The best pnpm alternatives
5 tools that do a similar job to pnpm, 5 of them open source. Each entry says what it does and who it suits, so you can pick the one that fits instead of the most famous.
You're replacing
pnpmA fast Node.js package manager that saves disk space by sharing installed packages.
- 1
patch-package
Open source · MIT · ★ 11.2k
Lets you fix npm dependencies in place and keep those fixes in version control.
Best for: Teams running a Node.js app who need a quick fix to a dependency before the upstream project publishes one; Developers on npm 5 or later, or yarn v1, who want patches applied on every install
- 2
Poetry
Open source · MIT · ★ 34.3k
A tool for managing Python project dependencies and packaging them, using one pyproject.toml file.
Best for: Python developers starting a new project who want one config file for dependencies and packaging; Teams that need the same dependency versions installed on every machine and in CI
- 3
Composer
Open source · MIT · ★ 29.6k
Dependency manager for PHP projects: declare, install, and update the libraries your code uses.
Best for: PHP developers starting a new project who want standard third-party libraries; Teams that need a shared, repeatable way to install project dependencies
- 4
Parcel
Open source · MIT · ★ 44k
A zero-config web build tool that bundles JavaScript, CSS, HTML and other assets.
Best for: Web developers who want a bundler that works without a config file; Small to medium front-end projects that need to get running quickly
- 5
Browserify
Open source · MIT · ★ 14.7k
Bundles Node-style require() modules so they run in a web browser.
Best for: Web developers who already write Node.js-style CommonJS modules; Teams that want to reuse Node libraries in browser code
How we pick: tools in the same category that solve the same problem, projects that name each other as alternatives, and open-source projects that describe themselves as an alternative to pnpm. We don't take payment for placement.