compare
npm vs pnpm
The same facts for both, read from GitHub every night, and the relation a person reviewed.
| Fact | npm | pnpm |
|---|---|---|
| Language | JavaScript | Rust |
| Licence | Other | MIT |
| Stars | 10k | 37k |
| Latest | v12.2.0 | v12.9.1 |
| Last push | 2026-10-01 | 2026-10-06 |
| Release cadence | about 1 day between releases | about 1 day between releases |
| Active contributors | 14 commit authors on the default branch in the last 90 days | 103+ commit authors on the default branch in the last 90 days |
| Flags | none | none |
How they relate
pnpm replaces npm. Alternatives to npm →
Full replacementSame package.json, a content-addressed store and its own lockfile.
Published benchmarks, each linked to its source. The numbers depend on the hardware and the workload they were measured on.
Installing the alotta-files project
Fresh clone: npm 12.2.0 45.6s, pnpm 12.9.1 4.47s. Cache and lockfile present: npm 7.14s, pnpm 826ms.
npm
- config-v11.2.02026-09-30config: v11.2.0
- v12.2.02026-09-309741b64 #10038 dist-tag: support OIDC authentication (#10038) (@reggi, @Copilot)
- libnpmpublish-v11.2.12026-09-22libnpmpublish: v11.2.1
- libnpmpack-v9.1.142026-09-22libnpmpack: v9.1.14
- libnpmfund-v7.0.272026-09-22libnpmfund: v7.0.27
npm
unsigned The latest release, v12.2.0, carries no signature GitHub could verify.
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pnpm
✓ signed The latest release, v12.9.1, carries a signature GitHub verified.
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