# Swift Package Manager

11 Hacker News commenters recommended Swift Package Manager and 10 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 8 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** Apple's built-in package manager for Swift, praised for simplicity, team use and mixing languages; critics cite rough Xcode integration and slow builds.

## Why people recommend it

- Simple and workable for teams (2 comments): "keeps things simple and working with multiple people is much more a breeze this way" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48911905)) "most people seem to get on well with it" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46842231))
- Modular packages across apps (2 comments): "write the bulk of your app as an SPM package using your editor of choice" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48002077)) "break out all of your code into SPM packages/targets" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46880998))
- Handles mixed languages and Android (2 comments): "I'd much rather go the other direction and use Swift Package Manager and the associated toolchain on Android." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49646391)) "handles Swift, ObjC, C, C++ in the same project" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46731572))

## What people warn about

- Rough edges and Xcode friction (4 comments): "I like the SPM, but it definitely has its "rough edges."" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48652021)) "Things Go Wrong all the time when trying to replace parts while driving, and there's very little visibility or control over the interactions between SPM and Xcode." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47534448)) "Swift Packages (especially CLIs) doesn't always feel great" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46622890))
- Builds fail or run slowly (2 comments): ""won’t build if the product / target has the same name as one of its classes" is absolutely ridiculous" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46842634)) "The only solutions for fast builds are to stop using SPM" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46712976))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Nix](https://hackerapproved.com/p/nix.md): 378 recommend
- [Homebrew](https://hackerapproved.com/p/homebrew.md): 271 recommend
- [npm](https://hackerapproved.com/p/npm.md): 161 recommend
- [pnpm](https://hackerapproved.com/p/pnpm.md): 124 recommend
- [Cargo](https://hackerapproved.com/p/cargo.md): 123 recommend

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Swift Package Manager", https://hackerapproved.com/p/swift-package-manager/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).