Node.js, the popular open-source and cross-platform JavaScript runtime, will have a less exciting release calendar moving forward. There will now only be one major Node update each year, just as its core engine from the Chromium project is switching to more frequent releases.
Node.js is used for many servers, web apps, scripts, and command line tools, allowing JavaScript to be used in many of the software projects that might otherwise use PHP, Python, or Ruby. It’s built on the V8 JavaScript engine, which is used in Google Chrome and other web browsers based on the Chromium project. There are usually two major releases each year, with a combination of Node-specific features and an updated version of V8.
The Node.js project has announced that it’s moving from two major releases per year to just one release each year. Instead of odd-numbered releases (v9, v11, etc.) going out of support after six months, and even-numbered releases (v10, v12, etc.) serving as long-term support versions with 30 months of updates, every new major release will be a long-term support version.
There are a few reasons for the change. The difference between odd and even releases can be confusing, and the odd-numbered releases are never widely adopted, with most organizations skipping them entirely. The Node.js releases with long-term support are the most popular option, so it makes sense to only have those moving forward.
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The blog post explained, “The current release schedule is 10 years old. It was created during the io.js merger to balance the needs of a growing ecosystem. As one contributor put it at the time, it was ‘an educated guess of what enterprises would need.’ […] By reducing the number of concurrent release lines, we can focus on better supporting the releases people actually use.”
This announcement comes one week after Google said the Chrome browser was switching to bi-weekly releases, so new features, performance improvements, and bug fixes can be delivered more rapidly. The V8 engine used by Node.js is managed under the Chromium project, so it will be updated around as frequently as the Chrome browser.
If the Chrome developers find a way to boost performance of certain JavaScript or WebAssembly functions, those changes won’t make it into Node-based applications for months or a year. If the app is slow to update its copy of Node.js, it could take even longer for those improvements to trickle down. That’s not ideal, but it’s what the Node.js team can realistically manage, and most developers aren’t interested in living on the bleeding edge anyway.
The new release schedule will start with Node.js 27, which will enter alpha testing in October 2026, followed by a full release in April 2027. The LTS period will start in October 2027, and support will end in April 2030.
Source: Node Blog
