Why We Built Vestig: A Different Approach to TypeScript Logging

December 22, 2025 · 8 min read

The JavaScript ecosystem has excellent logging libraries. Pino is blazingly fast. Winston is incredibly flexible. So why did we build Vestig?

Because we believed the perfect logging library for modern TypeScript applications didn't exist yet.

The Problems We Wanted to Solve

1. Runtime Lock-in

Most logging libraries are designed for Node.js. Period.

Pino: Excellent for Node.js, but no native browser support. pino-browser exists but it's a separate package with different APIs.
Winston: Node.js only. winston-browser is community-maintained and limited.
Bunyan: Node.js only, no browser or edge support.

But modern applications run everywhere:

Server-side rendering in Node.js
Edge functions on Vercel, Cloudflare, Deno Deploy
Client-side React/Vue/Svelte
Bun for faster development
Deno for security-first deployments

Vestig runs identically in all of these. Same API. Same features. Same behavior.

typescript

1// This exact code works in Node, Bun, Deno, Edge, and Browser
2import { log, RUNTIME } from 'vestig'
3 
4log.info('Hello', { runtime: RUNTIME })

2. Privacy as an Afterthought

Every logging library lets you log anything. That's the problem.

typescript

1// Oops, you just logged a password to Datadog
2logger.info('User login', { email: user.email, password: user.password })

In 2025, with GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI-DSS, logging PII is not just embarrassing—it's potentially illegal. Yet most logging libraries offer zero protection.

Vestig sanitizes by default:

typescript

1import { log } from 'vestig'
2 
3log.info('User login', {
4  email: 'john@example.com',
5  password: 'secret123',
6  ssn: '123-45-6789'
7})
8 
9// Output:
10// email: "j***@example.com"
11// password: "[REDACTED]"
12// ssn: "[REDACTED]"

Choose from presets (minimal, default, gdpr, hipaa, pci-dss) or define custom patterns. Your logs are safe by default.

3. Dependency Hell

Here's what happens when you install popular logging libraries:

Library	Direct Dependencies	Total Dependencies
Winston	8	30+
Pino	3	15+
Bunyan	4	20+
Vestig	0	0

Every dependency is:

A potential security vulnerability
A version to manage
A breaking change waiting to happen
Bundle size you're shipping to users

Vestig has zero production dependencies. It's pure TypeScript that compiles to ~5KB gzipped.

4. Tracing is a Separate Concern

Want logging? Use Pino. Want tracing? Add OpenTelemetry. Now coordinate context between them. Good luck.

OpenTelemetry is powerful but overwhelming. The average setup involves:

@opentelemetry/api
@opentelemetry/sdk-node
@opentelemetry/auto-instrumentations-node
A collector, exporters, and extensive configuration

Vestig includes native tracing:

typescript

1import { span, log } from 'vestig'
2 
3const result = await span('checkout', async (s) => {
4  s.setAttribute('userId', user.id)
5 
6  log.info('Processing payment')  // Automatically correlated!
7 
8  const payment = await processPayment()
9  s.addEvent('payment.complete', { amount: payment.amount })
10 
11  return payment
12})

Logs and spans are automatically correlated. No configuration. No additional packages.

The Comparison

Vestig vs Pino

Choose Pino if:

Raw performance is your #1 priority
You're Node.js only
You have existing Pino infrastructure

Choose Vestig if:

You need multi-runtime support
You want built-in PII sanitization
You want integrated logging + tracing
You prefer zero dependencies

Performance comparison on a 2024 MacBook Pro (M3):

Operation	Pino	Vestig
Simple log	0.02ms	0.03ms
Structured log	0.03ms	0.04ms
With sanitization	N/A	0.08ms

Vestig is slightly slower but well within acceptable ranges for 99% of applications. And Pino can't sanitize at all.

Vestig vs Winston

Choose Winston if:

You need maximum transport flexibility
You have complex routing requirements
You're already deeply invested in the Winston ecosystem

Choose Vestig if:

You want simpler, modern API
You need TypeScript-first types
You want better performance
You need multi-runtime support

Winston is incredibly flexible but shows its age. It was designed before TypeScript, before ESM, before edge runtimes. Vestig was designed for 2025.

Vestig vs Bunyan

Choose Bunyan if:

You have existing Bunyan infrastructure
You only need JSON logging

Choose Vestig if:

Bunyan hasn't been updated in years
You need active maintenance
You need modern features (tracing, sanitization, edge support)

Bunyan pioneered structured JSON logging in Node.js. But it's effectively unmaintained. Vestig carries forward its JSON-first philosophy with modern features.

Vestig vs LogTape

LogTape is the closest to Vestig in philosophy—zero dependencies, multi-runtime. Great library!

