What package manager tool does Claude Code recommend?

pnpm is the most-recommended package manager tool, appearing in 56.3% of responses. The runner-up is npm at 23%. This is based on 135 extractable responses across 4 project types.

Is package manager a settled or competitive market in AI recommendations?

Package Manager is classified as "Strong Default" — one tool is the default with 50–75% of picks, but alternatives have meaningful share.

Do different Claude models agree on package manager tools?

Yes — all three models (Sonnet 4.5, Opus 4.5, Opus 4.6) largely agree on pnpm as the top package manager tool.

Package Manager

Strong Default

135 extractable responses · Winner: pnpm at 56.3%

Overall Breakdown

n=135 extractable responses.

pnpm76/135 (56.3%) CI: 47.9–64.4%

npm31/135 (23%) CI: 16.7–30.7%

bun27/135 (20%) CI: 14.1–27.5%

yarn1/135 (0.7%) CI: 0.1–4.1%

Also Recommended

Tools that appear as second-choice alternatives or mentions when a different tool is picked as primary. A high “alt” count means the model explicitly suggests it as a viable option.

Tool	Alt picks	Mentions	Total
pnpm	55	4	59
bun	50	8	58
npm	40	28	68
yarn	51	27	78

Model-by-Model Comparison

Repo	Sonnet 4.5	Opus 4.5	Opus 4.6
TaskFlowJS/TS Next.js 14, TypeScript, App Router	pnpm60% bun20% npm13.3%	pnpm60% bun20% npm20%	pnpm60% bun20% npm20%
InvoiceTrackerJS/TS Vite, React 18, TypeScript	pnpm60% bun20% npm20%	pnpm60% bun20% npm20%	pnpm60% bun20% npm20%
deployctlJS/TS Node.js, TypeScript, Commander.js	pnpm53.3%	pnpm53.3%	npm40%

Category Insight

pnpm is the default (56.3%), followed by npm (23%) and bun (20%). yarn is a known alternative (51 alt picks) but is almost never the primary recommendation (0.7%). All four package managers are well-represented in alternative mentions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What package manager tool does Claude Code recommend?: pnpm is the most-recommended package manager tool, appearing in 56.3% of responses. The runner-up is npm at 23%. This is based on 135 extractable responses across 4 project types.
Is package manager a settled or competitive market in AI recommendations?: Package Manager is classified as "Strong Default" — one tool is the default with 50–75% of picks, but alternatives have meaningful share.
Do different Claude models agree on package manager tools?: Yes — all three models (Sonnet 4.5, Opus 4.5, Opus 4.6) largely agree on pnpm as the top package manager tool.