If you're a JavaScript developer, you've probably used a package manager to install, update, and manage project dependencies. Which package manager, though, should you use? We will look at two of the most popular package managers in this blog post: npm and Yarn. We'll go over their primary advantages and drawbacks, and help you determine which one is best for you.
What is Package Manager?🤔
A package manager is a tool that simplifies the process of installing, updating, configuring, and removing software packages from a codebase. A package is a group of code files that can be reused by other projects. For example, React is a package that offers a library for building user interfaces with JavaScript.
What is NPM?
NPM stands for Node Package Manager. It was launched in 2010 as the default package manager for Node.js, a JavaScript runtime environment that allows you to run JavaScript code outside of the browser. NPM has a large library of packages, including everything from web frameworks to testing libraries.
A website (https://www.npmjs.com/) where you can read📖 and search🔎 for thousands of packages published by other developers.
What is Yarn?
Yarn, developed by Facebook, is a package manager introduced to solve some of the limitations and performance issues of NPM. Yarn uses a caching method for faster dependency installations and resolves issues related to deterministic package installations. It aims to improve general speed and reliability in managing dependencies.
A website (https://yarnpkg.com/) where you can browse🔎 and look👁️ for packages, as well as learn more about Yarn features and documentation.
Features:
Speed 🚗💨
Yarn is usually faster than NPM when it comes to installing dependencies. This is because Yarn uses a more efficient algorithm for getting and installing packages. Yarn caches all loaded packages on your local machine. This means that if you have already loaded a package before, Yarn will not download it again from the registry. It will simply use the saved version instead.
Security🔐
Yarn has a number of security features that NPM doesn't, such as the ability to check the authenticity of packages before they are installed. Yarn also has a more safe package registry than NPM. Yarn uses checksums to verify the integrity of each package before executing any code. This means that Yarn will check if the package has been messed with or corrupted during the download process.
Popularity 📈
NPM is more popular than Yarn in terms of usage and acceptance. According to the 2020 State of JavaScript survey3, NPM is used by 93.1% of JavaScript developers, while Yarn is used by 36.1%. NPM also has more packages available in its registry than Yarn. According to NPM Stats4, NPM has over 1.6 million packages, while Yarn has over 1.3 million.
NPM >>> Yarn
NPM be like:
Usage🙃
Both NPM and Yarn use similar commands to perform common tasks, such as installing, updating, and removing packages. However, there are some differences in syntax and functionality that you should be aware of.
Stability🍷
Both NPM and Yarn are stable package managers. However, Yarn has a reputation for being more stable than NPM. This is because Yarn has a smaller codebase than NPM and is less prone to bugs.
Ease of use 😶🌫️
NPM and Yarn are easy to use. However, Yarn has a reputation for being easier to use than NPM. This is because Yarn has a simpler command-line interface than NPM.
Basic Commands for NPM and Yarn:🧑💻
Install dependencies from package.json:
NPM:
npm installYarn:
yarn install
Install a package and add to package.json:
NPM:
npm install <package-name>Yarn:
yarn add <package-name>
Install a devDependency:
NPM:
npm install --save-dev <package-name>Yarn:
yarn add --dev <package-name>
Uninstall a dependency:
NPM:
npm uninstall <package-name>Yarn:
yarn remove <package-name>
Install a package globally:
NPM:
npm install -g <package-name>Yarn:
yarn global add <package-name>
Yarn vs NPM Comparison Table 🆚
Here is a table comparing NPM and Yarn:
| Feature | NPM | Yarn |
| Speed | Slower | Faster |
| Security | Less secure | More secure |
| Popularity | More Popular | Less popular |
| Usage | More widely used | Less widely used |
| Stability | Less Stable | More Stable |
| Ease of Use | Easy to use | Easier to use |
| Lockfile | yarn.lock | package-lock.json |
So what advantages does NPM have over Yarn?
Well-established and widely used with a massive community.
Stable and reliable in production environments.
A default package manager for Node.js.
So what advantages does Yarn have over NPM?
Yarn has a number of advantages over NPM, including:
Faster installation speed
More secure package registry
Smaller codebase, which makes it less prone to bugs
Simpler command-line interface
Which one to choose: Yarn or NPM?
If you're looking for a fast, secure, and reliable package manager, Yarn is a good pick. If you're already familiar with NPM and don't need the extra features that Yarn offers, then NPM is still a good choice.
Ultimately, the best way to choose between NPM and Yarn is to try both and see which one you prefer.
