Introduction
This is a cheat sheet that you can use as a handy reference for npm & Yarn commands.
For a more comprehensive overview of npm, explore our tutorial How To Use Node.js Modules with npm and package.json .
npm vs. Yarn
There are many similarities between npm and Yarn. Yarn (released 2016) drew considerable inspiration from npm (2010).
On the flip-side, their similarities can lead to confusion and small mistakes when you find yourself using both package managers.
Here is a useful reference to keep the two CLIs straight:
| Command | npm | yarn |
|---|---|---|
| Install dependencies | npm install |
yarn |
| Install package | npm install [package] |
yarn add [package] |
| Install dev package | npm install --save-dev [package] |
yarn add --dev [package] |
| Uninstall package | npm uninstall [package] |
yarn remove [package] |
| Uninstall dev package | npm uninstall --save-dev [package] |
yarn remove [package] |
| Update | npm update |
yarn upgrade |
| Update package | npm update [package] |
yarn upgrade [package] |
| Global install package | npm install --global [package] |
yarn global add [package] |
| Global uninstall package | npm uninstall --global [package] |
yarn global remove [package] |
Things that Haven’t Changed
Here are some commands that Yarn decided not to change:
| npm | yarn |
|---|---|
npm init |
yarn init |
npm run |
yarn run |
npm test |
yarn test |
npm login (and logout) |
yarn login (and logout) |
npm link |
yarn link |
npm publish |
yarn publish |
npm cache clean |
yarn cache clean |
Conclusion
For a more comprehensive overview of npm, explore our tutorial How To Use Node.js Modules with npm and package.json .
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About the author(s)
Supporting the open-source community one tutorial at a time. Former Technical Editor at DigitalOcean. Expertise in topics including Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 20.04, CentOS, and more.
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