Turborepo

What is Turborepo?

Turborepo is a high-performance build system designed for JavaScript and TypeScript monorepos. Developed by Vercel, Turborepo dramatically accelerates build times through intelligent caching, parallel execution, and incremental computation. The tool understands the dependency graph of your monorepo and executes only what’s necessary, skipping work that hasn’t changed since the last run.

Monorepos—single repositories containing multiple packages or applications—have become the preferred architecture for many organizations. However, as monorepos grow, build times can become painfully slow. Turborepo addresses this challenge by treating build tasks as a graph of dependencies and caching results both locally and remotely. When code changes, Turborepo identifies exactly which tasks need to run and which can use cached results from previous builds.

The impact on developer experience is substantial. Builds that previously took minutes complete in seconds. CI pipelines that consumed significant compute resources now finish faster while using fewer resources. Teams can structure code in monorepos without sacrificing the fast iteration speed of smaller repositories. Turborepo has quickly become essential infrastructure for organizations managing complex JavaScript codebases.

Key Features

• Intelligent Caching: Remembers previous task outputs and skips work when inputs haven’t changed. Local caching provides immediate speedups while remote caching shares results across team members and CI.
• Parallel Execution: Runs tasks in parallel based on the dependency graph. Maximizes CPU utilization while respecting dependencies between packages.
• Incremental Builds: Only rebuilds packages affected by changes. Understands dependencies between packages to determine minimum required work.
• Remote Caching: Share build caches across machines through Vercel’s remote cache or self-hosted solutions. CI builds benefit from developers’ local builds and vice versa.
• Pipeline Definition: Define task relationships in turbo.json configuration. Specify which tasks depend on others and how they should be cached.
• Pruned Subsets: Generate minimal subsets of the monorepo for deployments. Reduce Docker image sizes by including only necessary packages.
• Watch Mode: Continuously rebuild on file changes with dependency-aware task scheduling. Development servers stay synchronized across packages.
• Task Filtering: Run tasks for specific packages or based on changes since a git reference. Focus on relevant parts of large monorepos.
• Dry Run Mode: Preview what tasks would execute without running them. Understand the execution plan before committing to lengthy builds.
• Profiling: Generate detailed timing profiles for build optimization. Identify bottlenecks and opportunities for parallelization.

Recent Updates and Improvements

Turborepo has evolved rapidly since joining Vercel, with regular releases improving performance, adding features, and enhancing the developer experience.

• Rust Rewrite: Core engine rewritten in Rust for dramatically improved performance. Faster graph resolution, scheduling, and file hashing.
• Improved Watch Mode: More reliable file watching with better handling of rapid changes and complex package dependencies.
• Enhanced Remote Caching: Better artifact storage, faster uploads/downloads, and improved cache hit rates through smarter hashing.
• Generator Support: Built-in code generation capabilities for creating new packages from templates within monorepos.
• Codemods: Automated migrations for configuration changes between versions, simplifying upgrades.
• Daemon Mode: Background process that maintains file system state for faster subsequent runs.
• Better Error Messages: Clearer error reporting with actionable suggestions for common configuration issues.
• UI Improvements: Enhanced terminal output with better progress visualization and task status reporting.

System Requirements

Development Environment

• Node.js: Version 16.8 or later
• Package Manager: npm, yarn, pnpm, or bun
• Operating System: Windows, macOS, or Linux
• RAM: 4 GB minimum (8 GB recommended for large monorepos)
• Storage: Varies by project (cache size scales with build outputs)

CI/CD Requirements

• Any CI platform (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, CircleCI, etc.)
• Remote cache access (Vercel or self-hosted)
• Sufficient disk space for local caching during builds

How to Install Turborepo

Adding to Existing Monorepo

# Install Turborepo
npm install turbo --save-dev

# Or with other package managers
yarn add turbo --dev
pnpm add turbo --save-dev

# Create turbo.json configuration
{
  "$schema": "https://turbo.build/schema.json",
  "pipeline": {
    "build": {
      "dependsOn": ["^build"],
      "outputs": ["dist/**"]
    },
    "test": {
      "dependsOn": ["build"],
      "outputs": []
    },
    "lint": {
      "outputs": []
    },
    "dev": {
      "cache": false,
      "persistent": true
    }
  }
}

# Add scripts to package.json
{
  "scripts": {
    "build": "turbo run build",
    "test": "turbo run test",
    "lint": "turbo run lint",
    "dev": "turbo run dev"
  }
}

Creating New Monorepo

# Create new monorepo with Turborepo
npx create-turbo@latest

# Follow prompts to select:
# - Package manager (npm, yarn, pnpm)
# - Template (basic, design system, etc.)
# - Remote caching setup

# Start development
cd my-turborepo
npm run dev

Remote Caching Setup

# Login to Vercel for remote caching
npx turbo login

# Link repository to Vercel
npx turbo link

# Or use self-hosted cache
# Set environment variables:
TURBO_API=https://your-cache-server.com
TURBO_TOKEN=your-token
TURBO_TEAM=your-team

