npm-package-comparator

name

npm-package-comparator

description

Compare two or more npm packages side by side using live data — downloads, bundle size, GitHub stars, last update, known vulnerabilities, and community sentiment. Use this skill when a user asks "zustand vs jotai vs redux", "compare react-query and swr", "which state management library should I use", "what's the difference between X and Y", "is X better than Y for my use case", "help me choose between these packages", or any request to compare npm packages or decide between JavaScript libraries.

npm Package Comparator

Compare any set of npm packages side by side using live data from npm, GitHub, Bundlephobia, and Snyk — then give a clear recommendation based on what you actually need.

Pre-flight Check (REQUIRED)

Before making any TinyFish call, always run BOTH checks:

1. CLI installed?

which tinyfish && tinyfish --version || echo "TINYFISH_CLI_NOT_INSTALLED"

If not installed, stop and tell the user:

Install the TinyFish CLI: npm install -g @tiny-fish/cli

2. Authenticated?

tinyfish auth status

If not authenticated, stop and tell the user:

You need a TinyFish API key. Get one at: https://agent.tinyfish.ai/api-keys

Then authenticate:

tinyfish auth login

Do NOT proceed until both checks pass.

---

Step 1 — Gather inputs

You need:

• Package names — 2 to 4 packages to compare (e.g. zustand, jotai, redux)
• Use case (optional but improves recommendation) — e.g. "small React app", "large enterprise codebase", "need SSR support"

If the user hasn't specified a use case, ask:

"What are you building with it? (e.g. small side project, large team codebase, performance-critical app)"

If they don't know, proceed without it and give a general recommendation.

---

Step 2 — Parallel data fetch

For each package, fire agents across npm, GitHub, Bundlephobia, and Snyk simultaneously. Run ALL agents for ALL packages in parallel — one agent per package per source.

# ── For each PACKAGE, run all 4 agents in parallel ───────────

# npm stats
tinyfish agent run \
  --url "https://www.npmjs.com/package/{PACKAGE}" \
  "You are on the npm page for the package {PACKAGE}.
   Extract:
   - current version
   - weekly downloads (exact number shown)
   - total downloads if shown
   - last publish date
   - license
   - number of dependencies
   - TypeScript support (yes/no — check if types are listed)
   - maintainers count
   - repository URL
   STRICT RULES:
   - Do NOT click any links
   - Read only what is visible on this page
   - If a field is not shown, return null
   Return JSON: {package, version, weekly_downloads, last_published, license, dependency_count, typescript_support, maintainer_count, repo_url}" \
  --sync > /tmp/npm_{PACKAGE_SAFE}.json &

# GitHub stats
tinyfish agent run \
  --url "https://github.com/{OWNER}/{REPO}" \
  "You are on the GitHub repository page for {PACKAGE}.
   Extract:
   - star count
   - fork count
   - open issues count
   - last commit date
   - number of contributors (from sidebar or Insights)
   - latest release tag and date
   - whether the repo is actively maintained (check: last commit within 6 months)
   STRICT RULES:
   - Do NOT click any tabs or links
   - Read only what is visible on the main repo page
   Return JSON: {package, stars, forks, open_issues, last_commit, contributors, latest_release, latest_release_date, is_active}" \
  --sync > /tmp/gh_{PACKAGE_SAFE}.json &

# Bundle size
tinyfish agent run \
  --url "https://bundlephobia.com/package/{PACKAGE}" \
  "You are on the Bundlephobia page for {PACKAGE}.
   Extract:
   - minified size (in KB)
   - minified + gzipped size (in KB)
   - download time on slow 3G (if shown)
   - tree-shakeable (yes/no)
   - side-effect free (yes/no)
   STRICT RULES:
   - Do NOT click any links
   - Read only what is visible on this page
   - If the page hasn't loaded sizes yet, note it
   Return JSON: {package, minified_kb, gzipped_kb, tree_shakeable, side_effect_free}" \
  --sync > /tmp/bp_{PACKAGE_SAFE}.json &

