Best npm Alternatives in 2026
Looking for alternatives to npm? Here are the top options compared.
Why Consider npm Alternatives?
- β οΈSlower installations than alternatives
- β οΈDuplicates packages across projects
- β οΈnode_modules can be huge
- β οΈPhantom dependency issues
Top 1 Alternatives to npm
#1
pnpm
pnpm is a fast, disk-space efficient package manager for JavaScript/Node.js. It uses a content-addressable store and hard links to save disk space and speed up installations.
Free
Free tier availableβ Pros
- β’ Significantly faster installations
- β’ Saves disk space with content-addressable store
- β’ Strict dependency resolution (no phantom deps)
β Cons
- β’ Smaller community than npm
- β’ Some packages have compatibility issues
- β’ Hard links can confuse some tools
Quick Comparison
| Tool | Price | Free Tier | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| npm | Free / Pro $7/month | β | Package Managers |
| pnpm | Free | β | Package Managers |