Understanding npm vs. npx: Which One Should We Use?

Introduction

If we have ever started a project using React or Next.js, we would have noticed two commands that look almost the same: npm and npx. Although they look similar, their uses are totally different in the web development world.In this blog, we will understand the differences between the two in simple terms with examples that will make it easy to understand.

What is npm?

npm is short for Node Package Manager. It’s like a helper tool that assists us in installing, updating, and managing JavaScript packages on our computer.
How it works
When we install a package using npm (for example, create-react-app), it downloads the package and stores it in our local storage, which is the memory of our PC. This is usually a “global” installation, which means that the package will be stored in our computer and can be used for various projects whenever we want.
Example:
npm install -g create-react-app
This command installs the create-react-app tool globally on our system, making it available for any future project.

What is npx?

npx is short for Node Package Executor. The key difference is in the last part: Executor.
How it works
Unlike npm, npx doesn’t install the package in our local storage. It simply runs the package. It gets what it needs to run the command, finishes the job (such as making a new folder for our application), and then it is finished. It doesn’t take up space on our hard drive.

Example:
npx create-react-app my-app
This command runs create-react-app without installing it permanently on our machine.

A Simple Real-Life Analogy: Movies

To understand this better, let’s see how we watch movies:

npm is like downloading a movie: Years ago, if we wanted to watch a movie, we had to download it from the internet to our computer. It stayed in our memory, took up space, and we could watch it multiple times because it was saved there.

npx is like streaming on Netflix: Today, we just go online and stream the movie. We don’t need to download it or save it to our hard drive. We watch it once, and it doesn’t consume our permanent storage space.

Technical Comparison: Creating a React App

Let’s see how the commands differ when we actually want to build something like a React application.

The npm way (2 steps)

• Install the tool globally:
  npm install -g create-react-app
  
• Use the installed tool to create our project:
  create-react-app my-app
  

The npx way (1 step)

• Execute the command only:
  npx create-react-app my-app
  
• With npx, we do everything in one line. It’s faster because we don’t have to manage the installation of the tool itself—we just tell npx to execute the command for us.

Key Differences at a Glance:

When Should We Use Each?

Use npm when:
We need a package that we’ll use regularly across multiple projects
We’re installing project dependencies listed in package.json
We want to manage and maintain specific versions of tools

Use npx when:
We want to run a package without installing it globally
We’re using a tool for a one-time setup (like creating a new project)
We want to ensure we’re always using the latest version of a tool
We want to save disk space and avoid version conflicts

Conclusion

Although npm is very useful for managing the libraries we need to keep on our computer, npx has become the favorite tool for developers because it is faster, uses less memory, and does not require managing global installations.