npm vs pnpm

 pnpm and npm are both package managers for Node.js projects,

but they have some differences in how they manage dependencies

and their approaches to disk space utilization. Let's compare pnpm and npm:

npm (Node Package Manager):

Disk Space Usage: npm creates a separate folder (node_modules) for each project,

and within that folder, it installs the dependencies. This means if multiple

projects use the same package and version, the same dependencies will be

duplicated in different project directories, leading to increased disk

space usage.

Hard Links: Starting from npm v5, npm introduced "hard links" feature,

which allows it to save space by linking identical packages in

different projects to the same physical location.

This helps reduce some of the disk space issues,

but duplications still exist.

Commands: Common npm commands include npm install for installing dependencies,

npm update for updating packages, npm audit for checking vulnerabilities, etc.

pnpm (Performant Node Package Manager):

Disk Space Usage: pnpm uses a unique approach called "shrinkwrap" to manage dependencies.

Instead of creating separate folders for each project, pnpm uses a global store to save

dependencies in a single place. This means that if multiple projects use the same

package and version, pnpm will only store one copy of that package on the disk,

significantly reducing disk space usage.

Symlinks: pnpm uses symbolic links (symlinks) to link the shared dependencies

from the global store into each project.

This way, each project can access the dependencies it needs without duplication.

Commands: pnpm supports most of the same commands as npm,

including pnpm install, pnpm update, pnpm audit, etc.

Additionally, pnpm provides its commands, such as

pnpm store status to check the disk space saved,

and pnpm recursive for executing commands on multiple projects.

Advantages of pnpm over npm:

Reduced Disk Space Usage: The most significant advantage of pnpm is its

reduced disk space usage due to the global store and use of symlinks

for shared dependencies. This can be especially beneficial for projects

with many dependencies or when working on multiple projects on the

same machine.

Faster Installations: Since pnpm uses hard links and symlinks,

it can install packages faster than npm, as it avoids unnecessary

duplication and file copying.

Same npm Ecosystem: pnpm is compatible with the npm ecosystem.

It uses the same package.json and node_modules structure,

so you can easily switch between npm and pnpm without

significant changes to your project configuration.

Conclusion:

Both pnpm and npm have their strengths, and the choice between them

depends on your specific needs. If disk space is a concern, and you

want faster installation times, pnpm is an excellent choice. However,

if you prefer sticking to the traditional approach and are comfortable

with the disk space trade-offs, npm is still a reliable and widely

used package manager for Node.js projects.