pnpm

What it is

pnpm is a fast and disk space efficient package manager that uses hard links to save disk space. It's designed to be faster than npm and yarn by avoiding redundant file copies during installations.

pnpm stands out by offering disk space efficiency and faster performance through its unique approach to file management, making it a preferred choice for developers concerned with both speed and resource usage.

When it fits — and when it doesn’t

Known weaknesses

Each one links to the public issue, changelog or docs page it came from, where we have one.

1. 01

   Limited support for Windows OS

   pnpm has known issues with symbolic links and hard links on Windows, which can lead to unexpected behavior or errors.

2. 02

   Complex configuration for monorepos

   Setting up pnpm workspaces in complex monorepo structures requires careful configuration and understanding of the package structure, which can be error-prone.

3. 03

   Community support and documentation are not as robust as npm or yarn

   The documentation for pnpm is less comprehensive compared to npm and yarn, and community forums and resources have fewer contributors and responses.

4. 04

   Potential issues with package hoisting in certain scenarios

   Hoisting behavior can lead to unexpected dependency resolutions, particularly when dealing with peer dependencies or nested workspaces.

What it does well

• Disk space efficiency through hard linking

• Faster installation and update processes compared to npm and yarn

• Support for workspaces, enabling efficient management of monorepos

Pricing

Free tier

YesOpen source — free to use

Paid from

$0

Model

Flat rate

Enterprise plan

No

Pricing not independently confirmed — check the vendor’s page.