Node.js Version History

4 active, 21 end-of-life. 25 versions tracked.

Node.js ships a new major version every 6 months, in April and October. Even-numbered releases become Long-Term Support (LTS), while odd-numbered releases are short-lived Current releases aimed at early adopters.

Recommendation

For new projects, start with Node.js 24 LTS. It entered Active LTS in October 2025 and is supported until April 2028. Node.js 22 LTS is also solid if you need maximum ecosystem maturity (supported until April 2027).

Version Released End of Life Latest Patch Status
Node.js 25 October 15, 2025 June 1, 2026 25.8.0 Active
Node.js 24 LTS May 6, 2025 April 30, 2028 24.14.0 LTS — Active
Node.js 23 October 16, 2024 June 1, 2025 23.11.1 End of Life
Node.js 22 LTS April 24, 2024 April 30, 2027 22.22.1 Security Only
Node.js 21 October 17, 2023 June 1, 2024 21.7.3 End of Life
Node.js 20 LTS April 18, 2023 April 30, 2026 20.20.1 Security Only
Node.js 19 October 18, 2022 June 1, 2023 19.9.0 End of Life
Node.js 18 LTS April 19, 2022 April 30, 2025 18.20.8 End of Life
Node.js 17 October 19, 2021 June 1, 2022 17.9.1 End of Life
Node.js 16 LTS April 20, 2021 September 11, 2023 16.20.2 End of Life
Node.js 15 October 20, 2020 June 1, 2021 15.14.0 End of Life
Node.js 14 LTS April 21, 2020 April 30, 2023 14.21.3 End of Life
Node.js 13 October 22, 2019 June 1, 2020 13.14.0 End of Life
Node.js 12 LTS April 23, 2019 April 30, 2022 12.22.12 End of Life
Node.js 11 October 23, 2018 June 30, 2019 11.15.0 End of Life
Node.js 10 LTS April 24, 2018 April 30, 2021 10.24.1 End of Life
Node.js 9 October 31, 2017 June 30, 2018 9.11.2 End of Life
Node.js 8 LTS May 30, 2017 December 31, 2019 8.17.0 End of Life
Node.js 7 October 25, 2016 June 30, 2017 7.10.1 End of Life
Node.js 6 LTS April 26, 2016 April 30, 2019 6.17.1 End of Life
Node.js 5 October 30, 2015 June 30, 2016 5.12.0 End of Life
Node.js 4 LTS September 9, 2015 April 30, 2018 4.9.1 End of Life
Node.js 3 August 4, 2015 Ended 3.3.1 End of Life
Node.js 2 May 4, 2015 Ended 2.5.0 End of Life
Node.js 1 January 20, 2015 Ended 1.8.4 End of Life
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Node.js Support Policy

Each even-numbered Node.js release gets 18 months of Active LTS support followed by 12 months of Maintenance LTS, totalling 30 months of support. Odd-numbered releases (21, 23, 25) only get 6 months as Current releases before being superseded. The Node.js Release Working Group manages the schedule.

What You Need to Know

Node.js 20 enters maintenance mode and will reach end-of-life in April 2026. Start planning your migration to 22 or 24.

Node.js 24 LTS is the newest long-term support release with the latest V8 engine and stable APIs.

Node.js 25 is the current non-LTS release (ends June 2026). Use it for testing but not production.

The V8 engine in Node.js 24+ includes significant garbage collection improvements, reducing memory overhead by 10-20%.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often does Node.js release new major versions?
Node.js releases a new major version every 6 months, typically in April and October. Even-numbered versions (20, 22, 24) become LTS releases with 30 months of support. Odd-numbered versions (21, 23, 25) are Current releases with only 6 months of support.
Which Node.js version should I use in 2026?
Use Node.js 22 LTS for most production workloads. It has native ESM/CJS interop, stable WebSocket support, and will be maintained until April 2027. If you need the latest features and don't mind upgrading sooner, Node.js 24 LTS is also a solid choice with support through April 2028.
How long is each Node.js version supported?
LTS releases (even-numbered) get 30 months total: 18 months of Active LTS with bug fixes and features, then 12 months of Maintenance with only critical security patches. Current releases (odd-numbered) get just 6 months before the next major version replaces them.
What happens when a Node.js version reaches end of life?
Once a Node.js version hits EOL, it stops receiving any updates, including security patches. Running EOL Node.js in production means known vulnerabilities won't be fixed. You should upgrade to a supported LTS version before or immediately after EOL.

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