install luxonFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Luxon and Moment.js?
Luxon: A JavaScript library for working with dates, times, and time zones. Moment.js: A JavaScript library for parsing, validating, manipulating and formatting dates; now in maintenance mode. Luxon suits javascript developers who need to work with dates and time zones in an app, while Moment.js suits maintaining existing javascript projects that already depend on moment.js.
Are Luxon and Moment.js free?
Luxon: Free and open source. Moment.js: Free and open source.
Is Luxon or Moment.js more popular?
Moment.js has more GitHub stars (47.9k) than Luxon (16.5k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Luxon and Moment.js?
Other options people compare them with include Day.js, react-dates, flatpickr.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.