I’ve been setting up automated builds for my projects and came across the npm ci command. I’m trying to understand when I should use npm ci versus the regular npm install command that I’m used to.
From what I can tell, both commands seem to install dependencies, but I’m not sure about the specific differences between them. Are there performance benefits with one over the other? Does npm ci have stricter requirements or behave differently during the installation process?
I want to make sure I’m using the right command for my build pipeline. Can someone explain the key differences and when each command is most appropriate to use?
The primary distinction between npm ci and npm install lies in their intended use cases and the way they manage dependencies. npm ci is designed specifically for continuous integration environments, requiring a package-lock.json file for exact installations, ensuring that the same dependencies are installed every time. This command performs a clean install by removing existing node_modules, which leads to faster builds by skipping dependency resolution. In contrast, npm install modifies the package-lock.json when adding or updating packages and does not require a lock file to function. For development, stick with npm install, while for automated builds, npm ci is the preferred choice.
I’ve hit this exact issue tons of times in production. The key thing most people miss: npm ci is way more reliable for automation because it fails fast when something’s wrong.
npm ci needs package-lock.json and throws an error if your package.json and lock file don’t match. Catches version conflicts early. npm install just tries to make it work and might silently install different versions.
Speed-wise, npm ci is usually 2-3x faster in CI since it skips dependency tree calculation. Just reads the lock file and installs exactly what’s there.
Here’s the thing though - managing all this build pipeline stuff manually gets messy fast. I automated our entire deployment process including npm operations using Latenode. Handles npm ci commands, catches failures, sends notifications, even rolls back when needed.
You can set up workflows that automatically pick the right npm command based on environment, manage multiple projects, and integrate with git hooks. Way cleaner than writing custom scripts.
Both install dependencies but work totally differently. npm install updates your package-lock.json when it finds newer compatible versions. npm ci treats the lock file as untouchable and installs exactly what’s listed there. I learned this the hard way when our staging had slightly different package versions than production, even though we thought they were identical. npm install was quietly updating minor versions that met our semver ranges. npm ci also wipes node_modules completely before installing anything. This prevents issues where old packages or corrupted installs cause weird runtime errors. npm install just adds to existing folders, leaving behind orphaned files. For your build pipeline, use npm ci. It’s deterministic and catches configuration drift early. Use npm install for local development when you actually want to update dependencies or add new packages.
npm ci is a lifesaver, honestly. It’s stricter than npm install - won’t work without package-lock.json and it wipes node_modules first. Much faster for deploys since it skips resolving deps again, just follows the lockfile. For production builds, def use it!