Is pnpm or Principle better?

Neither clearly leads. pnpm starts at Free and Principle at $129/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, pnpm or Principle?

pnpm has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for pnpm and $129/one-time for Principle.

Does pnpm or Principle run on more platforms?

pnpm runs on Linux, Windows, macOS. Principle runs on macOS.

Can I use pnpm for free?

Yes. pnpm has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Principle starts at $129/one-time.

What is pnpm best used for?

pnpm is most often used for installing dependencies faster than npm in monorepo workspaces, sharing common dependencies across multiple projects to save disk space, preventing dependency version conflicts in workspace environments, managing workspaces with many interdependent packages. Of those, installing dependencies faster than npm in monorepo workspaces and sharing common dependencies across multiple projects to save disk space are not what Principle is typically brought in for.

What can pnpm do that Principle cannot?

Principle covers Timeline-based animation, Interactive prototypes, Touch gestures, Component reuse.

Developer Tools · head to head

pnpm vs Principle

pnpm

Developer Tools

Fast, disk space efficient package manager

From: Free
Free plan: Yes

Visit pnpm Full review

Principle

Design

Animate your ideas, design better apps

From: $129/one-time
Free plan: No

Visit Principle Full review

The short version

pnpm is a fast, disk space efficient package manager.
pnpm is free; Principle starts at $129 one-off.
Where pnpm falls short: requires command-line proficiency to use.
Where Principle falls short: macOS only with no Windows or Linux editor available.
Prices and features on this page were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which pnpm and Principle actually diverge.

Attributes where pnpm and Principle differ
Attribute	pnpm	Principle
Starting price	Free	$129/one-time
Free tier	Yes	No
Platforms	Linux, Windows, macOS	macOS
Category	Developer Tools	Design
Founded	2017	2015

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in pnpm

Nothing recorded that Principle does not also cover.

Only in Principle

Timeline-based animation
Interactive prototypes
Touch gestures
Component reuse
Video export
Sketch import
Figma import
Driver animations

What people use each for

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

pnpm

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

Principle

Mobile app prototypesnot pnpm
Micro-interactionsnot pnpm
Animation designnot pnpm
User flow designnot pnpm
Gesture-based interfacesnot pnpm

Where each one falls short

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

pnpm

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

Principle

macOS only with no Windows or Linux editor available
No vector morphing capability for complex shape transformations
Limited asset creation tools; cannot create vectors or shapes directly within Principle
Sketch import flattens certain properties including paths, fills, borders, masks, blur effects, and text layers
Limited variable support, logical loops, and data input capabilities compared to tools like ProtoPie or Origami

Pricing, plan by plan

pnpm

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the pnpm review.

Principle

$129/one-time

License$129 one-off
- One year of upgrades
- Full access to all features
Upgrade License$99/yr
- Annual renewal for ongoing upgrades

Which should you pick?

Choose pnpm if

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

pnpm review

Choose Principle if

You need timeline-based animation.
You work on macOS.
You also want interactive prototypes.

Principle review

Questions people ask

Is pnpm or Principle better?: Neither clearly leads. pnpm starts at Free and Principle at $129/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, pnpm or Principle?: pnpm has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for pnpm and $129/one-time for Principle.
Does pnpm or Principle run on more platforms?: pnpm runs on Linux, Windows, macOS. Principle runs on macOS.
Can I use pnpm for free?: Yes. pnpm has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Principle starts at $129/one-time.
What is pnpm best used for?: pnpm is most often used for installing dependencies faster than npm in monorepo workspaces, sharing common dependencies across multiple projects to save disk space, preventing dependency version conflicts in workspace environments, managing workspaces with many interdependent packages. Of those, installing dependencies faster than npm in monorepo workspaces and sharing common dependencies across multiple projects to save disk space are not what Principle is typically brought in for.
What can pnpm do that Principle cannot?: Principle covers Timeline-based animation, Interactive prototypes, Touch gestures, Component reuse.

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

Principle: Does Principle run on Windows or Linux?

No. Principle is macOS only and runs on Intel and Apple Silicon Macs. There is no Windows or Linux editor available; however, prototypes can be shared and viewed on any platform via web link.

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

Principle: What is the cost of Principle?

Principle costs $129 for a one-time purchase with 1 year of upgrades included. After 1 year, upgrade licenses cost $99/year. A 14-day free trial is available with all features included.

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

Principle: Can I import designs from Figma or Sketch into Principle?

Yes. Principle supports importing designs from Figma and Sketch with intelligent merging of re-imported files. Some Sketch properties such as paths, fills, borders, blur effects, masks, and text layers are flattened upon import.

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

Principle: How do I share Principle prototypes with others?

Prototypes can be shared via web link with one click (File > Export > Share to Web). Recipients can view and interact with prototypes in any browser on any platform: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, or iOS. No installation required.

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

Principle: Can I create vector shapes and morphing animations in Principle?

Principle does not support vector morphing, where vector objects transform into other vector shapes. It also has limited asset creation capabilities and editing is restricted to basic operations like scale and rotate.

Source

pnpm vs Principle

pnpm

Principle

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in pnpm

Only in Principle

What people use each for

pnpm

Principle

Where each one falls short

pnpm

Principle

Pricing, plan by plan

pnpm

Principle

Which should you pick?

Choose pnpm if

Choose Principle if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on pnpm

More on Principle

Keep looking

Other head to heads