| name | npms-compare |
| description | Compare multiple npm packages side-by-side using NPMS.io quality scores. Use when the user asks to compare packages, evaluate alternatives, or choose between multiple options. |
Compare npm Packages (NPMS.io)
Compare multiple npm packages side-by-side using NPMS.io quality scores.
Usage
npx tsx scripts/compare.ts <package1> <package2> [package3...] [options]
Arguments
| Argument | Required | Description |
|---|
package1 | Yes | First package to compare |
package2 | Yes | Second package to compare |
package3... | No | Additional packages to compare |
Options
| Option | Description |
|---|
--no-cache | Bypass cache and fetch fresh data from API |
Output
Package Comparison: react vs vue vs angular
-------------------------------------------
┌──────────────┬──────────┬──────────┬──────────┐
│ Metric │ react │ vue │ angular │
├──────────────┼──────────┼──────────┼──────────┤
│ Overall │ 98/100 │ 95/100 │ 92/100 │
│ Quality │ 95/100 │ 93/100 │ 90/100 │
│ Popularity │ 100/100 │ 97/100 │ 95/100 │
│ Maintenance │ 99/100 │ 96/100 │ 91/100 │
├──────────────┼──────────┼──────────┼──────────┤
│ Version │ 18.2.0 │ 3.3.4 │ 16.2.0 │
│ Stars │ 213K │ 204K │ 92K │
│ Forks │ 45K │ 34K │ 25K │
│ Issues │ 1.2K │ 890 │ 1.5K │
│ Downloads/Mo │ 9.8M │ 3.2M │ 2.1M │
└──────────────┴──────────┴──────────┴──────────┘
Script Execution (Preferred)
npx tsx scripts/compare.ts <package1> <package2> [package3...] [options]
Options:
--no-cache - Bypass cache and fetch fresh data from API
Run from the npms-io plugin directory: ~/.claude/plugins/cache/npms-io/
Package Comparison API
POST https://api.npms.io/v2/package/mget
Content-Type: application/json
["package1", "package2", "package3"]
Parameters
| Parameter | Required | Description |
|---|
packages | Yes | Array of package names (JSON array in POST body) |
Examples
Compare packages:
curl -X POST https://api.npms.io/v2/package/mget \\
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \\
-d '["react", "vue", "angular"]'
Response Format
The response contains analysis data for each requested package:
{
"react": { },
"vue": { },
"angular": { }
}
Packages that don't exist or haven't been analyzed will have null values.
Comparison Metrics
The comparison includes:
Scores (0-100)
- Overall, Quality, Popularity, Maintenance
Package Info
- Version, Description, Published date
GitHub Stats
- Stars, Forks, Open Issues, Contributors
npm Stats
Project Health
- Contributing guide, License, Security policy
Caching
Comparison results are cached for 6 hours. Package metrics change slowly, so cached data remains accurate for extended periods.
Use the --no-cache flag to bypass the cache.
Related
- Use
npms-analyze for detailed analysis of a single package
- Use
npms-suggest to find packages by name pattern
- Use
npm-search to find packages by keyword
Error Handling
Some packages not found: The comparison will show available data for found packages and note which ones were missing.
All packages not found: Verify package names are correct. New packages may take time to be analyzed.
Rate limiting: NPMS.io may rate limit excessive requests. Cache results to reduce API calls.
Interpreting Comparisons
Overall Score
Choose the package with the highest overall score if all other factors are equal.
Quality vs Popularity
- Higher quality: Better code, documentation, maintenance
- Higher popularity: More community adoption, support
Maintenance Score
Higher scores indicate active development and recent updates.
Download Counts
Higher downloads indicate wider adoption but not necessarily better quality.
Use Cases
Framework Selection
Compare JavaScript frameworks:
npx tsx scripts/compare.ts react vue angular
Library Alternatives
Compare similar libraries:
npx tsx scripts/compare.ts axios got node-fetch
State Management
Compare state management solutions:
npx tsx scripts/compare.ts redux zustand pinia
CSS Solutions
Compare CSS-in-JS libraries:
npx tsx scripts/compare.ts styled-components emotion linaria
Tips for Comparison
- Consider use case: The best package depends on your specific requirements
- Check maintenance: Prefer packages with higher maintenance scores
- Look at ecosystem: Consider available plugins and community support
- Review dependencies: Check if the package has healthy dependencies
- Verify licensing: Ensure licenses are compatible with your project
Notes
- NPMS.io provides independent, third-party analysis
- Scores are algorithmically calculated from multiple sources
- Comparison is most useful for packages serving similar purposes
- GitHub and npm data may be incomplete for some packages
- New packages may not have completed initial analysis
