NPM vs Yarn vs PNPM - A Comprehensive Package Manager Comparison

When it comes to JavaScript and Node.js development, choosing the right package manager can significantly impact your development workflow, build times, and dependency management. NPM, Yarn, and PNPM are the three major players in this space, each with its own strengths and unique features.

Table of Contents

What is NPM?

NPM (Node Package Manager) is the default package manager that comes bundled with Node.js. Created in 2010 by Isaac Z. Schlueter, NPM is maintained by NPM Inc. (now part of GitHub/Microsoft). It’s the oldest and most widely adopted package manager in the JavaScript ecosystem.

Key Features:

• Comes pre-installed with Node.js
• Massive package registry (npmjs.com)
• Simple CLI commands
• Built-in support for workspaces
• Comprehensive documentation

What is Yarn?

Yarn was developed by Facebook (now Meta) in 2016 as a response to NPM’s shortcomings at the time. Yarn 1.x focused on speed, reliability, and security, while Yarn 2.x (Berry) introduced a completely rewritten architecture with better performance and innovative features like Plug’n’Play.

Key Features:

• Originally created to solve NPM’s speed and security issues
• Zero-installs capability (in Yarn 2+)
• Plug’n’Play (PnP) resolver
• Better workspace support
• Strict dependency resolution

What is PNPM?

PNPM (Performant NPM) is a relatively newer package manager created by Zoltan Kochan in 2017. It takes a unique approach by using a content-addressable filesystem and hard links to store dependencies, making it extremely efficient in terms of disk space and installation speed.

Key Features:

• Content-addressable storage system
• Hard links for dependency sharing
• Strict dependency resolution
• Workspace support with isolated node_modules
• Excellent performance and disk efficiency

Installation and Setup

NPM

# NPM comes pre-installed with Node.js
npm --version

# Update to latest version
npm install -g npm@latest

Yarn

# Install Yarn globally
npm install -g yarn

# Or using corepack (recommended for Yarn 2+)
corepack enable
corepack prepare yarn@latest --activate

PNPM

# Install PNPM globally
npm install -g pnpm

# Or using corepack
corepack enable
corepack prepare pnpm@latest --activate

Performance Comparison

Installation Speed

• PNPM is generally the fastest due to its content-addressable storage
• Yarn (especially Yarn 2+) is faster than NPM for most operations
• NPM has improved significantly but still lags behind the other two

Disk Usage

• PNPM uses significantly less disk space (up to 3x less than NPM)
• Yarn is more efficient than NPM but not as efficient as PNPM
• NPM uses the most disk space due to duplicate dependencies

Memory Usage

• PNPM uses the least memory during installation
• Yarn is more memory-efficient than NPM
• NPM can be memory-intensive with large dependency trees

Lock Files

NPM: package-lock.json

{
  "name": "my-project",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "lockfileVersion": 2,
  "requires": true,
  "packages": {
    "": {
      "name": "my-project",
      "version": "1.0.0",
      "dependencies": {
        "lodash": "^4.17.21"
      }
    }
  }
}

Yarn: yarn.lock

# yarn.lock format varies by version
# Yarn 1.x uses a different format than Yarn 2+

PNPM: pnpm-lock.yaml

lockfileVersion: '6.0'

settings:
  autoInstallPeers: true
  excludeLinksFromLockfile: false

dependencies:
  lodash: 4.17.21

packages:
  /lodash@4.17.21:
    resolution: {integrity: sha512-v2kDEe57lecTulaDIuNTPy3Ry4gLGJ6Z1O3vE1krgXZNrsQ+LFTGHVxVjcXPs17LhbZVGedAJv8XZ1tvj5FvSg==}
    engines: {node: '>=4'}

Feature Comparison

Dependency Resolution

• NPM: Hoisted dependencies (flatter node_modules structure)
• Yarn: Strict dependency resolution with better security
• PNPM: Strict resolution with isolated node_modules per package

Workspaces/Monorepos

• NPM: Good workspace support (introduced in NPM 7+)
• Yarn: Excellent workspace support with PnP in modern versions
• PNPM: Superior workspace support with isolated dependencies

Security

• NPM: Basic security auditing with npm audit
• Yarn: Enhanced security with better audit capabilities
• PNPM: Strong security model with isolated dependencies

Caching

• NPM: Local cache in ~/.npm
• Yarn: Global cache with better cache management
• PNPM: Content-addressable store for maximum efficiency

Commands Comparison

Migration Between Package Managers

From NPM to Yarn

# Remove package-lock.json
rm package-lock.json

# Install with Yarn
yarn install

From NPM to PNPM

# Remove package-lock.json
rm package-lock.json

# Install with PNPM
pnpm install

From Yarn to NPM

# Remove yarn.lock
rm yarn.lock

# Install with NPM
npm install

When to Choose What?

Choose NPM if:

• You’re working on legacy projects
• You need maximum compatibility
• You’re in a corporate environment with strict NPM policies
• You prefer the standard that comes with Node.js

Choose Yarn if:

• You’re working with monorepos or complex workspace setups
• You need Plug’n’Play for faster installs
• You’re already invested in Facebook’s tooling ecosystem
• You want zero-install capabilities

Choose PNPM if:

• You’re working on disk space-constrained environments
• You need the fastest installation times
• You’re working with large monorepos
• You want the most efficient dependency management

Real-World Performance Benchmarks

Based on various benchmarks across different project sizes:

Small Project (50 dependencies):

• PNPM: ~3s, ~50MB disk usage
• Yarn: ~4s, ~60MB disk usage
• NPM: ~5s, ~70MB disk usage

Medium Project (500 dependencies):

• PNPM: ~8s, ~200MB disk usage
• Yarn: ~12s, ~300MB disk usage
• NPM: ~15s, ~400MB disk usage

Large Project (2000+ dependencies):

• PNPM: ~20s, ~800MB disk usage
• Yarn: ~35s, ~1.2GB disk usage
• NPM: ~45s, ~2GB disk usage

Community and Ecosystem

NPM

• Largest ecosystem with 2M+ packages
• Most comprehensive documentation
• Strong corporate backing (Microsoft/GitHub)
• Widest adoption in enterprise

Yarn

• Strong adoption in React/Facebook ecosystem
• Active community development
• Good documentation and tooling
• Popular in modern web development

PNPM

• Growing rapidly in adoption
• Strong focus on performance and efficiency
• Excellent for CI/CD environments
• Popular among performance-conscious developers

Conclusion

Each package manager has its strengths:

• NPM remains the safe, standard choice for most projects
• Yarn excels in monorepo scenarios and offers innovative features like PnP
• PNPM provides the best performance and efficiency, especially for large projects

For new projects, PNPM is often the best choice due to its superior performance and disk efficiency. However, NPM’s ubiquity makes it the safest choice for teams prioritizing compatibility and ease of onboarding.

The good news is that migrating between these tools is relatively straightforward, so you can experiment and choose what works best for your specific use case and team preferences.

Ultimately, the “best” package manager is the one that aligns with your project’s needs, team preferences, and development workflow. All three are excellent tools that will serve you well in modern JavaScript development.