Skip to main content
Porffor is an experimental ahead-of-time (AOT) JavaScript/TypeScript compiler that compiles directly to WebAssembly, C, or native binaries. Built from scratch with a radically different approach to JavaScript execution, Porffor offers blazing fast performance for the features it supports.
Porffor is a research project exploring new approaches to JavaScript compilation. While it has significant limitations, what it can do, it does exceptionally well.

​
What Makes Porffor Different

Porffor takes a unique approach to JavaScript execution that sets it apart from traditional engines:

100% AOT Compiled

No JIT compilation or interpreter. Your code is compiled ahead-of-time directly to WebAssembly or native binaries.

Zero Runtime

No constant runtime or preluded code. The compiled output contains only what your code needs.

Minimal Imports

Only essential I/O operations are imported. Everything else is compiled into your binary.

From Scratch

Built entirely from the ground up (except the parser). Porffor generates final Wasm binaries itself without relying on tools like Binaryen.

​
Key Features

​
Multiple Compilation Targets

Compile your JavaScript to different formats depending on your needs:
  • WebAssembly - Generate standalone .wasm files
  • C - Compile to C code using Porffor’s 2c compiler
  • Native Binaries - Create executable binaries for your platform
  • REPL - Interactive JavaScript execution

​
TypeScript Support

Porffor can parse and compile TypeScript code with type annotations: 
porf --parse-types script.ts
Use --opt-types to enable optimizations based on type hints, making your compiled code even faster.

​
Performance

For the features it supports, Porffor delivers exceptional performance:
Porffor is typically blazingly fast compared to interpreters and engines running without JIT. With compiler optimizations and typed input, it can even compete with JIT-enabled engines, especially when compiled to native binaries.

​
Architecture

Porffor is primarily built from scratch with minimal dependencies:
  • Parser: Uses Acorn (with support for Babel, Meriyah, and Hermes parsers)
  • Compiler: Custom-built code generator that produces WebAssembly bytecode
  • Assembler: Creates spec-compliant Wasm modules from scratch
  • 2c: Porffor’s own WebAssembly-to-C compiler for native binary generation

​
Current Limitations

As an experimental research project, Porffor has some important limitations:
  • Limited async support - Promise and await have known bugs
  • No cross-scope variables - Variables cannot be accessed between scopes (except arguments and globals)
  • No dynamic evaluation - eval() and Function() are not supported due to AOT compilation
  • Incomplete API coverage - Many JavaScript APIs are not yet implemented

​
Versioning System

Porffor uses a unique versioning scheme. For example, version 0.61.10:
  1. 0 - Major version (always 0 until Porffor is production-ready)
  2. 61 - Minor version (Test262 pass percentage, rounded half-down)
  3. 10 - Micro version (build number for that minor version)
This means version 0.61.10 passes 61% of Test262 tests and is the 10th build at that pass rate.

​
Use Cases

While Porffor is still experimental, it offers some compelling benefits:

Safety

Written in JavaScript (memory-safe) and compiles to WebAssembly (fully sandboxed), providing multiple layers of security.

Native Binaries

Compile JavaScript directly to standalone executables for your platform.

Inline Wasm

Write inline WebAssembly for performance-critical sections or low-level operations.

SIMD Operations

Potential for SIMD and other low-level optimizations not available in traditional JavaScript.

​
WebAssembly Proposals

Porffor uses only widely-implemented WebAssembly proposals to ensure maximum compatibility:
  • Multi-value (required)
  • Non-trapping float-to-int conversions (required)
  • Bulk memory operations (optional)
  • Exception handling (optional, only for errors)
  • Tail calls (opt-in, disabled by default)

​
Next Steps

Installation

Install Porffor and set up your environment

Quick Start

Get started with your first Porffor program

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us