| Parsing |
Async |
Sync |
Sync |
| Custom parsing |
✅ |
❌ |
❌ |
| Validation |
Async |
Sync |
Sync |
| Custom validation |
✅ |
✅ |
❌ |
| Command execution |
Async, awaits completion |
Sync, fire-and-forget |
Sync, fire-and-forget |
| Commands inline |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
| Commands via file/module |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
| Commands via directory |
✅ |
✅ |
❌ |
| Arbitrary levels of nested commands |
✅ |
✅ |
❌ |
| Default command |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
| Command aliases |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
| Commands with positional arguments |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
| Positional arguments without a command |
✅ |
❌ |
✅ |
| Positional argument aliases |
✅ |
✅ |
❌ |
| Positional arguments with optional flags |
✅ |
❌ |
❌ |
| Define types for positional arguments |
✅ |
❌ |
❌ |
| Variadic positional arguments |
Anywhere |
Last positional only |
Last positional only |
| Descriptions for positional arguments in help text |
✅ |
❌ |
❌ |
| Auto-generated help text |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
| Override auto-generated help text |
✅ |
❌ |
❌ |
| Customize auto-generated help text piece-meal |
✅ |
❌ |
❌ |
| Style help text differently for errors |
✅ |
❌ |
❌ |
| Placeholders for flagged options in help text |
✅ |
❌ |
✅ |
| Built-in support for i18n |
❌ |
✅ |
❌ |
| Built-in support for showing help text by default (i.e. no args) |
✅ |
Only via validation |
❌ |
| Custom grouping of options in help text |
✅ |
✅ |
❌ |
| Custom grouping of commands in help text |
✅ |
❌ |
❌ |
| Custom coercion of argument/option values |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
| Validate user input before applying coercion |
✅ |
❌ |
❌ |
| Array options |
✅ |
✅ |
Only via custom coercion |
| Define subtype for array option |
✅ |
❌ |
❌ |
| Array parsing supports comma (or other delimiter) separated values |
✅ |
❌ |
❌ |
| Number options |
✅ |
✅ |
Only via custom coercion |
| Path/file/directory options |
✅ |
❌ |
❌ |
| Count options |
Only via custom type |
✅ |
Only via custom coercion |
| Enum/choices options |
✅ |
✅ |
Via RegExp or custom coercion |
| Config file options |
Only via custom type |
✅ |
Only via custom coercion |
Customize special --help option |
✅ |
✅ |
❌ |
Customize special --version option |
✅ |
✅ |
❌ |
| Auto package version lookup |
✅ |
✅ |
❌ |
| Ability to plug in customized components |
✅ |
❌ |
❌ |
| Support for ignorables in positional argument DSL |
✅ |
❌ |
❌ |
| Parsing result provides details of where argument/option value came from |
✅ |
❌ |
❌ |
| Implies/conflicts option validation |
Only via custom check |
✅ |
❌ |
| Converts multi-word aliases to camelCase |
❌ |
✅ |
✅ |
| Parses environment variables |
On roadmap |
✅ |
❌ |
| Lookup program config in package.json |
❌ |
✅ |
❌ |
| Parsing supports dot-notation for object properties |
❌ |
✅ |
❌ |
Parsing supports --no- prefix for boolean negation |
On roadmap |
✅ |
✅ |
| Ability to recommend commands on no command match |
❌ |
✅ |
❌ |
| Support for generating bash completion script |
❌ |
✅ |
❌ |
| Parsing of undeclared options |
✅ |
✅ |
❌ |
Parses process.argv by default |
✅ |
✅ |
❌ |
| Parsing accepts strings |
✅ |
✅ |
❌ |
| Populates parsing result with all aliases |
✅ |
✅ |
❌ |
Number of packages installed during npm install |
1 |
69 |
1 |
| Compatible with Node.js versions |
4+ |
4+ |
All |
