Why is npm installed together with Node.js?

npm is installed together with Node.js because it is the standard package manager for the Node.js ecosystem. Node is a runtime environment, while npm is the tool that handles dependencies and the module ecosystem.

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#Reasons why they ship together

1. The need for dependency management Most Node.js projects use third-party libraries. Without a package manager, a developer would have to manually download, store, and wire up every dependency.
2. A single ecosystem standard npm is the official tool maintained as part of Node.js. This guarantees that every developer has the same baseline toolkit.
3. Ready to work out of the box After installing Node.js you can immediately:

• install packages (npm install)
• run scripts (npm run)
• create projects (npm init)

4. A centralized ecosystem npm is tied to the npm registry, the largest store of JS packages. So it makes sense to include it by default.

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#Summary

npm is installed together with Node.js because it is needed to work with libraries, is the standard package manager in the ecosystem, and lets you start developing right after installing Node.js.