Which version to adopt is one of the most debated topics in the JS ecosystem right now. Does ES6 (ECMAScript 2015+) modern syntax work everywhere, or should we lean toward TypeScript for type safety? Which do you prefer and why? Is ES6 sufficient for small projects, or do TypeScript's advantages weigh heavier in large-scale applications?
Which do you prefer, ES6 or TypeScript?
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I first tried TypeScript two years ago at an institution where I worked, and the decision was tough because the team was specialized in raw JavaScript.
The first major project was an internal cloud resource booking system—around 15,000 lines. We started with just ES6, but soon ran into issues with type typos in shared code, especially when the support team made quick fixes. We decided to gradually introduce TypeScript: we began with about 30% of the files, and the adoption grew naturally over time. The surprising part? New developers embraced the change—they felt safer writing code and could test directly in the IDE thanks to IntelliSense.
That said, I still keep some small projects (like automation scripts) in ES6. Why? Speed and not needing a complex compile step. The command line interface itself becomes three times faster when writing 500 lines without types.
Bottom line: TypeScript wins for long-term projects, but ES6 stays effective for quick, lightweight tasks. The key factor is always the project’s budget and timeline first.