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Benchmarks of JavaScript Package Managers

Last benchmarked at: Jul 3, 2023, 1:27 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
install31.8s17.2s22.1s20.2s
install2s1.5s695msn/a
install9s4.7s8.8s668ms
install13.7s7.7s22.8s15.2s
install14.3s14.4s8.9s670ms
install2.4s3.8s16sn/a
install2s1.5s681msn/a
install2.4s13.4s16.6sn/a
updaten/an/an/a7.3s6.9s8.7s16.9s
Graph of the alotta-files results