How to install NVM on a Mac OS (node.js and npm)

How do I install NVM on a Mac?

Short answer: open Terminal and run the official script:

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.41.0/install.sh | bash

Then run source ~/.zshrc or open a new terminal, check it with command -v nvm and install Node.js with nvm install --lts. It works on Apple Silicon (M1 to M5) and Intel Macs, and you don't need sudo. You can also use brew install nvm, but the nvm team doesn't support that method.

nvm (Node Version Manager) installs several versions of Node.js in your user folder and switches between them with one command. The latest version is 0.41.0, from November 4, 2026, and nvm install --lts installs Node.js 26, the current LTS.

On a Mac: run the install script, load nvm in zsh and install Node.js 26 LTS.

nvm on Mac at a glance

Step 1: prepare your Mac

Since macOS Catalina, the default shell is zsh, and it reads ~/.zshrc. The script adds nvm to that file, but only if it exists. Create it, just in case:

touch ~/.zshrc

The script downloads nvm with git. If your Mac asks you to install the Command Line Tools the first time, accept, or install them yourself with xcode-select --install.

If you already installed Node.js from nodejs.org or with Homebrew, it's better to remove it first (brew uninstall node for Homebrew) so it doesn't get in the way of nvm.

Step 2: run the install script

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.41.0/install.sh | bash

The script clones nvm into ~/.nvm and adds these lines to ~/.zshrc:

export NVM_DIR="$HOME/.nvm"
[ -s "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh" ] && \. "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh"  # This loads nvm

To update nvm later, run the same command with the new version number.

Step 3: load nvm and check it

The terminal you have open doesn't know nvm yet. Load it, or close and reopen Terminal:

source ~/.zshrc
command -v nvm

If it prints nvm, it is ready. Use command -v and not which: nvm is a shell function, so which nvm prints nothing even when it works. If you still use bash, load ~/.bash_profile instead.

Step 4: install Node.js and switch versions

nvm install --lts
nvm install 24
nvm ls

nvm install --lts installs Node.js 26, the current LTS, with its npm. To switch, and to choose the version every new terminal starts with:

nvm use 24
node -v
nvm alias default 26

nvm use only changes the current terminal. nvm alias default makes the choice stick.

Install nvm with Homebrew

Many people search for brew install nvm. It works, but the nvm team doesn't support it, and you have to add the setup lines yourself:

brew install nvm
mkdir -p ~/.nvm

Then add these lines to the end of ~/.zshrc and run source ~/.zshrc:

export NVM_DIR="$HOME/.nvm"
[ -s "$(brew --prefix nvm)/nvm.sh" ] && \. "$(brew --prefix nvm)/nvm.sh"

brew --prefix nvm returns the right folder on both Apple Silicon (/opt/homebrew/opt/nvm) and Intel (/usr/local/opt/nvm). If something fails, brew uninstall nvm and use the official script.

Install NVM on Mac with AI

An AI assistant such as ChatGPT, Claude or GitHub Copilot can check your shell configuration and read errors for you. These three prompts are ready to copy.

1. Adapt the steps to your Mac

I have a Mac with [Apple Silicon / Intel] and macOS [version]. My shell is [zsh / bash].
I want to install nvm 0.41.0 and Node.js 26 LTS, and keep Node 24 for an old project.
[I already have / I don't have] Node.js installed with [Homebrew / the nodejs.org installer].
Give me the commands one by one and how to check that each one worked.

2. Fix "zsh: command not found: nvm"

I installed nvm on my Mac, but a new terminal says "zsh: command not found: nvm".
I installed it with [the official script / Homebrew]. This is the end of my ~/.zshrc:
[paste the last 15 lines]
Tell me what is missing and how to fix it.

3. Clean up an old Node.js

Before nvm, I installed Node.js with [Homebrew / the nodejs.org installer].
node -v shows [version] and which -a node shows: [paste it]
Tell me whether to remove it and how, so the nvm versions come first.

Read every command before you run it, especially the ones that use sudo or delete files.

Use .nvmrc to fix the Node.js version of a project

Save the version a project needs in an .nvmrc file and commit it to the repository:

cd ~/projects/my-app
node -v > .nvmrc
nvm use

nvm use with no version reads .nvmrc, and nvm install installs that version if it is missing. To install a new version and bring your global packages with you:

nvm install 26 --reinstall-packages-from=24

Common errors with NVM on Mac

Related guides

• How to install NVM on Windows, macOS and Linux
• How to install NVM on Windows
• How to install NVM on Linux
• How to run JavaScript in VS Code
• How to install Git on Windows, macOS and Linux