News · written 5 November 2026. A summary for readers, not technical advice — check the sources at the end for the details.

Node.js runs JavaScript outside the browser. It powers web servers, command-line tools and the build steps behind a great many websites. Each even-numbered release becomes a long-term-support (LTS) line: the version most projects should run in production.

What happened

On 28 October 2026 the Node.js project released Node.js 26.13.0, which, in the project's words, "marks the transition of Node.js 26.x into Long Term Support (LTS) with the codename 'Lithium'". It will receive updates through to the end of April 2029. Apart from metadata that marks it as LTS, the release has no other changes from 26.12.1.

What is in Node.js 26

Node.js 26.0.0 first came out on 5 May 2026. Its headline changes:

• The Temporal API, the modern replacement for JavaScript's awkward Date, is enabled by default.
• The V8 JavaScript engine moves to version 14.6 (the one in Chromium 146), adding helpers such as Map.prototype.getOrInsert() and Iterator.concat().
• The built-in HTTP client Undici moves to version 8.0.
• Some old APIs are gone: http.Server.prototype.writeHeader() (use writeHead()) and the legacy _stream_* modules were removed, and more APIs are now deprecated.

What it means if you use Node.js

• Node.js 24 ("Krypton") moved to maintenance on 20 October 2026, so it now gets only critical fixes. Its end of life is 30 April 2028.
• Node.js 22 ("Jod") reaches end of life on 30 April 2027. If you are still on it, plan the move now.
• Upgrading across major versions can break code that uses removed APIs, so run your tests before switching production to 26.

A new schedule from Node.js 27

Node.js 26 is the last release under the old pattern of two major versions a year, where only even numbers became LTS. The project announced that from Node.js 27 there will be one major release a year, in April, promoted to LTS in October, and that every release becomes LTS, with no more odd/even split. A new Alpha channel lets people test early builds. Each release is planned to get 36 months of support in total. The project notes this schedule "is not final and may be amended".

Sources

• nodejs.org — Node.js 26.13.0 (LTS), 28 October 2026 (the LTS transition, codename, end of support).
• nodejs.org — Node.js 26.0.0, 5 May 2026 (Temporal, V8 14.6, Undici 8.0, removals).
• nodejs.org — Evolving the Node.js release schedule (one major release a year from Node.js 27).
• nodejs.org — Node.js releases and the nodejs/Release schedule (LTS, maintenance and end-of-life dates).

More news and guides at https://jmtechpower.com/articles.