Which package manager to choose for your next javascript project?

Article by Himanshu Garadiya

What is a package manager?

In the context of JavaScript, a package manager allows developers to easily install, manage, and distribute JavaScript modules or libraries for both server-side and client-side applications.

A package manager enables developers to utilize existing code created by others, eliminating the need to reinvent the wheel.

NPM aka Node Package Manager

NPM is the most popular and widely used package manager for JavaScript as it comes default with Node.js.

NPM was started in 2009 as an open-source project to help JavaScript developers easily share packaged modules of code.

NPM has its own advantages and disadvantages. Let’s take a closer look!

Advantages

• NPM has the largest package ecosystem with most mature package registry, offering a wide range of open-source libraries and modules for JavaScript Developer.
• It comes default with Node.js making is accessible and widely adotped in JavaScript community.
• Has a very strong and active community support, finding solutions and resources for npm-related issues is generally easier

Disadvantages

• NPM can be slower in terms of installation speed and dependency as compared to Yarn and PNPM.
• NPM does not have a built-in mechanisms for optimizing disk space usage, potentially resulting in larger project sizes.
• Deterministic Versioning: In the past, npm had challenges with ensuring deterministic versioning, which sometimes led to unexpected dependency conflicts.

YARN

YARN stands for “Yet Another Resource Negotiator”

An Article by Facebook

YARN was started in 2016 by Meta (formerly Facebook), it was initially created to address some issues with the popular NPM package manager.

Advantages

• Yarn’s dependency resolution and caching mechanisms typically result in faster installation times, especially for projects with shared dependencies.
• It ensures consistent dependency resolution, reducing the likelihood of unexpected conflicts
• Yarn introduced the concept of workspaces, allowing developers to manage multiple packages within a single codebase more efficiently.

Disadvantages

• While Yarn is compatible with the npm registry, it does not have as extensive a package ecosystem as npm.
• While Yarn has gained substantial adoption, it may have comparatively fewer community resources and support compared to npm.

PNPM

P in PNPM stands for “Performant”

PNPM was first released in 2017, it was created to address some of the limitations and inefficiencies of traditional package managers like npm and Yarn.

Advantages

• PNPM uses it’s special algorithm to avoid duplicate dependencies which significantly reduce the project size.
• It allows sharing packages across projects, saving both disk space and installation time.
• Plus, it is compatible with the NPM ecosystem, enabling the use of the same packages and libraries.

Disadvantages

• Relatively less widely adopted compared to npm & yarn, which means smaller community support.
• It also introduces new concepts and commands that may require some learning and adjustment for developers transitioning from other package managers
• While pnpm aims to be compatible with the npm ecosystem, there may still be rare cases where certain packages or configurations are not fully supported.

So, which package manager are you going to choose for your next JavaScript project? It’s a tough decision, isn’t it? Each package manager has its own limitations and strengths.

To be honest, choosing a package manager depends on your project’s specific requirements and your personal preferences. It’s a subjective choice.

Here’s a table that might help you 😊

which package manager to choose?

Author

Hey! I’m Himanshu, Self-taught Developer and Designer — Documenting my journey — and Sharing whatever little I know

Follow me on Twitter at @garadiya0for tweets about Web-Development and tech.

Also follow me on Github at @garadiya0 and Instagram at @codexhimanshualso.

HAPPY CODING :)