Need advice about which tool to choose?Ask the StackShare community!

Docker Compose

21.2K
16K
+ 1
501
Yarn

24K
13.1K
+ 1
151
Add tool

Docker Compose vs Yarn: What are the differences?

Introduction: Docker Compose and Yarn are both powerful tools commonly used in web development. Understanding the key differences between Docker Compose and Yarn can help developers choose the most suitable tool for their specific needs.

  1. Installation Process: Docker Compose is typically installed as part of the Docker Desktop installation, making it convenient for users already working with Docker. On the other hand, Yarn requires a separate installation process, adding an extra step for developers who may not already have it set up.

  2. Use Case: Docker Compose is primarily used for defining and running multi-container Docker applications, allowing developers to orchestrate multiple services easily. Yarn, however, is a package manager that focuses on dependency management and project workflows, specifically within the context of JavaScript and Node.js projects.

  3. Configuration Complexity: Docker Compose configuration involves defining services, networks, and volumes in a YAML file, which can be complex for beginners but offers robust customization options. In contrast, Yarn's configuration is simpler, mainly focusing on managing installed packages and script commands within a project.

  4. Dependency Management: Yarn tracks dependencies more efficiently by creating a lock file that ensures consistent installs across different environments. Docker Compose, while capable of managing dependencies within containers, does not offer the same level of dependency tracking and version control as Yarn.

  5. Workflow Integration: Yarn seamlessly integrates with other tools commonly used in JavaScript development, such as Webpack and Babel, enhancing the overall workflow for front-end projects. Docker Compose, while versatile, may require additional configuration to work smoothly with specific development workflows and tools used in the project.

  6. Resource Usage: Docker Compose, due to its containerized approach, consumes more system resources compared to Yarn, which operates at the package management level. Depending on the project requirements and hardware constraints, developers need to consider the potential impact on system performance when choosing between the two tools.

In Summary, Docker Compose excels in orchestrating multi-container applications with customizable configurations, while Yarn focuses on efficient dependency management and streamlined project workflows in JavaScript and Node.js environments.

Advice on Docker Compose and Yarn
Needs advice
on
npmnpm
and
YarnYarn

From a StackShare Community member: “I’m a freelance web developer (I mostly use Node.js) and for future projects I’m debating between npm or Yarn as my default package manager. I’m a minimalist so I hate installing software if I don’t need to- in this case that would be Yarn. For those who made the switch from npm to Yarn, what benefits have you noticed? For those who stuck with npm, are you happy you with it?"

See more
Replies (14)
Julian Sanchez
Lead Developer at Chore Champion · | 11 upvotes · 240.2K views
Recommends
on
YarnYarn
at

We use Yarn because it allows us to more simply manage our node_modules. It also simplifies commands and increases speed when installing modules. Our teams module download time was cut in half after switching from NPM to Yarn. We now require all employees to use Yarn (to prevent errors with package-lock.json and yarn.lock).

See more
Recommends
on
npmnpm

I use npm since new version is pretty fast as well (Yarn may be still faster a bit but the difference isn't huge). No need for other dependency and mainly Yarn sometimes do not work. Sometimes when I want to install project dependencies I got error using Yarn but with npm everything is installed correctly.

See more
Mark Nelissen
Recommends
on
npmnpmnpmnpm

I use npm because I also mainly use React and TypeScript. Since several typings (from DefinitelyTyped) depend on the React typings, Yarn tends to mess up which leads to duplicate libraries present (different versions of the same type definition), which hinders the Typescript compiler. Npm always resolves to a single version per transitive dependency. At least that's my experience with both.

See more
Recommends
on
YarnYarn

p.s.

I am not sure about the performance of the latest version of npm, whether it is different from my understanding of it below. Because I use npm very rarely when I had the following knowledge.

------⏬

I use Yarn because, first, yarn is the first tool to lock the version. Second, although npm also supports the lock version, when you use npm to lock the version, and then use package-lock.json on other systems, package-lock.json Will be modified. You understand what I mean, when you deploy projects based on Git...

See more
Recommends
on
YarnYarn

As far as I know Yarn is a super module of NPM. But it still needs npm to run.

Yarn was developed by Facebook's guys to fix some npm issues and performance.

If you use the last version of npm most of this problem does not exist anymore.

You can choose the option which makes you more confortable. I like using yarn because I'm used to it.

In the end the packages will be the same. Just try both and choose the one you feel more confortable. :)

See more
Francois Leurent
Recommends
on
npmnpm
at

We tend to stick to npm, yarn is only a fancy alternative, not 10x better. Using a self -hosted private repository (via sinopia/npm-mirror) make package locking (mostly) pointless.

See more
Recommends
on
YarnYarn

I am a minimalist too. I once had issues with installing Nuxt.js using NPM so I had to install Yarn but I also found that the Dev experience was much better

See more
Denys Slipetskyy
Recommends
on
YarnYarn
at

I use Yarn because it process my dependencies way faster, predictable deps resolution order, upgrade-interactive is very handy + some Yarn specific features (workspaces, Plug’n’Play alternative installation strategy) ...

See more
Digital All
Recommends
on
npmnpm

I use npm because its packaged with node installation and handles npm tokens in CI/CD tools for private packages/libraries.

See more
tataata
Frontend designer and developer · | 3 upvotes · 225.7K views
Recommends
on
YarnYarn

Yarn made it painless for the team to sync on versions of packages that we use on the project <3

See more
Shuuji TAKAHASHI
Recommends
on
YarnYarn

I use Yarn because it outputs nice progress messages with cute emoji and installs packages quickly if the package is cached. Also, Yarn creates yarn.lock file which makes the developer use the consistent environment.

