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Comparison guide

@changesets/cli vs Release-it

Side-by-side NPM package comparison

Quick Verdict

Smallest Bundle

Release-it

363.9 KB gzipped

Most Popular

@changesets/cli

4.2M weekly downloads

Best Maintained

@changesets/cli

100/100 maintenance score

Highest Quality

@changesets/cli

50/100 quality score

Overall Pick

@changesets/cli

Best all-around based on popularity, size, maintenance & quality

@changesets/cli icon

@changesets/cli

Very Popular

Version 2.31.1

0
85
Excellent

Organise your package versioning and publishing to make both contributors and maintainers happy

Weekly Downloads
4.2M
10%
Bundle (gzip)
466.3 KB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
100
Popularity
100
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70
release-it icon

release-it

Popular

Version 21.0.1

0
83
Excellent

Generic CLI tool to automate versioning and package publishing-related tasks.

Weekly Downloads
879.8K
12%
Bundle (gzip)
363.9 KB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
100
Popularity
90
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70

Choosing between @changesets/cli and Release-it? Here's a data-driven comparison based on real npm data — downloads, bundle size, health scores, and more — to help you decide which package fits your project best.

Downloads & Popularity

@changesets/cli leads with 4.2M weekly downloads — roughly 4.8x more. Release-it has 879.8K weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.

Bundle Size

Release-it has the smallest gzipped bundle at 363.9 KB. @changesets/cli comes in at 466.3 KB. A smaller bundle size means faster page loads, which improves user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.

Health Score Comparison

@changesets/cli has an overall health score of 85/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. Release-it has an overall health score of 83/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. Health scores are calculated from maintenance activity, code quality, security posture, popularity, and stability metrics.

When to Choose Each

Choose @changesets/cli if you value large community support, actively maintained, strong security track record. Choose Release-it if you value actively maintained, strong security track record.

Our Verdict

Both @changesets/cli and Release-it are solid choices for JavaScript development. @changesets/cli has the edge in overall health score (85/100), while each package brings unique strengths to the table. Evaluate them based on your project's priorities — whether that's community size, bundle efficiency, or maintenance activity — and choose the one that aligns best with your requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is @changesets/cli better than release-it?
It depends on your needs. @changesets/cli has a health score of 85/100 while Release-it scores 83/100. @changesets/cli has more weekly downloads (4.2M), suggesting broader adoption. Consider your specific requirements — bundle size, community support, and feature set — to decide which is the better fit.
Which has a smaller bundle size, @changesets/cli or release-it?
Release-it has the smaller gzipped bundle at 363.9 KB. A smaller bundle means faster load times for your users, which can positively impact SEO and user experience.
How many developers use @changesets/cli vs release-it?
Based on npm download statistics, @changesets/cli has approximately 4.2M weekly downloads and Release-it has approximately 879.8K weekly downloads. These numbers reflect package installations, not unique developers, but they indicate relative adoption levels.
Which is better maintained, @changesets/cli or release-it?
@changesets/cli currently has the higher overall health score at 85/100. @changesets/cli has a maintenance score of 100/100 and Release-it scores 100/100 on maintenance.

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