# Known vulnerabilities
tinyfish agent run \
  --url "https://security.snyk.io/package/npm/{PACKAGE}" \
  "You are on the Snyk security page for the npm package {PACKAGE}.
   Extract:
   - total number of known vulnerabilities
   - number by severity: critical, high, medium, low
   - most recent vulnerability title and date (if shown)
   STRICT RULES:
   - Do NOT click any vulnerability links
   - Read only the summary visible on this page
   - If the page shows 'no vulnerabilities', return {total: 0}
   Return JSON: {package, total_vulns, critical, high, medium, low, latest_vuln_title, latest_vuln_date}" \
  --sync > /tmp/snyk_{PACKAGE_SAFE}.json &

# Repeat the above 4 agents for each additional package
# All backgrounded with & — fire everything at once then:
wait

# Collect all results
for p in {PACKAGE_LIST}; do
  echo "=== $p ===" 
  cat /tmp/npm_${p}.json
  cat /tmp/gh_${p}.json
  cat /tmp/bp_${p}.json
  cat /tmp/snyk_${p}.json
done

Before running, replace:

• {PACKAGE} — exact npm package name e.g. zustand
• {PACKAGE_SAFE} — safe filename version e.g. zustand
• {OWNER}/{REPO} — GitHub repo e.g. pmndrs/zustand
• {PACKAGE_LIST} — space-separated list of all packages

Use your knowledge to find the correct GitHub repo for well-known packages. For unknown packages, check the repository field on their npm page first.

---

Step 3 — Synthesize comparison

Combine all data into a side-by-side comparison.

## Package Comparison: {PACKAGE_1} vs {PACKAGE_2} vs ...

*Data fetched live — {date}*

---

### 📊 At a Glance

| | {pkg1} | {pkg2} | {pkg3} |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Version** | {v} | {v} | {v} |
| **Weekly Downloads** | {n} | {n} | {n} |
| **GitHub Stars** | {n} | {n} | {n} |
| **Bundle (gzipped)** | {n}kb | {n}kb | {n}kb |
| **Tree-shakeable** | ✅/❌ | ✅/❌ | ✅/❌ |
| **TypeScript** | ✅/❌ | ✅/❌ | ✅/❌ |
| **Last Published** | {date} | {date} | {date} |
| **Known Vulns** | {n} | {n} | {n} |
| **License** | {l} | {l} | {l} |

---

### 📈 Popularity & Health

{2-3 sentences comparing download trends, GitHub activity, and community size}

---

### 📦 Bundle Size

{Comparison of bundle impact — important for frontend packages}
{Flag if any package is significantly larger than alternatives}

---

### 🔒 Security

{Note any packages with known vulnerabilities}
{If all clean: "No known vulnerabilities found for any of these packages."}

---

### ⚙️ Maintenance

{Compare last commit dates, contributor counts, release cadence}
{Flag any package that looks abandoned (no commits in 12+ months)}

---

### 🎯 Recommendation

{Use case}: {user's stated use case or "general use"}

**Best pick: {PACKAGE}**

{2-3 sentences explaining why this package wins for this use case, and what trade-offs you're making}

**When to pick {PACKAGE_2} instead:**
{1-2 sentences on when the runner-up is the better choice}

**Avoid {PACKAGE_3} if:**
{Any specific reasons to avoid a package in certain contexts}

---

Edge Cases

• Package not on npm — check if it's a GitHub-only package and scrape the repo directly
• Bundlephobia doesn't have it — note "bundle size unavailable" and skip that row
• GitHub repo not found from npm page — search https://github.com/search?q={PACKAGE}&type=repositories to find the canonical repo
• One of the packages is deprecated — flag it clearly at the top of the comparison: "⚠️ {package} is deprecated — the maintainers recommend {replacement}"
• Comparing more than 4 packages — ask the user to narrow to their top 3, as more becomes hard to compare meaningfully
• Packages serve slightly different purposes — note the distinction upfront before comparing (e.g. "react-query handles server state, zustand handles client state — you may actually need both")