shouldiuse.io

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Should I Use Npmjs?

npmjs.com·Analyzed 1 day ago··Based on 11 sources

Worth it

Worth it

If you write JavaScript, npm is effectively mandatory — it's the default package registry and free for public packages.

The default JavaScript package registry: essential and free for JS work, but supply-chain attacks and thin support demand extra guardrails.

Confidence: Medium

4.0/5

Trustpilot rating

Only 4 reviews — very thin sample

$0

Starting price

Free for public package authors

19

Public CVEs tracked

Per OpenCVE listing

2014

VC-backed since

Per Scripting News coverage

Value for money5

Core registry free; paid only for private packages

Ease of use4

G2 calls it easy; Reddit cites publishing friction

Feature depth4

Orgs, staged publishing, trusted publishing, audit

Support quality2

Reddit users call the site abandoned

Security posture2

Repeated supply-chain attacks; 19 CVEs tracked

Pros

  • De facto registry for JavaScript packages, frontend and backend¹
  • Free tier for public package authors⁵
  • Built-in dependency vulnerability auditing (npm audit)
  • Trusted publishing cuts reliance on long-lived tokens

Cons

  • Sept 2025 attack compromised 19 packages; one had ~371M weekly downloads⁸
  • Users call 'abandoned'; support feels neglected³
  • Publishing a package exposes your email publicly⁴
  • New publishing friction reported after policy changes
  • Package quality varies; many trivial packages

Gotchas

  • highOne compromised maintainer account can push malicious updates to hundreds of millions of weekly installs.
  • mediumPrivate packages require paid Pro/Teams plans; the free tier is public-only.⁶
  • mediumYour email becomes publicly visible when you publish a package.⁴
  • mediumSupport runs through @npm_support and @npmstatus; reviewers report slow, thin service.²

Best for

  • JavaScript/Node.js developers
  • Open-source package publishers
  • Frontend and backend JS teams

Not for

  • Non-JavaScript stacks — use PyPI, NuGet, or Maven instead
  • Security-critical orgs without registry allowlists or scanning
  • Buyers who need polished UI and responsive vendor support
  • Anyone needing private packages on a $0 budget

Companies that use it

  • Red Hat

Pricing

Free

$0

  • For public package authors

Pro

Paid — price not shown in sources

  • Individual paid user plan
  • Private packages per upgrade docs

Teams

Paid — price not shown in sources

  • Paid organization plan
  • Team features per comparison page

Security

High-risk: repeated supply-chain compromises, including a Sept 2025 worm affecting 19 popular packages; 19 CVEs tracked.

  • September 2025 npm supply-chain attackPhishing-led account takeover published a self-replicating worm; 19 packages compromised; CISA advisory issued Sept 23, 2025.⁷
  • CVE-2021-37701 — npm tar RCERemote code execution vulnerability in npm's tar dependency, per SentinelOne.⁹

What users say

Review volume is tiny; G2 users find package management easy, while Reddit threads criticize site neglect, publishing friction, package quality, and security.

“Why is npmjs.com so abandoned?”
— Reddit, r/npm
“I am concerned about the low quality of NPM packages.”
— Reddit, r/typescript
“New friction with npmjs and publishing”
— Reddit, r/npm

Alternatives

Compare Npmjs with each alternative.

Full analysis

Based on 20+ public sources: npm docs and pricing pages, G2/Trustpilot reviews, Reddit threads, and 2025 security coverage. Review volume is very thin (4 Trustpilot reviews), so user sentiment leans on Reddit.

Sources

  1. npm Reviews 2026 — G2g2.com
    review
  2. npm Reviews — Trustpilottrustpilot.com
    review
  3. Why is npmjs.com so abandoned? — Redditreddit.com
    review
  4. Concerns about npmjs.com — Redditreddit.com
    review
  5. npm Pricing — officialnpmjs.com
    official
  6. npm Pro — feature comparisonnpmjs.com
    official
  7. Widespread Supply Chain Compromise Impacting npm — CISAcisa.gov
    security
  8. 19 npm Packages Compromised in Major Supply-Chain Attack — OX Securityox.security
    security
  9. CVE-2021-37701: npm tar RCE — SentinelOnesentinelone.com
    security
  10. Npmjs CVEs — OpenCVEapp.opencve.io
    security
  11. Our plan for a more secure npm supply chain — GitHub Bloggithub.blog
    news

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