No. 13 of 51 ·Development Environment Managers

nodenv

Mac · Linux

Freedom report

Two barsScore 6.5

Free tierA free tier is on its own pricing page
Open codeNo open-source code on record
Runs widely2 of 6 device platforms
DocumentedPlans, terms and facts published

nodenv is ranked #13 of 51 in development environment managers on Freedom251. It runs on Linux, macOS. There is a free plan.

nodenv plans and pricing

All plans

nodenv Free Free version manager for Node.js on Unix-like systems github.com · 5 Oct 2026

Compared on development environment managers

Free plan: Yes
Supported scope: single_language
Project version pinning: Yes
Lockfile support: Yes
Automatic switching: Yes
Shell integration: Yes
Operating systems: cross_platform
CI/CD usage: Yes

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The record

Purpose: nodenv manages Node.js versions so projects can use the correct version on the same machine.
Version selection: You can set Node.js versions per project, globally, or for a shell session.
Command shims: nodenv places shims in PATH so commands such as node, npm, and npx use the selected Node.js version.
Version installation: Installing Node.js versions requires the separate node-build plugin; the install command is not included out of the box.
Plugins: nodenv is customizable through plugins written in Bash, including plugins for installing versions and managing default npm packages.
Shell support: The project provides completion scripts for Bash, Zsh, and Fish and documents shell initialization for these shells.
Platforms: The project describes nodenv as a version manager for Unix-like systems and recommends Homebrew installation on macOS or Linux.
Install options: Installation options include Homebrew, Arch Linux’s AUR, or a manual Git checkout; Debian, Ubuntu, and Fedora repositories do not currently package it.
Package scope: Globally installed npm packages are scoped to the currently active Node.js version.
Security: The repository links to a security policy, but the opened README does not state a security certification or compliance standard.
Support: The project directs users to file bugs in its GitHub issue tracker and submit pull requests.
License: The repository identifies the project as MIT licensed.
Audience: The project is intended for people working on Node.js applications who need to switch versions across projects on one machine.
Price from: Free

Where it ranks on Freedom251

Best Development Environment Managers in 2026#13 of 51
Best Runtime Version Managers in 2026#8 of 30

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Sources

github.com/nodenv/nodenv· checked 5 Oct 2026