Product Introduction
- npm.bet is an interactive visualization tool designed to track and compare download statistics for npm packages using Next.js 16, React 19, and Recharts. It provides developers with a user-friendly interface to analyze historical data, compare multiple packages, and generate visual charts for technical decision-making. The platform supports weekly and yearly timeframes, enabling granular insights into package adoption trends.
- The core value of npm.bet lies in its ability to transform raw npm download metrics into actionable insights through dynamic, customizable visualizations. It simplifies the process of evaluating package popularity, performance trends, and ecosystem competition, directly supporting data-driven decisions in software development.
Main Features
- npm.bet offers interactive, time-based download charts that display weekly or yearly trends for individual or multiple npm packages, powered by Recharts for smooth zooming and data point inspection.
- The platform enables side-by-side comparison of competing packages (e.g., React vs Angular, Vite vs Webpack) with synchronized timelines and normalized scale visualization to highlight relative growth patterns.
- Pre-configured example comparisons (e.g., Tailwind CSS vs Bootstrap, Prisma vs Drizzle) allow instant access to curated benchmark data, reducing setup time for common technology evaluations.
Problems Solved
- npm.bet addresses the difficulty of manually aggregating and interpreting npm download statistics across multiple packages and time periods through automated data visualization.
- The tool primarily serves JavaScript/TypeScript developers, open-source maintainers, and technology decision-makers who require empirical data to evaluate library adoption.
- Typical use cases include assessing the viability of dependencies during project planning, benchmarking a package against alternatives, and presenting download trends in technical documentation or proposals.
Unique Advantages
- Unlike basic npm stat dashboards, npm.bet provides multi-package overlays with alignment controls, enabling direct performance comparisons with shared axes and time synchronization.
- The integration of React 19’s experimental features and Next.js 16’s server-side rendering ensures real-time data updates and sub-second response times for large dataset visualizations.
- Competitive advantages include pre-built comparisons for 12+ common technology pairs, GitHub authentication for saving custom package sets, and export-ready chart formats optimized for technical presentations.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- How does npm.bet retrieve package download data? npm.bet uses npm Registry’s public API combined with historical data caching to display accurate download counts, with weekly/yearly aggregation handled through server-side calculations.
- Can I compare packages not listed in the examples? Yes, users can input any npm package name in the search field and add it to the comparison chart, with automatic normalization for fair scale comparisons.
- Does npm.bet require GitHub authentication? GitHub login is optional but enables saving custom package sets and accessing private comparison history across devices.
- How frequently is the download data updated? Package statistics refresh every 4 hours, with timestamps displayed on each chart to indicate data freshness.
- Can I export charts for offline use? Yes, right-click any chart to export as SVG or PNG, with built-in metadata labeling for download timeframes and package versions.
