The best patch-package alternatives
5 tools that do a similar job to patch-package, 5 of them open source. Each entry says what it does and who it suits, so you can pick the one that fits instead of the most famous.
You're replacing
patch-packageLets you fix npm dependencies in place and keep those fixes in version control.
- 1
pnpm
Open source · MIT · ★ 37k
A fast Node.js package manager that saves disk space by sharing installed packages.
Best for: Developers working in Node.js projects who want faster installs and less disk use; Teams maintaining monorepos with multiple packages in one repository
- 2
Poetry
Open source · MIT · ★ 34.3k
A tool for managing Python project dependencies and packaging them, using one pyproject.toml file.
Best for: Python developers starting a new project who want one config file for dependencies and packaging; Teams that need the same dependency versions installed on every machine and in CI
- 3
Composer
Open source · MIT · ★ 29.6k
Dependency manager for PHP projects: declare, install, and update the libraries your code uses.
Best for: PHP developers starting a new project who want standard third-party libraries; Teams that need a shared, repeatable way to install project dependencies
- 4
Madge
Open source · MIT · ★ 10.2k
Draws a graph of your JavaScript module dependencies and finds circular ones.
Best for: JavaScript developers untangling a large codebase with many imports; Teams who want to catch circular dependencies before they cause bugs
- 5
delta
Open source · MIT · ★ 32.6k
A syntax-highlighting pager that makes git, diff, and grep output easier to read.
Best for: Developers who read a lot of git diffs or git show output in the terminal; People who want syntax-highlighted git blame output
How we pick: tools in the same category that solve the same problem, projects that name each other as alternatives, and open-source projects that describe themselves as an alternative to patch-package. We don't take payment for placement.