Comparisons
This comparison shows how vlt’s Serverless Registry (VSR) stacks up against other popular npm registry solutions in the market.
Core Features
Package Management
| Feature | VSR | npm | GitHub | Verdaccio | JSR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publishing | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Installation | ● | ● | ● | ● | ◐ |
| Search | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Scoped Packages | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Unscoped Packages | ● | ● | ○ | ● | ○ |
| Proxying Upstream | ● | ○ | ◐ | ● | ○ |
Deployment & Hosting
| Feature | VSR | npm | GitHub | Verdaccio | JSR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hosted Instance | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Self-Hosted | ● | ○ | ◐ | ● | ● |
| Hosted Cost | $ | Free | $$$$ | — | — |
| Self-Hosted Cost | Free | — | $$$$$ | $ | $ |
Security & Enterprise
| Feature | VSR | npm | GitHub | Verdaccio | JSR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Access Controls | ● | ◐ | ○ | ● | ○ |
| Manifest Validation | ● | ◐ | ○ | ○ | ◐ |
| Audit Capabilities | ◇ | ◐ | ○ | ◐ | ◐ |
| Events/Hooks | ◇ | ○ | ● | ○ | ○ |
Enterprise Solutions Comparison
| Feature | VSR | jFrog | Sonatype | Cloudsmith | Buildkite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| License | Open | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed |
| Self-Hosted | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Hosted Cost | $ | $$$$ | $$$$ | $$$$ | $$$ |
| Access Controls | ● | ◐ | ◐ | ◐ | ◐ |
Legend
- ● Full Support - Complete feature implementation
- ◐ Limited Support - Available with restrictions
- ◇ Planned - Scheduled for future development
- ○ Not Available - Feature is not supported
- — Not Applicable - Does not apply to this solution
Cost Indicators
- Free - No cost
- $ to $$$$$ - Relative cost scale (low to very high)
- Green = Low cost, Amber = Medium cost, Red = High cost
Key Advantages of VSR
Open Source & Cost Effective
VSR is licensed under FSL-1.1-MIT, providing transparency and eventual full open source availability. The serverless architecture significantly reduces operational costs compared to traditional enterprise solutions.
Full npm Compatibility
Unlike some alternatives that only support scoped packages or have limitations with upstream proxying, VSR provides complete compatibility with the npm ecosystem while adding modern features.
Self-Hosting Freedom
While many enterprise solutions lock you into their hosted platforms, VSR gives you the choice to self-host with minimal operational overhead, thanks to its serverless design.
Modern Architecture
Built with modern JavaScript/TypeScript, VSR leverages current best practices and tooling, making it easier to customize, extend, and maintain compared to legacy solutions.
Use Cases
Enterprise Teams
Perfect for organizations that need private package hosting with enterprise-grade security and access controls, but want to avoid the high costs of traditional enterprise registries.
Open Source Projects
Ideal for open source maintainers who want more control over their package distribution without the complexity of managing traditional registry infrastructure.
Development Teams
Great for teams that need reliable package management with the flexibility to customize and extend functionality as their needs evolve.