Article by Ayman Alheraki on January 11 2026 10:35 AM
Ryan Dahl, the creator of Node.js, developed Deno as an attempt to rectify some "mistakes" or design decisions he regretted in Node.js. Here are some of the key reasons behind this move and the use of Rust in Deno:
Reasons for Developing Deno:
Security: Node.js grants full access to the file system and network by default, which can pose security risks. In contrast, Deno adopts a strict permissions system where scripts must explicitly request access to resources.
Module System: Node.js relies on the CommonJS module system and the npm package manager, which has been criticized for its complexity and dependency-related issues. Deno utilizes the modern ECMAScript Modules system, allowing direct import of modules from URLs and simplifying dependency management.
TypeScript: Deno has built-in support for TypeScript, providing features like static typing that help prevent common errors and improve code quality.
Developer Experience: Deno aims to provide a smoother and more convenient development experience with built-in tools such as deno fmt for formatting and deno lint for error checking, reducing the need to rely on external tools.
Why Rust?
Performance and Safety: Rust is a programming language that offers high performance and memory safety without the need for a garbage collector. This makes it suitable for building high-performance command-line tools and core system components.
Control over System Resources: Rust provides fine-grained control over system resources, which is essential for implementing the secure permissions system in Deno.
Active and Growing Community: Rust has an active and growing community of developers, providing strong support and useful libraries and tools.
Deno is Ryan Dahl's attempt to address some of the issues he sees in Node.js and offer a more secure and modern alternative. The use of Rust allows for achieving high performance and improved security, which are fundamental aspects of Deno's design.