fnm vs mise
fnm
github.commise
mise.jdx.devSide by side
| Figure | fnm | mise |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Runtime Version Managers | 7.9 (#8) | 7.7 (#12) |
| Spec score · Development Environment Managers | 7.8 (#21) | 7.6 (#31) |
| License | The repository identifies its license as GPL-3.0. | The project is open source and MIT licensed. |
| Purpose | fnm is a fast and simple Node.js version manager built in Rust. | mise manages development tools, environment variables, and project tasks through a project configuration file. |
Plans
In their own words
fnm
fnm is a free Node.js version manager built in Rust for developers working from a command line or shell. It runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux, and is distributed as a single file through installation scripts, package managers, Cargo, or release binaries. It reads `.node-version` and `.nvmrc` files, so projects can specify a Node.js version. Shell setup can also enable automatic version switching when changing directories. The project provides setup instructions for Bash, Zsh, Fish, PowerShell, Windows Command Prompt, and Cmder. Its binary includes completions for Bash, Zsh, Fish, and PowerShell. On macOS and Linux, the installation script requires `curl` and `unzip`. The repository identifies the license as GPL-3.0 and invites pull requests, with issues available for project interaction. No paid plans are listed. The project page reports no published security advisories, while also noting that it has not set up a SECURITY.md file.
mise
mise is a free, MIT-licensed open-source tool for managing development runtimes, command-line tools, environment variables, and project tasks from a configuration file. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows and lists a registry of more than 1,000 tools. Projects can pin tool versions and share those choices with teams and continuous-integration systems. Configuration can load variables from dotenv files, secrets, and shell commands. Tasks can define build, test, lint, and other commands with dependencies and arguments, with task graphs, affected-build handling, and remote caching listed. The bootstrap command can declare packages, dotfiles, repositories, and services for machine setup. Shell hooks cover bash, zsh, fish, nushell, PowerShell, and other shells. Documentation describes GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, and Xcode Cloud use. Community plugins are listed for Emacs, IntelliJ, Neovim, and VSCode, with support depending on editor, extension, and language. Security controls include trust settings, safe and paranoid modes, checksums, signatures, provenance, and artifact attestations.