We shipped our CLI with Node.js and npm, then compiled it into a standalone binary with Bun in a matter of hours. Here is what we learned and how it performed.

Tigris

The Tigris team migrated their TypeScript CLI from Node.js/npm distribution to a Bun-compiled standalone binary. The migration required creating a parallel entry point to handle Bun's static bundling constraints (replacing dynamic YAML imports and lazy-loaded command handlers with auto-generated static equivalents), while keeping the npm distribution intact. Benchmarks on an Apple M4 Max showed Bun is 20–48% faster for uploads across all file sizes and 2–3x faster for downloads under ~100 MB, but Node.js handles very large downloads (180 MB+) more efficiently due to Bun's aggressive memory buffering. The result is a 60 MB self-contained binary for macOS, Linux, and Windows with no Node.js dependency required.

From npm to a Single Binary: Adopting Bun for the Tigris CLI

Bun was always in the back of my mind ​

Getting it to work was surprisingly easy ​

Benchmarking: does it actually perform? ​

What I'd tell you if you're considering the same move ​

Bun is indeed superior in every aspect but maturity. It’s even more stable.

I also drew from Bun, and using Zig I created a single binary for my version of OpenClaw, No JS dependencies. Multimodal.
Zig is the way forward.
<a href="https://github.com/lupin4/wintermolt" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">lupin4/wintermolt: Open-source AI agent CLI built in Zig. A pure Zig rewrite of OpenClaw — one ~5MB binary, zero Node.js. Agentic loop, SSE streaming, tool dispatch, SQLite history, and multi-backend support (Claude, Ollama, OpenAI-compatible). Cross-compiles Mac &amp; Linux in one command.</a>