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Developer Tools · head to head

Fig vs pnpm

F

Fig

Developer Tools

IDE-style autocomplete for your existing terminal

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
pnpm logo

pnpm

Developer Tools

Fast, disk space efficient package manager

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Fig shut down on 1 September 2024. Amazon acquired Fig in August 2023 and folded it into Amazon Q Developer, which now carries the terminal autocomplete; pnpm requires command-line proficiency to use
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fig and pnpm actually diverge.

Attributes where Fig and pnpm differ
AttributeFigpnpm
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
PlatformsWebLinux, Windows, macOS
Founded20202017

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Developer Tools).

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Fig

No use cases recorded yet. See the Fig review.

pnpm

  • Installing dependencies faster than npm in monorepo workspacesnot Fig
  • Sharing common dependencies across multiple projects to save disk spacenot Fig
  • Preventing dependency version conflicts in workspace environmentsnot Fig
  • Managing workspaces with many interdependent packagesnot Fig

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Fig

  • Shut down on 1 September 2024. Amazon acquired Fig in August 2023 and folded it into Amazon Q Developer, which now carries the terminal autocomplete
  • The standalone desktop app is no longer available or supported
  • The completion specs remain open source on GitHub, but the product that consumed them is gone

pnpm

  • Requires command-line proficiency to use
  • Community-driven support only

Pricing, plan by plan

Fig

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Fig review.

pnpm

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the pnpm review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Fig if

  • You want to start without paying.
Fig review

Choose pnpm if

  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, macOS.
pnpm review

Questions people ask

Is Fig or pnpm better?
Neither clearly leads. Fig starts at Free and pnpm at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fig or pnpm?
Fig starts at Free and pnpm at Free.
Does Fig or pnpm run on more platforms?
Fig runs on Web. pnpm runs on Linux, Windows, macOS.
Can I use Fig for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

pnpm: Is pnpm free and open source?

Yes. pnpm is free and open source software developed for Node.js. Version 10 and 11 are currently available.

Source
pnpm: How does pnpm save disk space?

pnpm uses a content-addressable store with hard linking and symlinks to avoid duplication. All files are saved in a single place on disk and hard-linked to individual projects, dramatically reducing storage requirements compared to npm.

Source
pnpm: Is pnpm faster than npm?

Yes. pnpm performs installation in three stages: dependency resolution, directory structure calculation, and linking. Packages are fetched and linked as soon as possible, making it significantly faster than npm's sequential approach.

Source
pnpm: Does pnpm support monorepos?

Yes. pnpm has built-in support for monorepositories. You can create a workspace using pnpm-workspace.yaml to unite multiple projects in a single repository.

Source
pnpm: How does pnpm handle node_modules differently than npm?

pnpm uses symlinks to add only direct dependencies to node_modules root, preventing accidental access to undeclared dependencies. This encourages more explicit dependency management compared to npm's flattened node_modules structure.

Source
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