Introduction
As teams grow and codebases expand, managing multiple repositories becomes harder. Dependencies drift, tooling diverges, and changes take longer to coordinate. Monorepos solve these problems by keeping related projects in a single repository. Tools like Nx and Turborepo make monorepos fast, scalable, and developer-friendly. In this guide, you will learn when a monorepo makes sense, how Nx and Turborepo differ, and which tool fits your team best.
Why Teams Choose a Monorepo
Before adopting a monorepo, it helps to understand the benefits. In many cases, shared ownership and tooling bring clear gains.
• Shared code is easier to reuse
• Dependencies stay consistent
• Refactors span projects safely
• Tooling and scripts are unified
• CI pipelines become simpler
As a result, teams move faster and reduce long-term maintenance cost.
Common Monorepo Challenges
However, monorepos also introduce risks if not managed well.
• Slow builds without proper caching
• Hard-to-understand dependency graphs
• Large pull requests
• Tooling complexity
• CI performance issues
This is where Nx and Turborepo add real value.
What Is Nx?
Nx is a powerful monorepo platform with deep tooling and strong project awareness. It works well for large teams and complex systems.
Core Features of Nx
• Smart task scheduling
• Dependency graph visualization
• Affected-only builds and tests
• Built-in code generators
• Strong TypeScript support
Because Nx understands your workspace deeply, it can optimize tasks automatically.
Example Nx Workspace
npx create-nx-workspace@latest my-workspace
This command creates a structured workspace with apps and libraries ready to scale.
What Is Turborepo?
Turborepo focuses on speed and simplicity. It works on top of existing package managers and adds powerful caching.
Core Features of Turborepo
• Incremental builds
• Local and remote caching
• Simple configuration
• Works with npm, pnpm, and yarn
• Minimal learning curve
As a result, Turborepo is easy to adopt in existing projects.
Example Turborepo Setup
npx create-turbo@latest
This creates a lightweight monorepo with shared packages and apps.
Task Execution and Caching
Both tools optimize task execution, but they do so differently.
Nx Task Execution
Nx runs tasks only when affected projects change. Therefore, unrelated apps are skipped.
• Fine-grained dependency tracking
• Fast incremental builds
• Strong CI optimization
Turborepo Task Execution
Turborepo relies heavily on caching.
• Hash-based task results
• Instant rebuilds when nothing changes
• Simple pipeline configuration
For many teams, caching alone delivers huge speed improvements.
Configuration and Learning Curve
Tooling choice often depends on how much structure a team wants.
Nx Configuration
• More configuration upfront
• Opinionated project structure
• Strong conventions
• Higher initial learning curve
Turborepo Configuration
• Minimal setup
• Flexible structure
• Fewer abstractions
• Faster onboarding
Therefore, smaller teams often prefer Turborepo, while larger teams benefit from Nx.
CI/CD Integration
Monorepos shine when CI pipelines are optimized.
• Nx supports affected-only CI runs
• Turborepo supports cached CI tasks
• Both reduce unnecessary work
• Both integrate with GitHub Actions
Choosing the right tool can significantly lower CI time and cost.
When to Use Nx
Nx is a strong choice when you need:
• Large monorepos with many apps
• Clear dependency boundaries
• Advanced code generation
• Strong architectural enforcement
• Long-term scalability
In these cases, structure becomes an advantage.
When to Use Turborepo
Turborepo works best when you want:
• Quick monorepo adoption
• Simple configuration
• Fast builds through caching
• Flexibility over strict rules
• Minimal tooling overhead
For many JavaScript teams, this balance is ideal.
Nx vs Turborepo: A Practical Summary
• Nx favors structure and deep analysis
• Turborepo favors speed and simplicity
• Nx scales better for large organizations
• Turborepo shines in small to medium teams
• Both significantly improve developer experience
The right choice depends more on team needs than raw features.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Adopting a Monorepo Too Early
Small projects may not need the added complexity.
Ignoring Dependency Boundaries
Without clear boundaries, monorepos become messy.
Skipping CI Optimization
Monorepos require smart CI to stay fast.
Avoiding these mistakes ensures long-term success.
Conclusion
Monorepos can greatly improve collaboration, consistency, and developer speed when used correctly. Tools like Nx and Turborepo make monorepos practical by solving build performance and tooling challenges. If you want to improve large-scale JavaScript workflows, read Modern ECMAScript Features You Might Have Missed. For automation and delivery strategies, see CI/CD for Node.js Projects Using GitHub Actions. You can also explore the Nx documentation and the Turborepo documentation. By choosing the right monorepo tool, teams can scale codebases without slowing development.
