pnpm saves up to 80% disk space by storing packages once in a global store and using hard links across projects; 2. it enables faster installs with less I/O through parallel operations and aggressive reuse; 3. its strict node_modules structure prevents phantom dependencies by only allowing access to explicitly declared packages; 4. it offers excellent monorepo support via workspaces, efficient linking, and advanced filtering; 5. it acts as a drop-in replacement for npm with added features like built-in updates, lockfile import, and deterministic installs — making pnpm a more efficient, scalable, and reliable choice for modern JavaScript development.
pnpm
isn't just another package manager — it’s a smarter, faster, and more efficient alternative to npm
and even yarn
. If you're still using the defaults or haven't considered switching, here’s why pnpm
stands out as a better choice for modern JavaScript development.

? 1. It Saves Disk Space with Hard Linking
One of pnpm
’s biggest advantages is how it handles dependencies.
Unlike npm
and yarn
, which copy or symlink entire dependency trees into each project’s node_modules
, pnpm
uses a content-addressable store and hard links.

Here’s what that means in practice:
- All packages are stored once in a global store (usually
~/.pnpm-store
) - When a project installs a package,
pnpm
creates a hard link from the store to the project’snode_modules
- No duplication across projects — same package version = shared on disk
? Result? You can save up to 80% disk space when working on multiple projects with overlapping dependencies.

Example: If you have 10 projects all using
lodash@4.17.21
,npm
stores it 10 times.pnpm
stores it once.
? 2. Faster Installs and Better Performance
Because pnpm
avoids copying files and leverages the global store:
- Installs are much faster after the first time (especially on large projects)
- Less I/O overhead = better performance on both SSDs and HDDs
- Parallel operations and optimized dependency resolution make it snappy
Even on fresh installs, pnpm
often beats npm
and yarn
in speed, especially in monorepos.
And since it only downloads what’s needed (and reuses aggressively), CI/CD pipelines benefit too — smaller cache sizes and quicker setup.
? 3. Strict Node Modules Structure Prevents Phantom Dependencies
A common issue with npm
and yarn
is phantom dependencies — using packages that aren’t listed in package.json
but still work because they’re hoisted into node_modules
.
This creates bugs that are hard to catch locally but fail in CI or production.
pnpm
fixes this by using a symlinked, flat-but-isolated node_modules
layout:
- Only explicitly declared dependencies are directly accessible
- Transitive deps are nested under their parent’s folder
- No accidental access to unlisted packages
? This enforces better dependency hygiene and catches errors early.
You’ll catch missing dependencies during development instead of at deploy time.
? 4. Excellent Monorepo Support
If you work with monorepos (via pnpm workspaces
), you’ll appreciate how well pnpm
handles them:
- Effortless workspace linking: packages in your repo can depend on each other using
workspace:
protocol - Shared dependencies across workspace packages via the same global store
- Fast
pnpm install
across all packages with--recursive
or--filter
It’s lightweight, predictable, and scales better than lerna
npm
combos.
Plus, pnpm
supports advanced filtering:
pnpm --filter my-app run build pnpm --filter "!docs" test
This makes working with large codebases much more efficient.
? 5. Drop-in Replacement with Extra Features
Switching to pnpm
is low-risk:
- Uses the same
package.json
format - Compatible with all existing npm packages
- CLI is intuitive and mirrors
npm
commands (install
,run
,add
, etc.)
And it adds useful features:
- Built-in
pnpm up
for updating packages pnpm import
to convert fromnpm
/yarn
lockfiles- Strong support for patching dependencies (
patch:
protocol) - Deterministic installs (like
yarn
) — samepnpm-lock.yaml
across environments
You get more power without sacrificing compatibility.
Bottom Line
pnpm
is better because it:
- Saves disk space with a smart global store
- Installs faster and scales efficiently
- Enforces cleaner dependency practices
- Excels in monorepo setups
- Works seamlessly with existing workflows
It’s not just “fast” — it’s thoughtfully designed for real-world development.
If you haven’t tried it yet, give it a shot:
npm install -g pnpm pnpm add lodash
You might not go back.
The above is the detailed content of Why `pnpm` is a Better Package Manager. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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