One workspace, multiple Node.js versions

Work on a legacy service, a new application, and a collection of related repositories without making them share the same runtime. NVM Desktop lets you install versions, choose a global default, pin a version to a project, or manage several projects as a group.

Use NVM Desktop to browse and organize your environments. Use nvmd in your terminal for commands and scripts.

Capability	What it gives you
Version management	Browse releases, choose an architecture, install, and uninstall Node.js.
Project runtimes	Assign a version to a project folder instead of changing the global default.
Project groups	Keep related projects on a shared version and change it from one place.
GUI and CLI	Manage versions visually or from the terminal.
Appearance	Light, dark, and system modes with base palettes, accents, full themes, and adjustable corners.
Configuration	Customize mirrors, proxies, project defaults, and import/export options.

Screenshots

Node.js version management

Theme customization

Settings

Quick start

1. Install the desktop app

Download the package for your operating system and architecture from GitHub Releases, install it, and launch NVM Desktop. The first-launch guide walks you through shell setup and your first runtime.

2. Connect your terminal

macOS and Linux — add the following to your shell startup file, such as ~/.zshrc for Zsh or ~/.bashrc for Bash:

export NVMD_DIR="$HOME/.nvmd"
export PATH="$NVMD_DIR/bin:$PATH"

Open a new terminal after saving the file.

Windows — check that the following directory is in your user PATH, then open a new terminal:

%USERPROFILE%\.nvmd\bin

Confirm that the command-line tool is available:

nvmd --version

3. Install and select Node.js

Open Versions, choose a release and architecture, and install it. In Installed, apply an installed version as the global default.

You can also use the terminal. These commands use an example version; replace it with the version you need:

nvmd install 20.18.0
nvmd use 20.18.0
node --version
npm --version

Your everyday workflow

Find and manage runtimes

Use Versions to browse and filter available releases. Use Installed to see local runtimes, switch your global default, and remove versions you no longer need. Installation reports download and extraction status in the app.

Give each project its own version

1. Open Projects and add a project folder.
2. Choose an installed Node.js version for that project.
3. Open a terminal in the project directory and run node --version.

The app stores the project's version in a version file. The default filename is .nvmdrc; you can change it in Settings, for example to .nvmrc or .node-version. The configured version file in the current directory takes priority over the global default.

To set a project version from its directory:

nvmd use 20.18.0 --project

Keep related projects together

Create a group in Groups, choose its Node.js version, and select the projects it should manage. Changing the group's version updates its associated projects. Each project belongs to at most one group.

Project folders must exist and be writable so the app can update their version files.

Command line

The bundled nvmd tool supports terminal workflows alongside the desktop app.

Task	Command
Install a version	nvmd install 20.18.0
List installed versions	nvmd list
Set the global default	nvmd use 20.18.0
Set the current project's version	nvmd use 20.18.0 --project
Show the current version	nvmd current
Uninstall a version	nvmd uninstall 20.18.0
Locate an executable	nvmd which node or nvmd which npm
Show command help	nvmd --help

After changing versions in the terminal, refresh the relevant page in the app to update its displayed information. The CLI is maintained in nvmd-command.

Make it yours

The controls at the bottom of the sidebar open appearance, Tip, configuration, settings, and app updates.

Appearance. Use a Base Color on its own, add an Accent Color, or choose a Full Theme. Accent colors and full themes are alternative choices. Adjust the corner radius in the theme customizer and choose light, dark, or system mode in Settings.

Settings. Configure language, window-close behavior, the editor command, project version filename, installation directory, download mirrors, and proxy access.

Configuration. Export your settings, appearance, and project/group configuration, or import a saved configuration. Project import can optionally synchronize version files. Configuration export is not a backup of installed Node.js runtimes or project source files.

Help and updates. Open Tip for usage notes and copyable commands. The updater provides release notes, download progress, and installation/restart actions.

Common questions

Why is nvmd missing, or why does node still use another installation?

Open a new terminal after changing PATH. Check that the NVM Desktop bin directory is on PATH and comes before other Node.js installations. After selecting a runtime, compare nvmd which node with which node on macOS/Linux or where.exe node on Windows.

Why does a project use a different version from the global default?

The configured version file in the current project directory takes priority over the global default. Check the project's assigned version, group membership, and version filename in Settings.

Are globally installed npm packages shared between versions?

By default, global npm packages are isolated per Node.js version. Install the tools you need for each runtime. If you deliberately want a shared location, configure npm with npm config set prefix "/path/to/shared-global" and make sure that location is on your PATH.

What should I check when downloads or project updates fail?

For downloads, check your network, mirror, and proxy settings. For project updates, check that the folder still exists and that you can write its configured version file. If the issue persists, open an issue with your app version, operating system, steps to reproduce, and error message.

Data and configuration

The default data directory is ~/.nvmd on macOS/Linux and %USERPROFILE%\.nvmd on Windows. The desktop app also supports overriding its data directory with NVMD_HOME; the runtime installation directory can be changed in Settings.

Location	Contents
bin/	Command-line tool and executable shims.
versions/	Installed Node.js runtimes in the default installation layout.
default	Global default version.
projects.json	Project version assignments.
groups.json	Project groups.
setting.json	App settings.

Development and contributions

The desktop app uses Tauri, Rust, React, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, and Base UI. To work locally, install Rust and your platform's Tauri build dependencies, use the Node.js version in .node-version, and use the pnpm version declared in package.json.

pnpm install
pnpm check
pnpm dev

pnpm check prepares the bundled command-line resources. It also generates runtime-manifest.json; startup compares its bundle ID with the local runtime-state.json and synchronizes missing or outdated runtime files without hashing binaries. Use pnpm check --force to refresh cached resources. pnpm dev launches the desktop development app. For frontend-only work, use pnpm ui:dev; native Tauri operations require the desktop app.

Before submitting a pull request:

pnpm type-check
pnpm oxlint
pnpm format:check
node --test tests/*.test.mjs
pnpm ui:build

Build a desktop package with pnpm build. Bundles are written to src-tauri/target/release/bundle.

Bug reports and focused pull requests are welcome. For interface changes, include screenshots and describe the operating systems and theme modes you verified.

License

MIT