Choose LogTape if:

You're building a library that needs logging
You want truly minimal API

Choose Vestig if:

You want integrated tracing (LogTape doesn't have spans)
You need PII sanitization (LogTape doesn't have it)
You want framework integrations (Next.js, Express)
You need sampling strategies

Feature Comparison Table

Feature	Vestig	Pino	Winston	Bunyan	LogTape
Zero Dependencies	✅	❌	❌	❌	✅
Multi-Runtime	✅	❌	❌	❌	✅
TypeScript-First	✅	⚠️	⚠️	❌	✅
PII Sanitization	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
GDPR/HIPAA Presets	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Native Tracing	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
W3C Trace Context	✅	⚠️	❌	❌	❌
Context Propagation	✅	⚠️	⚠️	❌	⚠️
Edge Runtime	✅	⚠️	❌	❌	✅
Browser Support	✅	⚠️	⚠️	❌	✅
Framework Integrations	✅	⚠️	⚠️	❌	❌
Sampling Strategies	✅	⚠️	❌	❌	❌

Legend: ✅ Built-in | ⚠️ Plugin/Partial | ❌ Not Available

Our Philosophy

1. Sane Defaults, Full Control

Vestig works with zero configuration:

typescript

1import { log } from 'vestig'
2log.info('It just works')

But you can customize everything when needed:

typescript

1import { createLogger, ConsoleTransport, HTTPTransport } from 'vestig'
2 
3const logger = createLogger({
4  level: 'debug',
5  sanitize: 'hipaa',
6  transports: [
7    new ConsoleTransport({ colors: true }),
8    new HTTPTransport({ endpoint: '/api/logs' })
9  ]
10})

2. Privacy by Default

In an era of data breaches and privacy regulations, we believe logging libraries should protect you from yourself. Sanitization is on by default.

3. One Library, All Runtimes

Write your logging code once. Deploy to Node.js, Bun, Deno, Vercel Edge, Cloudflare Workers, and browsers. It just works.

4. Observability Unified

Logs and traces should be friends, not separate systems. Vestig unifies them under a single, coherent API.

Getting Started

bash

1bun add vestig

typescript

1import { log, span } from 'vestig'
2 
3// Start logging
4log.info('Application started', { version: '1.0.0' })
5 
6// Add tracing
7const result = await span('process-order', async (s) => {
8  s.setAttribute('orderId', order.id)
9  return await processOrder(order)
10})
11 
12// PII is automatically sanitized
13log.info('User action', {
14  email: 'user@example.com',  // → "u***@example.com"
15  action: 'purchase'
16})

Conclusion

Vestig isn't trying to replace Pino or Winston. They're excellent tools that have served the Node.js ecosystem well.

But if you're building modern TypeScript applications that run across multiple runtimes, care about privacy, and want integrated observability without the complexity—Vestig might be what you're looking for.

We built the logging library we wanted to use. We hope you'll find it useful too.

Links:

Why We Built Vestig: A Different Approach to TypeScript Logging

December 22, 2025 · 8 min read

The JavaScript ecosystem has excellent logging libraries. Pino is blazingly fast. Winston is incredibly flexible. So why did we build Vestig?

Because we believed the perfect logging library for modern TypeScript applications didn't exist yet.

The Problems We Wanted to Solve

1. Runtime Lock-in

Most logging libraries are designed for Node.js. Period.

Pino: Excellent for Node.js, but no native browser support. pino-browser exists but it's a separate package with different APIs.
Winston: Node.js only. winston-browser is community-maintained and limited.
Bunyan: Node.js only, no browser or edge support.

But modern applications run everywhere:

Server-side rendering in Node.js
Edge functions on Vercel, Cloudflare, Deno Deploy
Client-side React/Vue/Svelte
Bun for faster development
Deno for security-first deployments

Vestig runs identically in all of these. Same API. Same features. Same behavior.

typescript

1// This exact code works in Node, Bun, Deno, Edge, and Browser
2import { log, RUNTIME } from 'vestig'
3 
4log.info('Hello', { runtime: RUNTIME })

2. Privacy as an Afterthought

Every logging library lets you log anything. That's the problem.

typescript

1// Oops, you just logged a password to Datadog
2logger.info('User login', { email: user.email, password: user.password })

In 2025, with GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI-DSS, logging PII is not just embarrassing—it's potentially illegal. Yet most logging libraries offer zero protection.

Vestig sanitizes by default:

typescript

1import { log } from 'vestig'
2 
3log.info('User login', {
4  email: 'john@example.com',
5  password: 'secret123',
6  ssn: '123-45-6789'
7})
8 
9// Output:
10// email: "j***@example.com"
11// password: "[REDACTED]"
12// ssn: "[REDACTED]"

Choose from presets (minimal, default, gdpr, hipaa, pci-dss) or define custom patterns. Your logs are safe by default.

3. Dependency Hell

Here's what happens when you install popular logging libraries:

Library	Direct Dependencies	Total Dependencies
Winston	8	30+
Pino	3	15+
Bunyan	4	20+
Vestig	0	0

Every dependency is:

A potential security vulnerability
A version to manage
A breaking change waiting to happen
Bundle size you're shipping to users

Vestig has zero production dependencies. It's pure TypeScript that compiles to ~5KB gzipped.

4. Tracing is a Separate Concern

Want logging? Use Pino. Want tracing? Add OpenTelemetry. Now coordinate context between them. Good luck.

