boxen
Create visually styled boxes in the terminal for CLI output and notifications.
Dev workflow and config npm MIT
Used in agent projects
37
0.3% of 12,697 public repos built with AI coding agents
Rank in dev workflow and config
#47 of 88
by use in those projects
Downloads
29.1M
npm, last 7 days, boxen
GitHub stars
1,676
last push Sep 21, 2026
How boxen is used
boxen is a dependency in 37 of the 12,697 public GitHub projects set up for AI coding agents that we scanned (0.3%), #47 of 88 in dev workflow and config. The most used alternative there is dotenv. Projects that use it most often also use chalk (89.2%), dotenv (78.4%), ora (78.4%). It is more common in projects set up for Kiro (4.8%) than for GitHub Copilot (0.2%).
Often used with boxen
| chalk | 89.2% of boxen projects · 51.0× more than average |
|---|---|
| dotenv | 78.4% of boxen projects · 5.0× more than average |
| ora | 78.4% of boxen projects · 117.1× more than average |
| cli-table3 | 73.0% of boxen projects · 193.0× more than average |
| Commander | 73.0% of boxen projects · 50.1× more than average |
| gradient-string | 70.3% of boxen projects · 241.1× more than average |
| Inquirer.js | 70.3% of boxen projects · 106.2× more than average |
| figlet | 67.6% of boxen projects · 214.5× more than average |
By coding agent
| Cursor | 1.2% of projects set up for it |
|---|---|
| Claude Code | 0.6% of projects set up for it |
| Devin Desktop | 4.4% of projects set up for it |
| Kiro | 4.8% of projects set up for it |
| GitHub Copilot | 0.2% of projects set up for it |
Share of public repos configured for each agent that list boxen as a dependency.
Install
| Package | npm install boxen |
|---|---|
| Main stacks | TypeScript / JavaScript (28), Next.js (4), Python (3), Flutter (1) |
| Example projects | Hyk260/PureChat, evan043/claude-cli-advanced-starter-pack, richardsondx/checkmate, reverentgeek/reverentgeek-card, abja666/giwa |
Alternatives to boxen
| Tool | Used in agent projects | Downloads / wk | GitHub stars | License |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| dotenv npm Load environment variables from .env files into process.env. |
2,001 (15.8%) | 189M | 20.5K | BSD-2-Clause |
| python-dotenv pypi Load environment variables from .env files in Python applications. |
828 (6.5%) | 156M | 8,898 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Husky npm Modern Git hooks manager for running tasks on git events. |
797 (6.3%) | 36.2M | 35.3K | MIT |
| lint-staged npm Run linters on git staged files to catch issues before commit. |
591 (4.7%) | 29.5M | 14.7K | MIT |
| concurrently npm Run multiple npm scripts concurrently for efficient development workflows. |
572 (4.5%) | 22.2M | 7,856 | MIT |
| cross-env npm Set environment variables across Windows, Mac and Linux in npm scripts. |
265 (2.1%) | 25.8M | 6,521 | MIT |
| Pydantic Settings pypi Settings management and configuration from environment variables using Pydantic. |
251 (2.0%) | 96.8M | 1,475 | — |
| Rich pypi Python library for rich text and beautiful formatting in terminal output. |
243 (1.9%) | 117M | 57.5K | MIT |