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 thanyarn
andpnpm
, 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 thannpm
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 tonpm
.
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 inyarn
andpnpm
. - 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