What is the difference between npm and npx?

Direct answer

npm installs and manages package dependencies in node_modules; npx executes package binaries — locally from node_modules/.bin or temporarily downloading a package — without global install, ideal for one-off CLIs like create-* scaffolds and tsx scripts.

npm is the package manager — install, update, audit, publish. npx is the package runner — run a command from a dependency without polluting global PATH.

Command	Purpose	Example
npm install pkg	Add dependency to project	npm install fastify
npm run script	Run package.json script	npm run content:import:interviews
npx tsx file.ts	Run local or fetch tsx	npx tsx src/scripts/seed.ts
npx create-next-app	One-shot scaffold	No global create-next-app needed

Workspaces — npm install at monorepo root hoists shared deps; --workspace targets apps/api.
npm ci — clean install from lockfile in CI; faster and reproducible.
npx vs npm exec — npm exec is the modern equivalent; npx remains widely used.

npm-npx.sh

# Install dev tool in monorepo
npm install -D tsx --workspace @acedevhub/api

# Run without adding to scripts
npx tsx apps/api/src/scripts/import-content-interviews.ts

# Workspace-scoped script (preferred in AceDevHub)
npm run content:import:interviews --workspace @acedevhub/api