Recently, I was searching for a Next.js boilerplate to build a Chrome extension for tracking crypto scams. But I quickly realized that Next.js isn’t ideal for Chrome extensions—its architecture and bundling system aren’t optimized for that use case.
After some research, I discovered that Vite + React was a better fit, and I found a great boilerplate that used PNPM as its package manager. That got me thinking: Why PNPM? Why not Yarn or NPM, which I’ve used before?
So, I dug deeper into the differences between these package managers. Here’s what I learned—and which one you should choose.
🏆 The Contenders: NPM, Yarn, and PNPM
1. NPM (Node Package Manager)
- Default package manager bundled with Node.js
- Largest package ecosystem
- Improved significantly in recent years (faster, more reliable)
2. Yarn
- Created by Facebook to solve NPM’s early performance issues
- Introduced the
yarn.lock
file (later adopted by NPM) - Now in Yarn Berry (v2+) with Plug’n’Play support
3. PNPM (Performant NPM)
- Uses content-addressable storage for efficiency
- Avoids duplicate dependencies via hard linking
- Gaining rapid adoption (used by Vue.js, Vite, and others)
⚡ Performance Benchmarks
Metric | NPM | Yarn | PNPM |
---|---|---|---|
Install Time | Slow | Fast | Fastest |
Disk Usage | High | Medium | Lowest |
CI/CD Speed | Slow | Fast | Fastest |
Why PNPM wins in speed & storage?
✔ Uses a global store to avoid redundant downloads
✔ Hard links dependencies instead of copying them
✔ Only fetches missing packages (great for CI/CD)
🔒 Reliability & Lock Files
All three use lock files for consistent installations:
-
NPM:
package-lock.json
-
Yarn:
yarn.lock
-
PNPM:
pnpm-lock.yaml
Modern NPM is now reliable, but Yarn & PNPM were pioneers in deterministic installs.
🧩 Feature Comparison
Feature | NPM | Yarn | PNPM |
---|---|---|---|
Workspaces | ✅ | ✅ | ✅⭐ |
Offline Mode | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Plug’n’Play | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
Strict Mode | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
Monorepo Support | ✅ | ✅ | ✅⭐ |
PNPM’s strict mode prevents phantom dependencies (using packages not listed in package.json
), reducing hidden bugs.
📦 Disk Space Efficiency
PNPM is a game-changer for storage:
- Stores one copy of each package globally
- Uses hard links across projects
- Can save gigabytes if you work with multiple repos
🏗️ Monorepo Support
All three support monorepos, but:
- NPM: Basic workspace functionality
- Yarn: Advanced tooling (good for large teams)
- PNPM: Best performance + strict dependency checks
Big projects like Vue.js and Prisma have switched to PNPM for its speed and reliability.
🛠️ Developer Experience
- NPM: Simple, universal, but slower
- Yarn: Clean CLI, Plug’n’Play support
- PNPM: Feels like NPM but much faster
🔮 Final Verdict: Which One Should You Use?
Use NPM if…
- You want zero setup (it’s preinstalled with Node)
- You’re working on a small project
- You need maximum compatibility
Use Yarn if…
- You’re already using it and happy
- You need Plug’n’Play (PnP) support
- You prefer Yarn’s command syntax
Use PNPM if…
- You care about performance & disk space
- You work in a monorepo
- You want strict dependency control
- You’re starting a new project
🚀 My Recommendation
For new projects, PNPM is the best choice. It’s faster, more efficient, and prevents dependency issues better than NPM/Yarn. Migration is easy, and the benefits are huge—especially for larger apps.
That said, all three are solid options, and the competition has pushed each to improve.