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javascript runtime

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A JavaScript runtime and ecosystem

Shown by theMackabu on Jul 11, 2026. Click the card to turn it over.

330points

148comments

#115of 4,366 in 2026

Top 3%of 2026 by points

How HN took it

MixedNo clear lean

14 positive, 33 neutral or asking, 2 mixed, 34 critical, out of 83 comments about the project. Thread score -0.15.

Idea: 10 for, 6 againstDesign: 2 for, 5 againstPerformance: 0 for, 5 againstExecution: 0 for, 4 againstDocs: 0 for, 1 against

Each row is a top-level comment and its replies, in HN's order. Select a cell to open that comment on HN.

positive neutral or mixed critical about another commenter or something else the maker

Code provenance and 'hand-built' claim disputed
From 3 comments
- I code with AI all day, every day. But I do think that it's worth pointing to this issue (from March). The author has said that they've redone it since, but the "from-scratch…
  tekacs on HN
- It’s not hand-built. It’s hand prompted.
  vips7L on HN
- OP, you will get a much better reception if you clarify that "hand built" just means you're not using existing libraries. It's a cool project, but it's disappointing to come in…
  reasonableklout on HN
Name clashes with Apache Ant and Ant Design
From 2 comments
- Why call it "Ant" and not "Antjs" or "Ant.js" when there is already Ant from Apache? https://ant.apache.org
  lucb1e on HN
- Ant in JS land is already claimed and huge too lol https://ant.design/
  girvo on HN
Performance claims near V8 unverified
From 2 comments
- You're stating: "delivers near-V8 speeds" But according to zoo.js benchmarks that is far from the case: https://zoo.js.org/ Unless there were major perf gains since 2026-02-10?
  egnehots on HN
- I see benchmarks for cold start, why there are no benchmarks for runtime performance Vs Node, Deno and Bun? (and quickjs et al.)?
  curtisblaine on HN
Project scope seems convoluted
From 1 comment
- I get the runtime, the engine, and the colony as a monetization angle. What I don't get is: - Another registry (looks like jsr.io)? - Another package manager - Ant Desktop? -…
  h1696UOuk on HN

Independent benchmarks against Node, Deno and Bun
From 2 comments
- I see benchmarks for cold start, why there are no benchmarks for runtime performance Vs Node, Deno and Bun? (and quickjs et al.)?
  curtisblaine on HN
- Looks really good on the surface. But if you really want to sell it, link to a comprehensive benchmark suit and more comparisons. Because if you don't, people tend to…
  felooboolooomba on HN
Windows and WSL support
From 2 comments
- Does it work on windows?
  cognitiveinline on HN
- I can't get Bun to work under WSL1, which is super annoying. Does Ant support WSL1?
  djfobbz on HN
Roadmap and more collaborators
From 1 comment
- I hope you get some collaborators, to increase the bus factor. You might want to write a roadmap to focus efforts.
  esafak on HN

Does it run on Windows
From 1 comment
- Does it work on windows?
  cognitiveinline on HN
Can the engine be embedded
From 1 comment
- Can this engine be embedded into other programs?
  Reubend on HN
Does it support WebGPU
From 1 comment
- Does it support WebGPU?
  Geee on HN

Node.js
From 1 comment
- The thing that caught my eye immediately was the sandboxing. I have no idea why Node and npm don’t have sandboxing by default. It would greatly help with some of these worms and…
  pikuseru on HN
Deno
From 1 comment
- Deno has that! Come join us :P no affiliation, just a happy user.
  _shantaram on HN
Bun
From 1 comment
- I can't get Bun to work under WSL1, which is super annoying. Does Ant support WSL1?
  djfobbz on HN
Electron
From 1 comment
- This looks like a great replacement for electron
  sirjaz on HN