dep-size

Check npm package install size, dependency count, and bundle impact — before you npm install.

Why?

Every npm install adds weight. Large dependencies slow down CI pipelines, bloat Docker images, increase serverless cold starts, and expand your attack surface. dep-size lets you check what you're about to add — size, dependencies, file count — in seconds, from your terminal.

Install

npm install -g dep-size-cli

Or run instantly with npx (no install needed):

npx dep-size-cli express lodash axios

Usage

# Check a single package
dep-size express

# Compare multiple packages (sort by size!)
dep-size axios got node-fetch undici --sort

# Show dependency tree
dep-size express --tree --depth=2

# JSON output for scripts/CI
dep-size react --json

# CI gate: fail if package exceeds size threshold
dep-size my-lib --warn=500KB

Example Output

  express@4.21.0
    Size:    214.0 KB (unpacked)
    Total:   ~1.8 MB (with all deps)
    Files:   72
    Deps:    31  accepts, array-flatten, body-parser, content-disposition...
    License: MIT

    Dependency tree:
      ├── accepts@1.3.8 (5.3 KB)
      │   ├── mime-types@2.1.35 (4.2 KB)
      │   └── negotiator@0.6.3 (4.8 KB)
      ├── body-parser@1.20.3 (18.1 KB)
      └── ...

Features

• ⚡ Fast — queries npm registry directly, zero overhead
• 📦 Size check — see unpacked size before installing
• 🌳 Dependency tree — visualize what gets pulled in with --tree
• 📊 Total install size — estimated total including all transitive deps
• 🔢 Dependency count — know what you're pulling in
• 🔀 Compare & sort — side-by-side comparison with --sort (largest first)
• 🚨 CI gate — --warn=SIZE exits with code 1 if threshold exceeded
• 📋 JSON output — pipe into scripts and CI pipelines
• 🪶 Zero dependencies — just Node.js built-ins

Options

Flag	Description
--json	Output as JSON
--tree	Show dependency tree
--depth=N	Tree depth (default: 3)
--sort	Sort results by size (largest first)
--warn=SIZE	Exit 1 if any package exceeds threshold (e.g. 500KB, 1MB)

Use Cases

Choosing Between Alternatives

Before picking an HTTP library, compare them:

dep-size axios got node-fetch undici --sort

Auditing Existing Dependencies

Check every dependency in your project:

dep-size $(node -e "console.log(Object.keys(require('./package.json').dependencies).join(' '))")

CI Size Gate

Prevent dependency bloat in your pipeline:

dep-size my-package --warn=2MB --json

Understanding Transitive Dependencies

See the full picture of what express pulls in:

dep-size express --tree --depth=3

Docker Image Optimization

Audit deps before building production images — identify the heaviest packages and find lighter alternatives.

GitHub Actions Example

- name: Check dependency sizes
  run: |
    npx dep-size-cli my-package --warn=2MB
    npx dep-size-cli $(node -e "console.log(Object.keys(require('./package.json').dependencies).join(' '))") --sort --json > dep-report.json

- name: Upload size report
  uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
  with:
    name: dependency-sizes
    path: dep-report.json

Comparison

Tool	What it does	Install size	Dependencies
dep-size	Check size before installing	tiny	0
packagephobia	Web-based size check	N/A (web)	N/A
bundlephobia	Bundle size (browser)	N/A (web)	N/A
cost-of-modules	Size of installed deps	large	many
npm pack --dry-run	Tarball size only	built-in	N/A

dep-size is the only zero-dependency CLI that shows install size, dependency tree, and supports CI gating — all from your terminal.

Related Tools

Other zero-dependency CLI tools by kszongic:

• commitwiz-ai — AI-powered git commit messages
• npm-name-check — Check npm package name availability
• env-lint-cli — Lint .env files against .env.example
• license-maker — Generate LICENSE files from the CLI

License

MIT © kszongic

Support

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