{"id":77683,"date":"2026-02-10T18:19:47","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T12:49:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tothenew.com\/blog\/?p=77683"},"modified":"2026-02-13T14:41:52","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T09:11:52","slug":"understanding-npm-vs-npx-which-one-should-we-use","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tothenew.com\/blog\/understanding-npm-vs-npx-which-one-should-we-use\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding npm vs. npx: Which One Should We Use?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/h2>\n

If we have ever started a project using React or Next.js, we would have noticed two commands that look almost the same: npm<\/span><\/em> and npx<\/span><\/em>. 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.<\/p>\n

What is npm?<\/h2>\n

npm<\/span><\/strong> 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.
\nHow it works
\n<\/strong>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.
\nExample:
\n<\/strong>npm install -g create-react-app<\/code>
\n<\/span><\/em>This command installs the create-react-app tool globally on our system, making it available for any future project.<\/p>\n

What is npx?<\/h2>\n

npx<\/span><\/strong> is short for Node Package Executor. The key difference is in the last part: Executor.
\nHow it works<\/strong>
\nUnlike npm<\/em>, npx<\/em> doesn\u2019t 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\u2019t take up space on our hard drive.<\/p>\n

Example:
\n<\/strong>npx create-react-app my-app<\/code><\/span><\/em>
\nThis command runs create-react-app without installing it permanently on our machine.<\/p>\n

A Simple Real-Life Analogy: Movies<\/h2>\n

To understand this better, let\u2019s see how we watch movies:<\/p>\n

npm<\/strong><\/span> 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.<\/p>\n

npx<\/strong><\/span> is like streaming on Netflix: Today, we just go online and stream the movie. We don\u2019t need to download it or save it to our hard drive. We watch it once, and it doesn\u2019t consume our permanent storage space.<\/p>\n

Technical Comparison: Creating a React App<\/h2>\n

Let’s see how the commands differ when we actually want to build something like a React application.<\/p>\n

The npm way (2 steps)<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  • Install the tool globally:
    \nnpm install -g create-react-app<\/code><\/span>
    \n<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Use the installed tool to create our project:
    \ncreate-react-app my-app<\/code><\/span>
    \n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    The npx way (1 step)<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n
    • Execute the command only:
      \nnpx create-react-app my-app<\/code><\/span>
      \n<\/span><\/li>\n
    • With npx, we do everything in one line. It’s faster because we don’t have to manage the installation of the tool itself\u2014we just tell npx to execute the command for us.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Key Differences at a Glance:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
      Feature<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nnpm (Node Package Manager)<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nnpx (Node Package Executor)<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Storage<\/strong><\/td>\nInstalls packages to the machine’s local storage<\/td>\nDoes not install packages; runs them directly<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Availability<\/strong><\/td>\nPackages are global and can be used across multiple projects<\/td>\nPackages are used for a single execution and are not stored<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Memory Usage<\/strong><\/td>\nConsumes disk space over time<\/td>\nSaves disk space by not storing files<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Best For<\/strong><\/td>\nPackages used frequently in multiple projects<\/td>\nRunning one-time commands or tools<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

      When Should We Use Each?<\/h2>\n

      Use npm when:<\/strong>
      \nWe need a package that we’ll use regularly across multiple projects
      \nWe’re installing project dependencies listed in package.json
      \nWe want to manage and maintain specific versions of tools<\/p>\n

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

      Conclusion<\/h2>\n

      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.<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1726,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":27},"categories":[5876],"tags":[1308,1303],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tothenew.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77683"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tothenew.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tothenew.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tothenew.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1726"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tothenew.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=77683"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.tothenew.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77683\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":77795,"href":"https:\/\/www.tothenew.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77683\/revisions\/77795"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tothenew.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=77683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tothenew.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=77683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tothenew.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=77683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}