Decimal vs BigInt

Developers should use the Decimal data type when performing monetary calculations, accounting, or any operation requiring exact decimal results without binary floating-point inaccuracies meets developers should learn and use bigint when they need to handle integers larger than 2^53 - 1 (approximately 9 quadrillion) or require exact integer arithmetic without floating-point inaccuracies, such as in blockchain applications, high-precision financial systems, or mathematical algorithms. Here's our take.

Decimal

Nice Pick

Developers should use the Decimal data type when performing monetary calculations, accounting, or any operation requiring exact decimal results without binary floating-point inaccuracies

Pros

• It is crucial in financial software, e-commerce systems, and scientific computations where precision is paramount, such as tax calculations or interest rate computations
• Related to: floating-point, bigdecimal

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

BigInt

Developers should learn and use BigInt when they need to handle integers larger than 2^53 - 1 (approximately 9 quadrillion) or require exact integer arithmetic without floating-point inaccuracies, such as in blockchain applications, high-precision financial systems, or mathematical algorithms

Pros

• It is particularly useful in scenarios where the Number type's limitations could lead to overflow or loss of precision, ensuring reliable calculations for large-scale data processing or cryptographic operations
• Related to: javascript, typescript

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. Decimal is a data type while BigInt is a language. We picked Decimal based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

Decimal wins

Based on overall popularity. Decimal is more widely used, but BigInt excels in its own space.