Side by side
Bower vs cnpm
Both stand on javascript package managers. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan LinuxMacWindows
Bower manages front-end packages and dependencies, with configurable sources and workflow integrations. It does not process installed code, and its site recommends Yarn and Vite for front-end projects.
Visit Bower Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+1
Choose cnpm if you need a free npm client for the China mirror and its read-only mirror workflow fits your package tasks. The project recommends moving to utoo, and cnpm's default installer cannot install from shrinkwrap files.
Visit cnpmThe facts
| Bower | cnpm | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux, Mac, Windows | Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Not published |
| Plans published | 1 | None |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | bower.io | github.com |
| On javascript package managers | #1 of 19 | #5 of 19 |
Bower: what it does well
- Free command-line utility with no paid plans.
- Records dependencies in bower.json.
- Downloads shared dependencies only once.
- Supports registry, Git, URL, and local-folder sources.
What to know first
- Requires Node.js, npm, and Git.
- Does not concatenate or minify code.
- Deprecated for registering new packages.
cnpm: what it does well
- Free to use.
- Supports Linux, macOS, Windows, and self-hosting.
- Supports npm commands, including package synchronization.
- Can configure a private-registry npm CLI.
- MIT license.
What to know first
- Requires Node.js 20 or later, with LTS recommended.
- The project recommends migrating to utoo.
- The mirror excludes write-related operations.
- npminstall cannot install from shrinkwrap files.