Every JavaScript developer installs packages — but not everyone realizes how different package managers really are.
Whether you’re building a side project or maintaining a massive monorepo, the choice between npm, Yarn, pnpm, and Bun can affect your speed, storage, and developer experience.
Let’s explore what sets them apart.
🧩 npm — The Classic Default
npm (Node Package Manager) is the original and still most widely used tool for managing Node.js dependencies.
It ships with Node.js, making it the easiest to start with.
✅ Pros
- Comes preinstalled with Node.js
- Huge ecosystem (1M+ packages)
- Reliable
package-lock.jsonfor deterministic installs - Workspaces support for monorepos
❌ Cons
- Slower installs compared to modern alternatives
- Historically prone to dependency duplication
- Larger node_modules size
📦 Example commands
npm install lodash
npm uninstall lodash
npm run build
npm ci
⚡ Yarn — Speed and Reliability
Created by Facebook, Yarn was a response to npm’s early performance and consistency issues.
It introduced lock files, parallel installs, and offline caching, setting new standards for package management.
✅ Pros
- Faster installs than npm (especially v1)
- Predictable dependency trees (
yarn.lock) - Offline caching
- Great for monorepos with Yarn Workspaces
❌ Cons
- Multiple major versions (v1, v2, v3) can cause confusion
- Plug’n’Play (PnP) may break some tools
- Slightly steeper learning curve
📦 Example commands
yarn add lodash
yarn remove lodash
yarn build
yarn install --immutable
🪶 pnpm — Performance and Efficiency
pnpm (short for performant npm) takes a smart approach to dependency storage.
Instead of duplicating packages for every project, it uses a global content-addressable store and symlinks, saving tons of disk space.
✅ Pros
- Blazing fast installs
- Minimal disk usage via global cache
- Strict dependency isolation — avoids “phantom dependencies”
- Excellent monorepo support via
pnpm workspaces
❌ Cons
- Some CI/CD or tooling setups need extra tweaks
- Learning curve if you’re coming from npm
📦 Example commands
pnpm add lodash
pnpm remove lodash
pnpm run build
pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
🧈 Bun — The New All-in-One Runtime
Bun is more than a package manager — it’s a complete JavaScript runtime, written in Zig.
It bundles, runs, and installs dependencies at lightning speed.
✅ Pros
- Incredibly fast installs and scripts
- Bundler + test runner + runtime in one
- Fully npm-compatible
- Zero setup — works out of the box
❌ Cons
- Still evolving; some Node APIs aren’t 100% supported
- Smaller ecosystem than Node/npm
- Potential compatibility issues for older packages
📦 Example commands
bun install
bun add lodash
bun remove lodash
bun run build
⚔️ Benchmark Snapshot
| Package Manager | Cold Install (s) | Reinstall (s) | Disk Space (MB) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| npm | 25–30 | 10–15 | 250+ | Reliable but slower |
| Yarn | 15–20 | 8–10 | 220+ | Balanced and mature |
| pnpm | 10–15 | 4–6 | 100–120 | Ultra-efficient |
| Bun | 3–5 | 2–3 | 100–110 | Fastest overall |
(Results vary based on network and hardware.)
🧠 Which One Should You Use?
| Scenario | Recommended Tool |
|---|---|
| You want stability and compatibility | npm |
| You need a balance of speed and features | Yarn |
| You work with monorepos or large projects | pnpm |
| You love cutting-edge performance | Bun |
🧭 TL;DR
- npm → The standard and safest default.
- Yarn → Familiar, stable, and faster than npm.
- pnpm → Efficient and ideal for large-scale apps.
- Bun → Future-facing speed demon.
Each tool has a unique philosophy — your best choice depends on team size, workflow, and ecosystem compatibility.
💬 Final Thoughts
The Node.js world is evolving fast.
What used to be a single choice (npm) is now a diverse ecosystem of package managers that prioritize speed, reliability, and efficiency.
If you haven’t yet, try running your next install with pnpm or Bun — the difference might surprise you.
Happy coding! ⚙️✨
Follow me for more deep dives into the modern JavaScript ecosystem!
👉 @taronvardanyan
Top comments (0)