See more
Tor Hagemann
Principal Software Engineer at Socotra · | 3 upvotes · 125.8K views
Recommends
on
npmnpmYarnYarn

You should use whichever had the best DX (developer experience) for your team. If you are doing a massive front-end project, consider yarn if not only because it makes it a snap to go from zero to ready. What some people say about npm being more stable or easier for smaller projects is highly true as well. (not to mention, you sometimes have to install yarn) But, note that official NodeJS Docker images ship with both npm and yarn. If you want to use yarn, put package-lock=false and optionally save-exact=true in your project's .npmrc file. Compare whether you prefer the ergonomics of yarn global add over npm install -g or see fewer meaningless warnings for the specific set of dependencies you leverage.

See more
Recommends
on
npmnpm

I use npm because its the official package manager for Node. It's reliability, security and speed has increased over time so the battle is over!

See more
Izzur Zuhri
Recommends
on
npmnpm

I use npm because it has a lot of community support and the performance difference with alternative tool is not so significant for me.

See more
Decisions about Docker Compose and Yarn
Oleksandr Fedotov
Senior Software Engineer at joyn · | 3 upvotes · 266K views

As we have to build the application for many different TV platforms we want to split the application logic from the device/platform specific code. Previously we had different repositories and it was very hard to keep the development process when changes were done in multiple repositories, as we had to synchronize code reviews as well as merging and then updating the dependencies of projects. This issues would be even more critical when building the project from scratch what we did at Joyn. Therefor to keep all code in one place, at the same time keeping in separated in different modules we decided to give a try to monorepo. First we tried out lerna which was fine at the beginning, but later along the way we had issues with adding new dependencies which came out of the blue and were not easy to fix. Next round of evolution was yarn workspaces, we are still using it and are pretty happy with dev experience it provides. And one more advantage we got when switched to yarn workspaces that we also switched from npm to yarn what improved the state of the lock file a lot, because with npm package-lock file was updated every time you run npm install, frequent updates of package-lock file were causing very often merge conflicts. So right now we not just having faster dependencies installation time but also no conflicts coming from lock file.

See more
Petr Bambušek
Head of Frontend at Mews · | 2 upvotes · 276.7K views
Chose
YarnYarn
over
npmnpm
at
()

This was no real choice - we switched the moment Yarn was available, and never looked back. Yarn is the only reasonable frontend package manager that's actually being developed. They even aim to heal the node_modules madness with v2! Npm is just copying its ideas on top of introducing massive bugs with every change.

See more
Get Advice from developers at your company using StackShare Enterprise. Sign up for StackShare Enterprise.
Learn More
Pros of Docker Compose
Pros of Yarn
  • 123
    Multi-container descriptor
  • 110
    Fast development environment setup
  • 79
    Easy linking of containers
  • 68
    Simple yaml configuration
  • 60
    Easy setup
  • 16
    Yml or yaml format
  • 12
    Use Standard Docker API
  • 8
    Open source
  • 5
    Go from template to application in minutes
  • 5
    Can choose Discovery Backend
  • 4
    Scalable
  • 4
    Easy configuration
  • 4
    Kubernetes integration
  • 3
    Quick and easy
  • 85
    Incredibly fast
  • 22
    Easy to use
  • 13
    Open Source
  • 11
    Can install any npm package
  • 8
    Works where npm fails
  • 7
    Workspaces
  • 3
    Incomplete to run tasks
  • 2
    Fast

Sign up to add or upvote prosMake informed product decisions

Cons of Docker Compose
Cons of Yarn
  • 9
    Tied to single machine
  • 5
    Still very volatile, changing syntax often
  • 16
    Facebook
  • 7
    Sends data to facebook
  • 4
    Should be installed separately
  • 3
    Cannot publish to registry other than npm

Sign up to add or upvote consMake informed product decisions

What is Docker Compose?

With Compose, you define a multi-container application in a single file, then spin your application up in a single command which does everything that needs to be done to get it running.

What is Yarn?

Yarn caches every package it downloads so it never needs to again. It also parallelizes operations to maximize resource utilization so install times are faster than ever.

Need advice about which tool to choose?Ask the StackShare community!

Jobs that mention Docker Compose and Yarn as a desired skillset
What companies use Docker Compose?
What companies use Yarn?
See which teams inside your own company are using Docker Compose or Yarn.
Sign up for StackShare EnterpriseLearn More

Sign up to get full access to all the companiesMake informed product decisions

What tools integrate with Docker Compose?
What tools integrate with Yarn?

Sign up to get full access to all the tool integrationsMake informed product decisions

Blog Posts

JavaScriptGitHubNode.js+29
14
13437
GitHubPythonNode.js+47
55
72350
JavaScriptGitHubNode.js+26
20
4959
JavaScriptGitHubPython+42
53
21887
What are some alternatives to Docker Compose and Yarn?
Kubernetes
Kubernetes is an open source orchestration system for Docker containers. It handles scheduling onto nodes in a compute cluster and actively manages workloads to ensure that their state matches the users declared intentions.
Docker
The Docker Platform is the industry-leading container platform for continuous, high-velocity innovation, enabling organizations to seamlessly build and share any application — from legacy to what comes next — and securely run them anywhere
Docker Swarm
Swarm serves the standard Docker API, so any tool which already communicates with a Docker daemon can use Swarm to transparently scale to multiple hosts: Dokku, Compose, Krane, Deis, DockerUI, Shipyard, Drone, Jenkins... and, of course, the Docker client itself.
Helm
Helm is the best way to find, share, and use software built for Kubernetes.
Ansible
Ansible is an IT automation tool. It can configure systems, deploy software, and orchestrate more advanced IT tasks such as continuous deployments or zero downtime rolling updates. Ansible’s goals are foremost those of simplicity and maximum ease of use.
See all alternatives