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Dramatic Speed Improvements: Builds that took minutes can complete in seconds through caching and parallelization. The difference is immediately noticeable.
• Easy Adoption: Incrementally adoptable in existing monorepos. Start with basic configuration and expand as needed.
• Remote Caching: Share build results across team members and CI. Everyone benefits from others’ build work.
• Vercel Integration: Seamless integration with Vercel hosting for deployed applications. Automatic cache management.
• Package Manager Agnostic: Works with npm, yarn, pnpm, and bun. Doesn’t force package manager decisions.
• Well Documented: Comprehensive documentation with examples for common scenarios and migration guides.
• Active Development: Regular releases with performance improvements and new features backed by Vercel.

Cons

• Configuration Learning Curve: Effective use requires understanding pipeline configuration, caching behavior, and monorepo architecture.
• Remote Cache Costs: Vercel remote caching has usage limits on free tier. Large teams may need paid plans or self-hosting.
• JavaScript/TypeScript Focus: Designed specifically for JS/TS ecosystems. Not suitable for other language monorepos.
• Debugging Complexity: Cache invalidation issues can be difficult to diagnose when builds behave unexpectedly.
• Ecosystem Lock-in: Deep integration with Vercel may influence hosting and tooling decisions.

Turborepo vs Alternatives

Who Should Use Turborepo?

Turborepo is ideal for:

• Monorepo Users: Any team managing multiple packages in a single repository will benefit from intelligent caching and parallel execution.
• Slow Build Sufferers: Organizations frustrated with long build times can see immediate improvements with minimal configuration.
• Vercel Users: Teams already deploying to Vercel get seamless integration and optimized build pipelines.
• Growing Teams: Organizations scaling their codebases benefit from remote caching as team size increases.
• CI Optimization: Teams spending significant resources on CI compute can reduce costs through caching.
• TypeScript Projects: The TypeScript-first design works particularly well with strongly-typed codebases.

Turborepo may not be ideal for:

• Single Package Projects: Simple projects without monorepo structure don’t benefit from Turborepo’s features.
• Non-JavaScript: Projects in other languages need different tools designed for their ecosystems.
• Maximum Flexibility: Teams needing extensive customization may find Nx’s broader feature set more suitable.
• Offline Development: Heavy reliance on remote caching assumes consistent network access.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much faster will my builds be?

Results vary by project, but teams commonly report 40-85% faster builds with local caching alone. Remote caching can achieve near-instant builds when tasks haven’t changed. The actual improvement depends on how much work can be cached and parallelized. Projects with many interdependent packages see the largest gains. Turborepo provides profiling tools to measure actual impact in your specific codebase.

Do I need Vercel to use Turborepo?

No, Turborepo works independently of Vercel. Local caching works without any account. For remote caching, you can use Vercel’s service (with free and paid tiers) or self-host a compatible cache server. Turborepo is open source and can be used with any hosting provider. The Vercel integration provides convenience but isn’t required for core functionality.

How does Turborepo compare to Nx?

Turborepo focuses specifically on build speed through caching and parallelization with minimal configuration. Nx provides a broader feature set including code generation, dependency graph visualization, and multi-language support. Turborepo is easier to adopt incrementally while Nx offers more capabilities for teams wanting comprehensive monorepo tooling. Many teams choose Turborepo for simplicity and Nx for advanced features.

Can I use Turborepo with my existing monorepo?

Yes, Turborepo is designed for incremental adoption. Add it to existing monorepos by installing the package and creating a turbo.json configuration. You can start with a few tasks and expand coverage over time. Turborepo works alongside existing tooling and doesn’t require restructuring your repository.

How does remote caching work?

When a task completes, Turborepo hashes the inputs (source files, dependencies, environment) and uploads the outputs to the remote cache with that hash as a key. When anyone runs the same task with identical inputs, Turborepo downloads the cached output instead of running the task. This sharing across developers and CI dramatically reduces duplicate work.

Final Verdict

Turborepo delivers on its core promise: making monorepo builds fast. The intelligent caching system, combined with parallel execution and remote cache sharing, transforms the development experience for teams working in multi-package repositories. What previously felt like the cost of monorepo architecture becomes instead a well-optimized workflow.

The tool’s focused approach—doing one thing exceptionally well—makes it approachable for teams of any size. Adding Turborepo to an existing monorepo requires minimal configuration yet provides immediate benefits. This low barrier to entry combined with substantial impact explains the rapid adoption across the JavaScript ecosystem.

For organizations managing JavaScript or TypeScript monorepos, Turborepo represents essential infrastructure. The time saved on every build, across every developer and CI run, compounds into significant productivity gains. Whether you’re frustrated with slow builds or proactively optimizing developer experience, Turborepo provides a clear path to faster iteration cycles with minimal investment.