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pnpm vs Yarn: catalog facts
pnpm	Yarn
Best for: JavaScript developers with many projects or large monorepos	Best for: JavaScript teams managing monorepos who want reproducible installs
Free Free and open source.	Free Free and open source.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line
One copy of each package version on disk across projects Fast parallel installs All 4 strengths for pnpm One copy of each package version on disk across projects Fast parallel installs Strong monorepo and workspace features Strict dependency layout catches undeclared imports	Workspaces for monorepos Stable, reproducible installs All 4 strengths for Yarn Workspaces for monorepos Stable, reproducible installs Plugin system Plug'n'Play mode without node_modules
Strict layout can break tools that assume npm's flat node_modules	Plug'n'Play can conflict with tools that expect node_modules Documentation split between modern Yarn and Yarn Classic
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: MIT	License: BSD-2-Clause
No account needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for pnpm pnpm.io Catalog checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Yarn yarnpkg.com Catalog checked September 23, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.