Feb 12, 2025

How to Install Node.js on Windows: A Complete Guide

Installing Node.js on Windows is a crucial first step for JavaScript development or hosting on a Windows OS. While you could download Node.js directly from the official website, using a version manager provides more flexibility and control over your workflow, e.g. updating Node.js version. This guide shows you how to install Node.js on Windows using official version managers and the traditional Windows installer.

Understanding Node.js Version Managers

Node.js version managers help you install and switch between different Node.js versions easily. They’re particularly useful when:

Working on multiple projects that require different Node.js versions.
Testing your code across Node.js versions.
Upgrading to newer Node.js versions safely.

These version managers may seem unnecessary for production environments, but they make it simple and safe to upgrade your Node.js version without interrupting running applications.

Let’s explore two officially recommended options: fnm¹ (Fast Node Manager) and nvm² (Node Version Manager).

Install Node.js with fnm

Fast Node Manager¹ (fnm) is one of the most recent version managers for Node.js. It’s cross-platform and works with .node-version and .nvmrc files out of the box.

Let’s get started installing fnm, followed by Node.js. On Windows, you can install fnm using one of these methods:

Using WinGet:
```
winget install Schniz.fnm
```
Using Scoop:
```
scoop install fnm
```
Using Chocolatey:
```
choco install fnm
```

After installation, you’ll need to set up your shell environment. Add the following to the end of your PowerShell profile:

fnm env --use-on-cd --shell powershell | Out-String | Invoke-Expression

Now you can install Node.js using fnm and the following command:

fnm install --lts

This command installs the latest Long Term Support (LTS) version of Node.js. You can also install a specific version by replacing --lts with the version number. For example, fnm install 23 installs Node.js version 23.

Now run node -v to verify that Node.js is installed and running.

fnm Shell Completions and Configuration

fnm ships its completions with the binary. You can enable them by running the following command and follow the instructions after that:

fnm completions --shell powershell

fnm comes with many features out of the box. Some of them are not activated by default because they change your shell’s default behavior with regards to fnm. You can configure them by adding flags to the fnm env call when initializing the shell.

For example:

fnm env --use-on-cd | Out-String | Invoke-Expression

The --use-on-cd flag appends output to fnm env’s output, which will hook into your shell upon changing directories, and will switch the Node.js version based on .node-version or .nvmrc.

Update Node.js Version Using fnm

Keeping Node.js updated is essential for security patches and new features. If a new LTS version is released, you can update your Node.js version using fnm install --lts and fnm use to switch to the new version. A shortcut for that is fnm use --install-if-missing [VERSION]. For example:

fnm use --install-if-missing 23.6.1

You can get the latest version number using the command fnm list-remote.

Install Node.js with nvm

Node Version Manager² (nvm) has been a popular Node.js version manager for many years. It’s written in shell script as a POSIX-compliant function, hence why it needs a unix-shell to run. You can use it on Windows when using Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL v2) or Git Bash.

Use this WSL installation guide to install WSL v2.

Now install nvm using the command below:

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.1/install.sh | bash

Now install Node.js LTS version using the following command:

nvm install --lts

Run node -v to verify that Node.js is installed and running.

Update Node.js Version Using nvm

You can use the command below to update Node.js using nvm:

nvm install --lts
nvm use --lts

This installs and switches to the latest LTS version of Node.js. You can specify a specific version by replacing --lts with the version number. For example, nvm install 23 installs Node.js version 23.

To get the latest LTS version of node and migrate your existing installed packages, use the following command:

nvm install --reinstall-packages-from=current 'lts/*'

Add the --latest-npm flag to update npm at the same time.

nvm install --reinstall-packages-from=current --latest-npm 'lts/*'

Using the Windows Installer

If you prefer not to use a version manager, you can install Node.js directly using the Windows installer from the official Node.js website. This method is straightforward:

Download the Windows Installer (.msi) from the Node.js website. a. Installer for 64-bit systems b. Installer for 32-bit systems c. Installer for ARM64 architecture
Run the installer and follow the installation wizard
Verify the installation by opening Command Prompt or PowerShell and running node -v

While this method is simple, it has some drawbacks:

Difficult to maintain multiple Node.js versions
Upgrading Node.js can be complex and result in long downtime
Global packages need to be reinstalled when updating Node.js

For these reasons, we recommend using a version manager like fnm for a better development experience.

Best Practices and Tips

Specify a Node.js version in your project’s package.json or use a .nvmrc file, to ensure that everyone on your team uses the same version. Both fnm and nvm support these files.

If you configured your shell to use --use-on-cd ³ for fnm, it’ll automatically switch Node.js versions when you cd to a directory with a .node-version or .nvmrc file. For nvm, you’ll have to use the nvm use command to switch Node.js versions.

Conclusion and Next Steps

You’ve learned multiple ways to install Node.js on Windows, from modern version managers to the traditional installer. While the Windows installer is straightforward, version managers like fnm provide more flexibility and control over your Node.js environment.

Remember to:

Regularly update your Node.js installation
Use project-specific .nvmrc or .node-version files
Keep your version manager updated to the latest version