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Benchmarks of JavaScript Package Managers

Last benchmarked at: Oct 29, 2023, 2:46 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
install36.7s13.8s9.5s5.3s
install1.9s1.8s2.4sn/a
install8.1s4.3s6s2.1s
install13.7s8.8s8.6s4.4s
install15.1s9.5s6.1s2.1s
install2.3s3.4s4.9sn/a
install1.9s1.9s2.4sn/a
install2.3s8.9s4.8sn/a
updaten/an/an/a8.5s5.6s5s4.6s
Graph of the alotta-files results