Version Management with nvm

Real-world developers juggle multiple projects, and those projects often require different Node.js versions. A version manager lets you install many versions side by side and switch between them per project — no sudo, no conflicts, no broken system packages. The most popular on macOS/Linux is nvm (Node Version Manager).

How nvm actually works

nvm is not a binary — it is a shell function sourced into your .bashrc/.zshrc. When you run nvm use 20, it simply rewrites your PATH so that ~/.nvm/versions/node/v20.../bin comes first. That is why it needs no sudo (everything lives in your home directory) and why it only affects the current shell:

What 'nvm use' changes

Text

~/.nvm/versions/node/
   ├─ v18.20.0/bin/node
   ├─ v20.11.0/bin/node   ← 'nvm use 20' puts THIS dir first on PATH
   └─ v22.2.0/bin/node

Installing nvm

Bash

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.7/install.sh | bash
# then restart your terminal, or:
source ~/.bashrc   # or ~/.zshrc

Windows users

Unix `nvm` does not run on native Windows — it is a bash script. Use [nvm-windows](https://github.com/coreybutler/nvm-windows) (a separate project with similar commands), `fnm`, `volta`, or run real `nvm` inside WSL2. The commands below are for Unix `nvm`.

Everyday commands

Bash

nvm install --lts        # install the latest LTS
nvm install 18           # install latest 18.x
nvm install 20.11.0      # install an exact version

nvm use 20               # switch the CURRENT shell to Node 20
nvm alias default 20     # make 20 the default in NEW shells

nvm ls                   # list installed versions
nvm ls-remote            # list everything available to install
nvm current              # show the active version

'use' is per-shell and forgotten on close

`nvm use 20` only affects the terminal you ran it in, and it resets when you open a new one. To make a version stick across new shells, set it as the default: `nvm alias default 20`. Forgetting this is the #1 nvm confusion — "why is my version back to old after reopening the terminal?"

Migrating globals when you upgrade

Each Node version has its own set of global packages — installing Node 22 does not carry over the CLIs you installed under Node 20. nvm can copy them for you:

Bash

nvm install 22 --reinstall-packages-from=20   # bring globals along
nvm install 22 --latest-npm                    # also upgrade npm

Per-project versions with .nvmrc

Drop a .nvmrc file in your project root naming the version. Teammates then run nvm use and instantly match — no guessing which Node a project expects:

.nvmrc

Bash

20.11.0

Bash

cd my-project
nvm use            # reads .nvmrc and switches automatically

Found '/my-project/.nvmrc' with version <20.11.0>
Now using node v20.11.0 (npm v10.2.4)

Switch automatically on cd

You can add a shell hook (documented in the nvm README) that runs `nvm use` whenever you `cd` into a directory containing an `.nvmrc`. Tools like `fnm` and `volta` do this automatically and faster, which is their main selling point.

Why this beats a single global install

Test your app against multiple Node versions before committing to an upgrade.
Match each project to the version it was built for — no "works on my machine" surprises.
Upgrade or roll back in seconds without touching system files or using sudo.
CI can read the same .nvmrc, so local and pipeline use identical versions.

Alternatives

Tool	Why pick it
fnm	Rust-based, very fast, auto-switches on `cd`, cross-platform
Volta	Pins tool versions per project via `package.json`; works on Windows
asdf / mise	One manager for many languages (Node, Python, Ruby…)
corepack	Not a Node manager — manages `yarn`/`pnpm` versions instead

Understand which versions to actually install in [LTS vs Current Releases](/nodejs/nodejs-versions).