OpenTelemetry is powerful but overwhelming. The average setup involves:

@opentelemetry/api
@opentelemetry/sdk-node
@opentelemetry/auto-instrumentations-node
A collector, exporters, and extensive configuration

Vestig includes native tracing:

typescript

1import { span, log } from 'vestig'
2 
3const result = await span('checkout', async (s) => {
4  s.setAttribute('userId', user.id)
5 
6  log.info('Processing payment')  // Automatically correlated!
7 
8  const payment = await processPayment()
9  s.addEvent('payment.complete', { amount: payment.amount })
10 
11  return payment
12})

Logs and spans are automatically correlated. No configuration. No additional packages.

The Comparison

Vestig vs Pino

Choose Pino if:

Raw performance is your #1 priority
You're Node.js only
You have existing Pino infrastructure

Choose Vestig if:

You need multi-runtime support
You want built-in PII sanitization
You want integrated logging + tracing
You prefer zero dependencies

Performance comparison on a 2024 MacBook Pro (M3):

Operation	Pino	Vestig
Simple log	0.02ms	0.03ms
Structured log	0.03ms	0.04ms
With sanitization	N/A	0.08ms

Vestig is slightly slower but well within acceptable ranges for 99% of applications. And Pino can't sanitize at all.

Vestig vs Winston

Choose Winston if:

You need maximum transport flexibility
You have complex routing requirements
You're already deeply invested in the Winston ecosystem

Choose Vestig if:

You want simpler, modern API
You need TypeScript-first types
You want better performance
You need multi-runtime support

Winston is incredibly flexible but shows its age. It was designed before TypeScript, before ESM, before edge runtimes. Vestig was designed for 2025.

Vestig vs Bunyan

Choose Bunyan if:

You have existing Bunyan infrastructure
You only need JSON logging

Choose Vestig if:

Bunyan hasn't been updated in years
You need active maintenance
You need modern features (tracing, sanitization, edge support)

Bunyan pioneered structured JSON logging in Node.js. But it's effectively unmaintained. Vestig carries forward its JSON-first philosophy with modern features.

Vestig vs LogTape

LogTape is the closest to Vestig in philosophy—zero dependencies, multi-runtime. Great library!

Choose LogTape if:

You're building a library that needs logging
You want truly minimal API

Choose Vestig if:

You want integrated tracing (LogTape doesn't have spans)
You need PII sanitization (LogTape doesn't have it)
You want framework integrations (Next.js, Express)
You need sampling strategies

Feature Comparison Table

Feature	Vestig	Pino	Winston	Bunyan	LogTape
Zero Dependencies	✅	❌	❌	❌	✅
Multi-Runtime	✅	❌	❌	❌	✅
TypeScript-First	✅	⚠️	⚠️	❌	✅
PII Sanitization	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
GDPR/HIPAA Presets	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Native Tracing	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
W3C Trace Context	✅	⚠️	❌	❌	❌
Context Propagation	✅	⚠️	⚠️	❌	⚠️
Edge Runtime	✅	⚠️	❌	❌	✅
Browser Support	✅	⚠️	⚠️	❌	✅
Framework Integrations	✅	⚠️	⚠️	❌	❌
Sampling Strategies	✅	⚠️	❌	❌	❌

Legend: ✅ Built-in | ⚠️ Plugin/Partial | ❌ Not Available

Our Philosophy

1. Sane Defaults, Full Control

Vestig works with zero configuration:

typescript

1import { log } from 'vestig'
2log.info('It just works')

But you can customize everything when needed:

typescript

1import { createLogger, ConsoleTransport, HTTPTransport } from 'vestig'
2 
3const logger = createLogger({
4  level: 'debug',
5  sanitize: 'hipaa',
6  transports: [
7    new ConsoleTransport({ colors: true }),
8    new HTTPTransport({ endpoint: '/api/logs' })
9  ]
10})

2. Privacy by Default

In an era of data breaches and privacy regulations, we believe logging libraries should protect you from yourself. Sanitization is on by default.

3. One Library, All Runtimes

Write your logging code once. Deploy to Node.js, Bun, Deno, Vercel Edge, Cloudflare Workers, and browsers. It just works.

4. Observability Unified

Logs and traces should be friends, not separate systems. Vestig unifies them under a single, coherent API.

Getting Started

bash

1bun add vestig

typescript

1import { log, span } from 'vestig'
2 
3// Start logging
4log.info('Application started', { version: '1.0.0' })
5 
6// Add tracing
7const result = await span('process-order', async (s) => {
8  s.setAttribute('orderId', order.id)
9  return await processOrder(order)
10})
11 
12// PII is automatically sanitized
13log.info('User action', {
14  email: 'user@example.com',  // → "u***@example.com"
15  action: 'purchase'
16})

Conclusion

Vestig isn't trying to replace Pino or Winston. They're excellent tools that have served the Node.js ecosystem well.

We built the logging library we wanted to use. We hope you'll find it useful too.

Links: