pnpm vs npm vs yarn
Package Managers for JavaScript Comparison
1 Year
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What's Package Managers for JavaScript?

Package managers are essential tools in JavaScript development that automate the process of installing, updating, configuring, and removing libraries and dependencies in a project. They manage packages (reusable code modules) from online repositories, ensuring that developers can easily integrate third-party code into their applications. This not only streamlines the development workflow but also helps maintain consistency across different environments by managing versioning and dependencies automatically. Popular JavaScript package managers include npm (Node Package Manager), yarn, and pnpm, each with its own features and advantages. npm is the default package manager for Node.js, providing a vast registry of packages and robust dependency management. yarn was developed by Facebook to address some of npm's shortcomings, offering faster installs, better caching, and a more deterministic approach to dependency resolution. pnpm (Performant NPM) introduces a unique approach by using a content-addressable file system to store packages, significantly reducing disk space usage and installation times, especially for projects with many dependencies.

Github Stars Ranking
Stat Detail
Package
Downloads
Stars
Size
Issues
Publish
License
pnpm19,636,09730,85518.8 MB1,785a month agoMIT
npm6,082,5928,69811.8 MB6722 months agoArtistic-2.0
yarn5,514,54941,5055.34 MB2,070a year agoBSD-2-Clause
Feature Comparison: pnpm vs npm vs yarn

Installation Speed

  • pnpm:

    pnpm offers fast installation times, especially for projects with many shared dependencies. Its unique approach to storing packages reduces duplication, which can lead to faster installs after the initial setup, particularly in monorepos.

  • npm:

    npm has made significant improvements in installation speed, especially with the introduction of npm 5 and later versions. However, it can still be slower than yarn and pnpm, particularly for projects with large dependency trees.

  • yarn:

    yarn is known for its fast installation times, thanks to its efficient caching and parallel downloading of packages. It was designed to be faster than npm at the time of its release, and it still holds that advantage in many scenarios.

Disk Space Usage

  • pnpm:

    pnpm is designed to save disk space by using a content-addressable file system to store packages. It creates hard links to packages instead of duplicating them, which can lead to significant savings, especially in projects with many shared dependencies.

  • npm:

    npm installs packages in a flat structure, which can lead to duplication of dependencies if multiple packages require different versions of the same module. This can increase disk space usage, especially in large projects.

  • yarn:

    yarn also installs packages in a flat structure and uses a yarn.lock file to ensure consistent installs across environments. However, it does not significantly reduce disk space usage compared to npm.

Dependency Resolution

  • pnpm:

    pnpm also provides deterministic installs by using a lockfile (pnpm-lock.yaml) and its unique approach to dependency resolution. It installs packages in a way that minimizes duplication while maintaining compatibility, which can lead to a cleaner and more efficient node_modules structure.

  • npm:

    npm uses a nested dependency model, which can lead to multiple versions of the same package being installed if different packages require different versions. This can cause issues with compatibility and bloat the node_modules folder.

  • yarn:

    yarn introduced a more deterministic approach to dependency resolution with its yarn.lock file, which ensures that the same versions of dependencies are installed across all environments. This helps prevent issues with version conflicts and makes installs more predictable.

Workspaces Support

  • pnpm:

    pnpm also supports workspaces and is particularly well-suited for monorepos due to its efficient handling of shared dependencies. Its unique approach to linking packages reduces duplication and makes it easier to manage multiple packages within a single repository.

  • npm:

    npm introduced support for workspaces in version 7, allowing users to manage multiple packages within a single repository. However, its workspaces feature is still relatively new and may not be as mature as those in yarn and pnpm.

  • yarn:

    yarn has robust support for workspaces, making it a popular choice for monorepos. It allows for easy management of multiple packages within a single repository, with features like hoisting and linking that help streamline the process.

Ease of Use: Code Examples

  • pnpm:

    pnpm add example-package

    or add a specific version

    pnpm add example-package@1.0.0

    install all dependencies listed in package.json

    pnpm install

  • npm:

    npm install example-package

    or install a specific version

    npm install example-package@1.0.0

    install all dependencies listed in package.json

    npm install

  • yarn:

    yarn add example-package

    or add a specific version

    yarn add example-package@1.0.0

    install all dependencies listed in package.json

    yarn install

How to Choose: pnpm vs npm vs yarn
  • pnpm:

    Choose pnpm if you want to optimize disk space and installation times, especially for projects with many shared dependencies. Its unique approach to package management reduces duplication, making it a great choice for monorepos and large projects.

  • npm:

    Choose npm if you prefer a widely adopted, reliable package manager with a large ecosystem. It is the default for Node.js, making it a safe choice for most projects. While it has improved significantly in terms of speed and features, it may still be slower than alternatives for large projects.

  • yarn:

    Choose yarn if you need faster installs, better dependency management, and a more user-friendly experience. It is particularly beneficial for projects with complex dependency trees, as it locks dependencies more effectively and provides better caching.

README for pnpm

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pnpm

Fast, disk space efficient package manager:

  • Fast. Up to 2x faster than the alternatives (see benchmark).
  • Efficient. Files inside node_modules are linked from a single content-addressable storage.
  • Great for monorepos.
  • Strict. A package can access only dependencies that are specified in its package.json.
  • Deterministic. Has a lockfile called pnpm-lock.yaml.
  • Works as a Node.js version manager. See pnpm env use.
  • Works everywhere. Supports Windows, Linux, and macOS.
  • Battle-tested. Used in production by teams of all sizes since 2016.
  • See the full feature comparison with npm and Yarn.

To quote the Rush team:

Microsoft uses pnpm in Rush repos with hundreds of projects and hundreds of PRs per day, and we’ve found it to be very fast and reliable.

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Background

pnpm uses a content-addressable filesystem to store all files from all module directories on a disk. When using npm, if you have 100 projects using lodash, you will have 100 copies of lodash on disk. With pnpm, lodash will be stored in a content-addressable storage, so:

  1. If you depend on different versions of lodash, only the files that differ are added to the store. If lodash has 100 files, and a new version has a change only in one of those files, pnpm update will only add 1 new file to the storage.
  2. All the files are saved in a single place on the disk. When packages are installed, their files are linked from that single place consuming no additional disk space. Linking is performed using either hard-links or reflinks (copy-on-write).

As a result, you save gigabytes of space on your disk and you have a lot faster installations! If you'd like more details about the unique node_modules structure that pnpm creates and why it works fine with the Node.js ecosystem, read this small article: Flat node_modules is not the only way.

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Installation

For installation options visit our website.

Usage

Just use pnpm in place of npm/Yarn. E.g., install dependencies via:

pnpm install

For more advanced usage, read pnpm CLI on our website, or run pnpm help.

Benchmark

pnpm is up to 2x faster than npm and Yarn classic. See all benchmarks here.

Benchmarks on an app with lots of dependencies:

Support

License

MIT