Best JavaScript Package Managers in 2026
Updated
In short: JSPM is ranked #1 of 18 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of npm and Pantry. The best-ranked option with a free plan is npm. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Deno Sandbox at $0.20/mo.
JavaScript package managers handle the dependencies that projects need to install, maintain, and share. Compared on lockfile support, workspace support, peer dependency handling, global installation, and offline package caching, these entries offer concrete points to assess against your development workflow. Package publishing is another distinction, and free plans or paid-from pricing are included where relevant. The ranking opens with pnpm, JSPM, and Aube, followed by cnpm and npm. If you work across multiple packages, rely on reproducible installs, or need access to a local cache without a connection, use those listed capabilities to compare the options and identify the tradeoffs that matter for your projects.
18 JavaScript package managers ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
7 of the 18 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JSPMWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API · Extension | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 2 | npmWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $7/mo | 6.5 | |
| 3 | PantryWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $9/mo | 6.5 | |
| 4 | RushWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 5 | YarnWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 6 | Deno SandboxWeb · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $0.20/mo | 6.4 | |
| 7 | vltWeb · Self-hosted | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $8/mo | 6.4 | |
| 8 | pnpmWindows · Mac · Linux · Android | Two bars | — | — | 4 of 6 | — | 5.7 |
| 9 | AubeWindows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.6 |
| 10 | UtooWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 4 of 6 | — | 5.6 |
| 11 | cnpmWindows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 12 | NubWindows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 13 | RuskWindows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 14 | snpmWindows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 15 | TextadeptWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 16 | BunWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 17 | FluxWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 18 | BowerWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which JavaScript package manager is ranked first on Freedom251?
JSPM is ranked #1 of 18 with a score of 6.6. npm is second and Pantry third.
How many of these have a free plan?
7 of the 18 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Deno Sandbox has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.20/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation. Paid placements never change a rank.