nvm (Node Version Manager) is a tool that allows you to install and manage multiple versions of Node.js on your Mac. nvm is a version manager for node.js, designed to be installed per-user, and invoked per-shell. nvm works on any POSIX-compliant shell (sh, dash, ksh, zsh, bash), in particular on these platforms: unix, macOS, and windows WSL.
To install nvm on a Mac, you will need to follow these steps:
Install Homebrew
nvm is not available in the default package manager for Mac, so you will need to install Homebrew first. To do this, open a terminal window and run the following command:
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install.sh)"
Install nvm
Once you have Homebrew installed, you can use it to install nvm by running the following command:
brew install nvm
Add nvm to your shell profile: To make nvm available every time you open a new terminal window, you will need to add the following line to your shell profile (e.g., ~/.bash_profile or ~/.zshrc):
source $(brew --prefix nvm)/nvm.sh
Install Node.js
Once nvm is installed, you can use it to install the latest version of Node.js by running the following command:
nvm install node
How to use a specific version of NodeJS
To use a specific version of Node.js with nvm, you will need to follow these steps:
List available Node.js versions
To see a list of all available Node.js versions that you can install with nvm, run the following command:
nvm ls-remote
Install the desired version
To install a specific version of Node.js, such as version 16, use the following command:
nvm install 16
Use the installed version
Once the desired version of Node.js is installed, you can use it by running the following command:
nvm use 16
Set the default version: If you want to use a specific version of Node.js by default, you can set it as the default version using the following command:
nvm alias default 16
Also Read: How to Build a Node.js application with Docker in 5 Minutes
Unlimited Learning at Your Fingertips
Want to stay up-to-date on the latest tech tips?
Keep Reading
-
The Future of Machine Learning and Agentic AI: AI Agents, and What’s Coming Next
Explore the future of AI agents, agentic AI systems, and machine learning from 2025 to 2035. Learn how multi-agent architectures, containerized AI workflows, and autonomous systems will reshape technology, business, and society.
-
Smarter Ways to Track Contracts and Payments
Most teams don’t intend to build their entire contract process on spreadsheets. It happens slowly. A new contract is added. Then a payment date. Then an amendment. Then a new tab. Before long, the spreadsheet becomes massive, fragile, and unpredictable. You rely on it because it’s familiar—not because it works. As your organization grows, spreadsheets…
-
AI for Technical Writing: Best Tools for Documentation & Knowledge Bases
Far from just “writing,” technical documentation has always required an architectural discipline. But in 2025, that architecture is being built differently. We’re moving beyond the days of manual drafting and staring at a blinking cursor. Today, our role looks more like “Knowledge Operations Engineers,” shaping, prompting, and organizing intelligent data. And our tools are evolving…


