Node Version Managers

Node.js major versions change every 6 months — odd-numbered releases (9, 11, etc.) become unsupported, and even-numbered releases (10, 12, etc.) move to Active LTS status and are ready for general use.

Each release has different set of features and bug fixes, normally LTS version is enough for general use and straightforward to install in all platforms (Linux, MacOS, Windows, etc) and you’ll find yourself upgrade after every 1 or 2 years.

There are situations where the ability to switch between different versions of Node.js can be very useful. For example, if you want to test a module you’re developing with the latest bleeding edge version without uninstalling the stable version of node, develop projects which require different minimum supported Node.js versions.

Node Version Manager is a tool that helps you manage and switch between diferrent Node.js versions with ease, written in any languages of choice (JavaScript, Go, Reason, etc.), and often avaialble as CLI in multiple types of shells and platforms.

Before choosing a node version manager, you’ll consider following features:

• How easy it is to install and setup? or even uninstall.
• Does it support your expected shells and platforms? You should pick the one that widely avaialbe and perform consistenly in multiple places.
• Does it have enought features to manage versions (list, install, switch, alias, etc.)
• Does it have simple and rememberable commands?
• Does it support global npm packages seemlessly?

There are several version managers for node.js. Tools like nvm and n only run on Mac OSX and Linux. nvm-windows and nodist are designed for Windows

This kind of tool is supposed to enables a concern-free installation and easy switching between different Node.js versions, saving time for what really matters. Better stay away from the one that fails to do so.

• nvm - A version manager for Node, designed to be installed per-user, and invoked per-shell. nvm works on any POSIX-compliant shell (sh, dash, ksh, zsh, bash), in particular on these platforms: unix, macOS, and windows WSL.
• n - A simple node version manager with no subshells, no profile setup, no convoluted API.
• fnm - Fast and simple Node version manager, built in native ReasonML. Also works with .nvmrc and .node-version files.