Meteor.js

"This package doesn't work with Meteor." If you've been in the ecosystem, you've heard this. Often because of ESM issues. The problem: Many modern packages ship only ES modules. Meteor's bundler couldn't resolve them properly. Developers either: • Found alternatives (often inferior) • Wrote workarounds (often fragile) • Gave up (often frustrating) Meteor 3.4 removes this entire category of problems. RSPack handles ESM properly. Packages that work with Next.js, Vite, or Webpack now work with Meteor. Specifically now working: • React Router v7 • Modern i18n libraries • ESM-only utility libraries • Current UI component versions The "Meteor can't use X" era is over. The JavaScript ecosystem innovates constantly. Being unable to adopt new tools created a widening gap. 3.4 closes the gap.

Until now, Cordova was treated as a legacy build target in Meteor. That meant mobile apps missed out on modern syntax benefits like ES modules and tree shaking. With the new modern flag in Meteor 3.4, mobile architectures get the same optimizations as web.

Meteor 3.4 performance recap: • 75% faster builds • 90% faster hot reloads • 50% smaller bundles • Full tree shaking • Modern HMR Fastest Meteor has ever been. And 3.5 will go further.

Production apps on Meteor: • Rocket.Chat (millions of users) • Wekan (Trello alternative) • Qualia ($30M+ raised) Plus hundreds of SaaS products and internal tools.

Left Meteor in 2020-2021? Here's what changed: • Node 14 lock-in → ✓ Node 22 • Fibers → ✓ async/await • Slow builds → ✓ 4x faster (RSPack) • No tree shaking → ✓ 50% smaller bundles And a lot of good things are coming.

Two models for developer tools: Model 1: VC-backed Raise money. Chase growth. If growth slows, pivot or die. If successful, exit. New owners, new priorities. Model 2: Sustainable business Build useful tools. Charge fairly. Serve customers. Exist long-term. Meteor is Model 2. Tiny Capital acquired Meteor in 2019. They operate sustainable businesses. Not for quick exits—for ongoing value. The evidence: 2024: Meteor 3.0 shipped (massive release) 2025: 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 shipped 2026: 3.4 shipped Consistent investment. Consistent delivery. No "exciting new directions." No pivoting to AI because that's where funding is. Just steady improvement. For developers choosing tools, ownership matters. With Meteor, the answers are yes. Funding committed. Track record visible. Boring. Sustainable. Valuable.

The hidden cost of flexibility: Pick your framework. Pick your auth. Pick your state management. Pick your real-time solution. Debug the integrations. Or you can just use Meteor and ship features on day one.

What Meteor gives you out of the box: • Real-time data sync • User accounts + OAuth + 2FA • Mobile apps (Cordova) • Optimistic UI • Same code client & server So you can mainly focus on shipping features.

"But isn't Meteor.js dead?!" 😳 Honestly? We're tired of answering this. So we made a 39-minute video with the Core Team and CEO to settle this once and for all. Spoiler: NO, IT'S MORE ALIVE THAN EVER! Watch it: https://lnkd.in/dkPU25bY

Meteor 3.4 introduces new bundler optimizations for Atmosphere packages: the devOnly and npmDevDependencies options in package.js let you strip entire packages and their npm dependencies from production builds. After applying this to Galaxy, we cut the production bundle size by roughly 42%. Watch the full conversation: https://lnkd.in/degH2s6q