npm (Node Package Manager):
- npm is the default package manager for Node.js and comes bundled with it.
- It has a vast and mature package registry called the npm Registry.
- npm uses a single package.json file to manage dependencies and project configurations.
- It offers various commands for installing, updating, and removing packages, as well as scripts for running project tasks.
- npm supports a wide range of features, including version locking, semantic versioning, and package publishing.
- Yarn is a package manager developed by Facebook, designed to address some limitations of npm.
- It uses a different dependency resolution algorithm that aims to be faster and more reliable.
- Yarn introduced the concept of a yarn.lock file, which ensures deterministic and reproducible builds.
- Yarn allows parallel package installations, which can speed up the dependency installation process.
- It provides features like offline mode, caching, and workspaces, which are beneficial for large-scale projects and monorepos.
- pnpm is another package manager that takes a different approach to dependency management.
- Unlike npm and Yarn, pnpm uses a shared package store. It avoids duplicating dependencies across multiple projects, saving disk space.
- It uses a mechanism called "hard linking" to create virtual copies of dependencies instead of physically copying them.
- pnpm supports features like strict mode, shrinkwrap file, and concurrent installation.
- It aims to provide a balance between disk space efficiency and faster installation times.
Overall, npm, Yarn, and pnpm serve similar purposes but offer different features and approaches to dependency management. The choice between them depends on factors such as project requirements, team preferences, and specific needs for performance, reproducibility, or disk space optimization.