But the real winner was . Node 18 reduced the time to initialize complex applications by roughly 15-20% compared to Node 16, thanks to V8's lazy parsing improvements.
: This release moved Web Streams to global scope, making it easier to write code that works seamlessly in both Node.js and modern browsers. How to Create an Application with Node.js 18 node 18
Beyond core features, Node 18 enhanced how developers interact with the runtime and its environment: But the real winner was
Node 18 strongly encourages using the node: import prefix for built-in modules. This is mandatory if you use ES modules ( "type": "module" in package.json ). How to Create an Application with Node
For years, making an HTTP request in Node meant one of two things: installing node-fetch or using axios . It felt archaic that the runtime didn't include the same fetch your browser had.