Portfinder is a simple Node.js library that helps you find unused ports on your system. It iterates through a range of port numbers, checking for availability. Ideal for avoiding port conflicts during development, testing, or production deployment, it ensures your applications can reliably bind to a free port. Offers customization of the port range and provides a callback or promise-based API for asynchronous port discovery. A useful utility for ensuring smooth network operations.
The npm package portfinder has seen inconsistent release frequency since its initial releases in 2011. There were periods of active development in 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2022. After August 2022, no new versions were released until February 2025, followed by further releases in March and April 2025. As of September 11, 2025, the package hasn't been updated since April 2025.
Portfinder npm package downloads show a generally increasing trend from March 2024 to August 2025, peaking in June and July 2025 around 42 million. September 2025 downloads are significantly lower at 11.5 million, but the data is incomplete as of September 11th.
