Comparing Dependency Management Models of npm, Yarn, pnpm, Bun, and Deno

Modern JavaScript package managers solve dependency management in fundamentally different ways. npm prioritizes compatibility but creates disk bloat, pnpm optimizes storage through content-addressable linking, Yarn Berry removes node_modules with Plug’n’Play, Bun focuses on installation speed, and Deno rethinks dependency fetching entirely. The right choice depends on monorepo scale, performance, tooling, and ecosystem maturity.