What is Biome? The Modern JavaScript Linter and Formatter

If you’ve been building JavaScript or TypeScript applications for a while, chances are your project includes both ESLint and Prettier. It’s a setup that has worked well for years, but it also means maintaining multiple tools, configuration files, and plugins.

Recently, a new tool called Biome has been gaining attention in the JavaScript ecosystem. Instead of combining several tools together, Biome provides a formatter, linter, and import organizer in a single package.

Even better, it’s incredibly fast.

In this article, we’ll explore what Biome is, why developers are switching to it, and whether it’s worth using in your next project.

What is Biome?

Biome is an open-source toolchain for modern web development that combines several common developer tools into one.

With Biome, you can:

Format your code
Lint your project
Organize imports
Detect common mistakes
Apply automatic fixes

Instead of installing multiple packages, you only need one tool.

npm install --save-dev @biomejs/biome

After installation, initialize your configuration:

npx @biomejs/biome init

Biome will generate a biome.json configuration file that you can customize later.

Why Was Biome Created?

As JavaScript projects grow, the tooling often becomes more complicated.

A typical project may include:

ESLint
Prettier
eslint-config
eslint-plugin-import
eslint-plugin-unused-imports
dozens of additional plugins

Keeping these tools compatible can sometimes be frustrating, especially after upgrading dependencies.

Biome takes a different approach.

Instead of relying on a plugin ecosystem for every feature, most functionality is built directly into the tool. This makes configuration much simpler and reduces maintenance over time.

Why Is Biome So Fast?

One of Biome’s biggest selling points is its performance.

Unlike ESLint and Prettier, which are written in JavaScript, Biome is written in Rust, a systems programming language known for speed and efficiency.

In practice, this means:

Faster linting
Faster formatting
Lower memory usage
Better performance on large projects

For small projects, the difference may not feel dramatic.

However, on larger codebases with hundreds or thousands of files, the performance improvement becomes much more noticeable.

Features

Biome includes several features that developers typically install separately.

Code Formatter

The formatter produces consistent code with minimal configuration.

const message={text:"Hello",count:1}

becomes

const message = {
  text: "Hello",
  count: 1,
};

The formatting style is intentionally opinionated, similar to Prettier.

Linter

Biome helps catch common issues before they reach production.

Examples include:

Unused variables
Unreachable code
Incorrect comparisons
Suspicious patterns
Style consistency

Many of these issues can also be fixed automatically.

Import Organization

Keeping imports organized is another built-in feature.

Instead of manually sorting imports or installing another plugin, simply run:

npx @biomejs/biome check --write .

Biome can automatically reorder imports and remove unnecessary ones where appropriate.

Automatic Fixes

Like ESLint’s --fix, Biome can automatically resolve many problems.

npx @biomejs/biome check --write .

This command can:

Format code
Apply lint fixes
Organize imports

All in a single pass.

Supported Languages

Although it’s primarily known for JavaScript, Biome supports several related technologies.

Current support includes:

JavaScript
TypeScript
JSX
TSX
JSON
JSONC

Support for additional web technologies continues to improve with each release.

Getting Started

Setting up Biome only takes a few minutes.

Install it:

npm install --save-dev @biomejs/biome

Initialize the configuration:

npx @biomejs/biome init

Check your project:

npx @biomejs/biome check .

Automatically fix issues:

npx @biomejs/biome check --write .

That’s enough to start using Biome in most projects.

Example Configuration

A minimal biome.json might look like this:

{
  "$schema": "https://biomejs.dev/schemas/latest/schema.json",
  "formatter": {
    "enabled": true,
    "indentStyle": "space"
  },
  "linter": {
    "enabled": true
  }
}

Most developers won’t need to change much beyond the defaults.

Biome vs ESLint + Prettier

Feature	Biome	ESLint + Prettier
Formatter	✅	✅
Linter	✅	✅
Import Organization	✅	Plugin Required
Single Configuration	✅	❌
Performance	Excellent	Good
Written in Rust	✅	❌

If your project relies on many specialized ESLint plugins, migrating immediately may not be practical.

However, for new projects—or teams looking for a simpler setup—Biome is an attractive option.

Should You Use Biome?

Biome is an excellent choice if you:

Start new JavaScript or TypeScript projects
Prefer simple configuration
Want faster tooling
Don’t rely heavily on custom ESLint plugins

On the other hand, if your existing project depends on numerous ESLint plugins or custom rules, it may be worth evaluating compatibility before switching.

There’s no need to migrate overnight. Many teams begin by experimenting with Biome in new projects before considering a broader adoption.

Final Thoughts

The JavaScript tooling ecosystem continues to evolve, and Biome is one of the most exciting additions in recent years.

Rather than replacing one tool with another, it rethinks the developer experience by combining formatting, linting, and import organization into a single, high-performance package.

For many developers, that means less configuration, fewer dependencies, and a noticeably faster workflow.

If you’re starting a new project in 2026, Biome is definitely worth trying.

You might be surprised by how much simpler your development setup becomes.