How to Install Node.js using NVM on MacOS and Ubuntu

NVM (Node Version Manager) is the recommended way to install Node.js on macOS and Linux. It lets you install multiple Node.js versions and switch between them without sudo. This guide covers installation on both macOS and Ubuntu, plus how to manage multiple Node versions.

Why NVM instead of direct install

Installing Node.js directly from the official installer or your OS package manager works, but it has downsides:

• System packages are often outdated (Ubuntu’s default repo can be months behind).
• You need sudo to install global npm packages, which is a permission headache.
• Switching between Node versions for different projects is painful.

NVM solves all three. Each Node version installs in your home directory (~/.nvm/versions/node/), and switching is instant.

1. Install NVM

macOS

Make sure Xcode Command Line Tools are installed first:

xcode-select --install

Then install NVM using the official install script:

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.5/install.sh | bash

This clones NVM to ~/.nvm and adds the necessary lines to your shell profile (~/.zshrc on modern macOS, since zsh is the default shell since macOS 10.15).

Reload your shell:

source ~/.zshrc

Verify it works:

nvm --version

You should see 0.40.5.

Note on Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) Macs: Node.js v16+ has native arm64 support, so NVM works out of the box. If you need to run Node.js versions older than v16, you’ll need to use Rosetta — see the NVM docs for Apple Silicon.

Don’t use Homebrew to install NVM. The NVM maintainers explicitly say Homebrew installation is not supported. If you already have it installed via Homebrew, uninstall it first with brew uninstall nvm and use the script above.

Ubuntu

Install curl if you don’t have it:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install curl -y

Then run the official install script:

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.5/install.sh | bash

The script clones NVM to ~/.nvm and adds the source lines to ~/.bashrc. Reload your shell:

source ~/.bashrc

Verify:

nvm --version

That’s it. No sudo needed, no system-level changes.

YouTube walkthrough

2. Install Node.js with NVM

NVM works the same on macOS and Ubuntu from here on.

Install the latest LTS version

The --lts flag installs the latest Long-Term Support release. As of mid-2026, that’s Node.js 24 (codename Krypton):

nvm install --lts

Verify:

node --version
# v24.x.x
npm --version

Install a specific version

nvm install 22

This installs the latest v22.x release (codename Jod, also LTS).

Switch between versions

nvm use 24
nvm use 22

Check what’s installed:

nvm ls

Set a default version

The first version you install becomes the default for new shells. To change it:

nvm alias default 24

Use a .nvmrc file (per-project Node version)

Create a .nvmrc file in your project root:

echo "22" > .nvmrc

Then when you cd into that project directory:

nvm use
# Found .nvmrc with version <22>
# Now using node v22.22.1

If the version isn’t installed yet, nvm install will download it automatically.

Current Node.js release schedule

Version	Codename	Status	EOL
v26	—	Current (May 2026)	—
v24	Krypton	Active LTS	Apr 2028
v22	Jod	Maintenance LTS	Apr 2027
v20	Iron	EOL (Apr 2026)	—
v18	Hydrogen	EOL (Apr 2025)	—
v16	Gallium	EOL (Sep 2023)	—

Use v24 for new projects. Use v22 if your project or dependencies haven’t caught up yet. Avoid v20 and older.

Starting with Node.js 27 (October 2026), the release cycle moves to one major version per year instead of two.

Useful NVM commands

Command	What it does
nvm install --lts	Install latest LTS
nvm install 24	Install specific major version
nvm install 22.10.0	Install exact version
nvm use 24	Switch to version
nvm ls	List installed versions
nvm ls-remote --lts	List all available LTS versions
nvm alias default 24	Set default for new shells
nvm uninstall 18	Remove a version
nvm current	Show active version

Troubleshooting

nvm: command not found after install

Your shell profile wasn’t sourced. Try closing and reopening your terminal. If that doesn’t work, check that ~/.zshrc (macOS) or ~/.bashrc (Ubuntu) contains the NVM lines. You can also run:

source ~/.nvm/nvm.sh

npm global packages need sudo

If you’re using sudo npm install -g <package>, something is wrong. NVM-installed Node doesn’t need sudo for global packages. If you have an ~/.npmrc file with a prefix setting, remove it.

Old Node version shows up after opening a new terminal

Run nvm alias default to see what’s set. Fix it with nvm alias default <version>.

which nvm returns nothing

That’s expected. NVM is a shell function, not a binary. Use command -v nvm instead.