date-fns is a modern JavaScript date utility library providing a comprehensive suite of functions for manipulating and formatting dates. Designed with modularity and immutability in mind, it allows you to select only the functions you need, reducing bundle size. Unlike Moment.js, date-fns promotes tree-shaking, resulting in smaller and more performant applications. Its API is consistent and well-documented, making it a popular choice for developers seeking a reliable date manipulation solution.
Date-fns release frequency is highly variable. It began with frequent releases in 2014 and 2016, followed by periods of inactivity. Releases continued somewhat steadily through 2021, then slowed significantly. 2023 saw a burst of releases in December (version 3.x). In 2024, the package was released in January, March and September (version 4.x) but no releases have occurred so far in 2025.
Date-fns downloads show a strong upward trend from February 2024 to July 2025, peaking at over 144 million. While August 2025 downloads of 126 million are present, this data is incomplete, indicating a potential dip, but the overall trend points to significant growth in usage.
