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Benchmarks of JavaScript Package Managers

Last benchmarked at: Nov 17, 2024, 12:57 PM (daily updated).

This benchmark compares the performance of npm, pnpm, Yarn Classic, and Yarn PnP (check Yarn's benchmarks for any other Yarn modes that are not included here).

Here's a quick explanation of how these tests could apply to the real world:

  • clean install: How long it takes to run a totally fresh install: no lockfile present, no packages in the cache, no node_modules folder.
  • with cache, with lockfile, with node_modules: After the first install is done, the install command is run again.
  • with cache, with lockfile: When a repo is fetched by a developer and installation is first run.
  • with cache: Same as the one above, but the package manager doesn't have a lockfile to work from.
  • with lockfile: When an installation runs on a CI server.
  • with cache, with node_modules: The lockfile is deleted and the install command is run again.
  • with node_modules, with lockfile: The package cache is deleted and the install command is run again.
  • with node_modules: The package cache and the lockfile is deleted and the install command is run again.
  • update: Updating your dependencies by changing the version in the package.json and running the install command again.

Lots of Files

The app's package.json here

actioncachelockfilenode_modulesnpmpnpmYarnYarn PnP
install48.3s8.2s7.1s3.4s
install6.8s1s5.2sn/a
install13.2s2.6s5.3s1.3s
install18.3s5.8s7.2s2.8s
install17.2s5.4s5.4s1.3s
install7s2.4s7sn/a
install6.7s1s5.2sn/a
install7s5.3s6.9sn/a
updaten/an/an/a20.9s3.7s5.7s3s
Graph of the alotta-files results