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Benchmarks of JavaScript Package Managers

Last benchmarked at: Dec 9, 2024, 1:44 AM (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
install30.7s8.3s7.1s3.4s
install1.4s372ms5sn/a
install7.7s2.4s5.2s1.3s
install11.7s5.6s7s2.8s
install10.5s5s5.2s1.3s
install1.6s2.1s6.8sn/a
install1.3s368ms5sn/a
install1.6s5.3s6.7sn/a
updaten/an/an/a6.7s3.4s5.6s2.9s
Graph of the alotta-files results