prebuild-install automates downloading prebuilt binaries for Node.js modules. It strategically identifies and downloads precompiled binaries based on the user's operating system, Node.js version, and architecture. This eliminates the need for local compilation during installation, improving installation speed and reducing build dependencies. If a prebuilt binary isn't available, it falls back to local compilation. Ideal for native addons that want to streamline the user experience.
The prebuild-install package had frequent releases between 2016 and 2021, with peaks in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2021. Release frequency significantly slowed down after 2021. There were no releases between September 2023 and January 2025, and no releases in the partial year of 2025 from February to August.
Prebuild-install downloads show a generally increasing trend from March 2024 to August 2025, reaching a peak in July 2025. Downloads consistently remained above 25 million per month. September 2025 data is incomplete, showing significantly lower downloads.
