Score9.4
Rank#1 of 93
Free planNo
Runs onAndroid, Linux, macOS, Windows
Summary
pnpm is a package manager and drop-in replacement for npm, available for Linux, macOS, Windows, and Android. It supports npm and JSR packages, Cargo crates, PyPI packages, tarballs, Git repositories, and local directories. Dependency resolution, fetching, and linking run in parallel, while package files are stored in a shared content-addressable store and linked into projects. Its workspace tools support monorepos, filtering, workspace protocols, and a shared lockfile. By default, only declared direct dependencies appear in the root node_modules directory. Since pnpm v10, install scripts are disabled unless explicitly allowed; other controls include blocking exotic transitive dependencies, delaying updates, and enforcing trust policies. pnpm can check for known vulnerabilities and verify ECDSA registry signatures. It can install and pin Node.js per project, and its standalone installer does not require Node.js. The project provides examples for several CI systems and a GitHub Actions setup action. pnpm is free; the provided pages state no pricing, trial, refund, or free-tier details.
Who it is for
pnpm suits developers who manage project dependencies, especially those working with monorepos or wanting stricter dependency and install-script controls. Its listed package sources and platforms may also suit projects using multiple ecosystems.
What is good
- Drop-in replacement for npm.
- Supports multiple package sources.
- Workspace features include filtering and a shared lockfile.
- Install scripts require approval by default since v10.
- Can audit vulnerabilities and verify registry signatures.
What to know first
- No pricing or billing details are stated.
- No trial or refund terms are stated.
- No free-tier limits are stated.
Verdict
pnpm offers dependency management across several package sources, with workspace features and controls for install scripts and trust. Its pages state that it is free but do not specify pricing or trial terms.
Compared on package managers
- Free plan
- Yespnpm.io
Facts
- Free plan
- Yespnpm.io · 21 Sept 2026
- Package formats
- npm packages,JSR packages,Cargo crates,PyPI packages,tarballs,Git repositories,local directoriespnpm.io · 21 Sept 2026
- Supported platforms
- Linux,macOS,Windows,Androidpnpm.io · 21 Sept 2026
- Dependency resolution
- Yespnpm.io · 21 Sept 2026
- Lockfile support
- Yespnpm.io · 21 Sept 2026
- Workspace support
- Yespnpm.io · 21 Sept 2026
- Private registry auth
- Yespnpm.io · 21 Sept 2026
- Offline installation
- Yespnpm.io · 21 Sept 2026
- Pricing page status
- The provided pricing page returned Page Not Found.pnpm.io · 28 Sept 2026
- Billing details
- No pricing or billing details are stated on the provided pages.pnpm.io · 28 Sept 2026
- Free tier
- No free-tier plan or limits are stated on the provided pages.pnpm.io · 28 Sept 2026
- Trial and refund
- No trial or refund terms are stated on the provided pages.pnpm.io · 28 Sept 2026
- Package manager type
- pnpm is a drop-in replacement for npm.pnpm.io · 28 Sept 2026
- Install speed
- Resolution, fetching, and linking happen in parallel.pnpm.io · 28 Sept 2026
- Disk efficiency
- Files are hard-linked from one content-addressable store.pnpm.io · 28 Sept 2026
- Workspace features
- Workspaces support monorepos, filtering, and one lockfile.pnpm.io · 28 Sept 2026
- Dependency catalogs
- Catalogs define dependency versions once in pnpm-workspace.yaml.pnpm.io · 28 Sept 2026
- Strict dependencies
- Only declared dependencies enter the root node_modules directory.pnpm.io · 28 Sept 2026
- Build script security
- Install scripts require approval for packages allowed to execute them.pnpm.io · 28 Sept 2026
- Dependency patching
- pn patch creates persistent patches reapplied on every install.pnpm.io · 28 Sept 2026
- Runtime management
- pnpm can install and pin Node.js per project.pnpm.io · 28 Sept 2026
- Installation platforms
- Installation instructions are provided for macOS, Linux, and Windows.pnpm.io · 28 Sept 2026
- Standalone installation
- The standalone script does not require Node.js.pnpm.io · 28 Sept 2026
- Registry integration
- pnpm supports JSR registry integration, and pnpr is listed as a registry server.pnpm.io · 28 Sept 2026
- Community support
- Community channels include X, YouTube, Reddit, Bluesky, and Discord.pnpm.io · 28 Sept 2026
- Project ownership
- The site credits contributors from 2015 through 2026.pnpm.io · 28 Sept 2026
- Open-source users
- Listed OSS projects using pnpm include Next.js, Vite, Vue, and Angular.pnpm.io · 28 Sept 2026
- What it does
- pnpm is a fast, disk-space-efficient package manager and a drop-in replacement for npm.pnpm.io · 28 Sept 2026
- Content-addressable storage
