Comparison
How pm3 compares to pm2, foreman, docker-compose, and supervisord.
pm3 occupies a specific niche: a developer-focused, single-binary process manager with a modern config format. Here's how it compares to popular alternatives.
pm3 vs pm2
pm2 is a popular Node.js process manager.
| pm3 | pm2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Runtime | Single Rust binary | Requires Node.js |
| Config format | TOML | JSON/YAML/JS |
| Language focus | Language-agnostic | Node.js-centric |
| Health checks | HTTP, HTTPS, TCP | Custom module |
| Zero-downtime reload | Built-in (blue-green) | Requires cluster mode |
| Process dependencies | Built-in (depends_on) | Not supported |
| Lifecycle hooks | Pre-start, post-stop | Not built-in |
| Cron restarts | Built-in | Custom module |
| Log rotation | Built-in | Requires pm2-logrotate |
| File watching | Built-in | Built-in |
| Memory limits | Built-in | Built-in |
| Cluster mode | Not supported | Built-in (Node.js) |
| Install size | ~10MB binary | ~50MB+ (Node.js + npm) |
Choose pm3 if you want a lightweight, language-agnostic process manager without a Node.js dependency.
pm3 vs foreman / overmind
foreman and overmind use Procfile-based configuration.
| pm3 | foreman / overmind | |
|---|---|---|
| Config format | TOML (rich) | Procfile (minimal) |
| Health checks | Built-in | Not supported |
| File watching | Built-in | Not supported |
| Memory limits | Built-in | Not supported |
| Dependencies | depends_on ordering | Not supported |
| Daemon mode | Background daemon | Foreground only |
| Restart policies | Configurable | Basic |
| Boot persistence | pm3 startup | External setup |
Choose pm3 if you need health checks, restart policies, or daemon mode. Choose foreman/overmind for simple foreground process running.
pm3 vs docker-compose
docker-compose manages containerized services.
| pm3 | docker-compose | |
|---|---|---|
| Isolation | OS processes | Docker containers |
| Config format | TOML | YAML |
| Setup overhead | Install one binary | Install Docker |
| Startup speed | Instant | Container pull/build |
| Resource usage | Native processes | Container overhead |
| Networking | Host networking | Virtual networking |
| Health checks | Built-in | Built-in |
| Dependencies | depends_on | depends_on |
Choose pm3 if you want to run processes directly without containers — especially for local development. Choose docker-compose for production deployments or when you need container isolation.
pm3 vs supervisord
supervisord is a traditional Unix process control system.
| pm3 | supervisord | |
|---|---|---|
| Runtime | Single Rust binary | Requires Python |
| Config format | TOML | INI |
| TUI | Built-in | Not built-in |
| Health checks | HTTP, HTTPS, TCP | Not built-in |
| File watching | Built-in | Not built-in |
| Memory limits | Built-in | Not built-in |
| Cross-platform | macOS, Linux, Windows | Unix only |
| Cron restarts | Built-in | Not built-in |
Choose pm3 if you want a modern alternative with more features and no Python dependency.
Summary
pm3's differentiators:
- Single binary — no runtime dependencies (Node.js, Python, Docker).
- TOML config — expressive but simple, with per-process options.
- Built-in TUI — real-time monitoring without external tools.
- Batteries included — health checks, file watching, memory limits, cron restarts, and environment-specific config all built in.
- Cross-platform — macOS, Linux, and Windows from the same binary.