- pnpm stores package files in a single content-addressable store and links them into projects.pnpm.io · 28 Sept 2026
- Installation speed
- pnpm resolves, fetches, and links dependencies in parallel and describes its installation process as significantly faster than the traditional approach.pnpm.io · 28 Sept 2026
- Monorepos
- pnpm provides first-class workspace support for monorepos, including workspace protocols, filtering, and a shared lockfile.pnpm.io · 28 Sept 2026
- Dependency isolation
- By default, pnpm exposes only declared direct dependencies in the root of node_modules.pnpm.io · 28 Sept 2026
- Security defaults
- Since pnpm v10, dependency postinstall scripts are disabled automatically unless explicitly allowed.pnpm.io · 28 Sept 2026
- Supply-chain controls
- pnpm supports blocking exotic transitive dependencies, delaying updates with a default minimum release age of 1440 minutes, and enforcing trust with trustPolicy.pnpm.io · 28 Sept 2026
- Audit and signatures
- pnpm audit can check known vulnerabilities and verify ECDSA registry signatures for installed packages.pnpm.io · 28 Sept 2026
- CI integrations
- The documentation provides configuration examples for AppVeyor, Azure Pipelines, Bitbucket Pipelines, CircleCI, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins, Semaphore, and Travis CI.pnpm.io · 28 Sept 2026
- GitHub Actions integration
- The pnpm/setup action installs pnpm, can install the requested runtime, runs pnpm install, and can cache the pnpm store.pnpm.io · 28 Sept 2026
- Supported package sources
- pnpm supports npm and JSR registries, workspace packages, local files, remote tarballs, and Git repositories.pnpm.io · 28 Sept 2026
- License
- The pnpm repository is MIT licensed except for the pnpr directory, which is source-available under the PolyForm Shield License 1.0.0.github.com · 28 Sept 2026
- Performance claim
- The project README says pnpm is up to 2x faster than npm and Yarn Classic.github.com · 28 Sept 2026
- Installation limit
- pnpm 12 requires Node.js 22.13 or newer when installed through npm, while the standalone executable does not require Node.js after installation.pnpm.io · 28 Sept 2026
- Purpose
- pnpm is a drop-in replacement for npm that manages project dependencies.pnpm.io · 30 Sept 2026
- Install speed
- pnpm resolves, fetches, and links packages in parallel, and says installs on a warm store mostly create links.pnpm.io · 30 Sept 2026
- Disk use
- pnpm stores package files in a shared content-addressable store and hard-links them into project node_modules.pnpm.io · 30 Sept 2026
- Monorepos
- pnpm supports workspaces that unite multiple projects in one repository, with workspace packages and a shared lockfile by default.pnpm.io · 30 Sept 2026
- Dependency isolation
- By default, pnpm links only a project's direct dependencies into the root of node_modules.pnpm.io · 30 Sept 2026
- Build safety
- pnpm disables automatic execution of dependency postinstall scripts and recommends explicitly allowing trusted builds.pnpm.io · 30 Sept 2026
- Release delay
- The minimumReleaseAge setting defaults to 1440 minutes, delaying installation of newly published package versions for one day.pnpm.io · 30 Sept 2026
- Integrations
- The CI guide provides setup examples for systems including AppVeyor, Azure Pipelines, Bitbucket Pipelines, and CircleCI.pnpm.io · 30 Sept 2026
- Runtime management
- The pnpm runtime command can install and manage Node.js runtimes.pnpm.io · 30 Sept 2026
- Feature set
- The feature comparison lists dependency patching, catalogs, JSR registry support, SBOM generation, license listing, and build script security.pnpm.io · 30 Sept 2026
- Release workflow limit
- The workspace documentation says pnpm does not currently provide a built-in solution for versioning workspace packages and points to Changesets and Rush.pnpm.io · 30 Sept 2026
- Installation requirement
- pnpm 12 is a native executable that does not require Node.js after installation; installing it through npm requires Node.js 22.13 or newer.pnpm.io · 30 Sept 2026
- Platform support
- pnpm 12 provides prebuilt binaries for Linux, macOS, Windows, FreeBSD, and Android, with a JavaScript pnpm 11 fallback for targets without a binary.pnpm.io · 30 Sept 2026
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Sources
- pnpm.io· checked 21 Sept 2026
- pnpm.io/pricing· checked 28 Sept 2026
- pnpm.io/motivation· checked 28 Sept 2026
- pnpm.io/supply-chain-security· checked 28 Sept 2026
- pnpm.io/id/11.x/cli/audit· checked 28 Sept 2026
- pnpm.io/continuous-integration· checked 28 Sept 2026
- pnpm.io/id/11.x/package-sources· checked 28 Sept 2026
- github.com/pnpm/pnpm· checked 28 Sept 2026
- pnpm.io/installation/· checked 28 Sept 2026
- pnpm.io/workspaces· checked 30 Sept 2026
- pnpm.io/cli/runtime· checked 30 Sept 2026
- pnpm.io/feature-comparison· checked 30 Sept 2026