Guide · Node.jsUpdated October 9, 2026
Node.js end-of-life dates: 20, 22, 24 and 26
Node.js 20 reached end of life on April 30, 2026. Node.js 22 is in Maintenance LTS until April 30, 2027, Node.js 24 is Active LTS until October 20, 2026 and ends on April 30, 2028, and Node.js 26 becomes LTS on October 28, 2026. These dates come from the Node.js Release working group.
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01Release schedule
From the nodejs/Release schedule, fetched October 9, 2026. The page adds: “Dates are subject to change.”
| Node.js | Codename | Initial release | Active LTS start | Maintenance start | End of life |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26.x (Current) | - | 2026-05-05 | 2026-10-28 | 2027-10-20 | 2029-04-30 |
| 24.x (Active LTS) | Krypton | 2025-05-06 | 2025-10-28 | 2026-10-20 | 2028-04-30 |
| 22.x (Maintenance LTS) | Jod | 2024-04-24 | 2024-10-29 | 2025-10-21 | 2027-04-30 |
| 20.x | Iron | 2023-04-18 | 2023-10-24 | 2024-10-22 | 2026-04-30 |
| 18.x | Hydrogen | 2022-04-19 | 2022-10-25 | 2023-10-18 | 2025-04-30 |
Rows for 26, 24 and 22 are from the Release README table. Rows for 20 and 18 are from schedule.json in the same repository. nodejs.org previous releases lists v20 and v18 as EOL and v25 as EOL, but shows no end date.
02The rules, with sources
- Node.js 20
- End of life 2026-04-30. nodejs.org lists v20 (Iron) with status EOL. GitHub: nodejs/Release, schedule.json
- Node.js 22
- Maintenance LTS since 2025-10-21, end of life 2027-04-30. GitHub: nodejs/Release, release schedule
- Node.js 24
- Active LTS since 2025-10-28, Maintenance starts 2026-10-20, end of life 2028-04-30. GitHub: nodejs/Release, release schedule
- Node.js 26
- Released 2026-05-05 as Current. Active LTS starts 2026-10-28, end of life 2029-04-30. GitHub: nodejs/Release, release schedule
- Odd-numbered versions
- “New even-numbered versions are released in April and odd-numbered versions in October.” Odd-numbered release lines “are not promoted to LTS”. nodejs.org shows v25 (released 2025-10-15) as EOL. GitHub: nodejs/Release, release schedule
- Status on nodejs.org
- v26 Current, v24 Krypton LTS, v22 Jod LTS, v20 Iron EOL, v18 Hydrogen EOL. Node.js: Previous releases
03Dates to plan around
- 2026-04-30
Node.js 20 end of life
No more fixes from the Node.js project.
- 2026-10-20
Node.js 24 enters Maintenance
Moves from Active LTS to Maintenance LTS.
- 2026-10-28
Node.js 26 enters Active LTS
The new LTS line.
- 2027-04-30
Node.js 22 end of life
End of the Jod line.
- 2028-04-30
Node.js 24 end of life
End of the Krypton line.
04What to check
- Run node --version in production, CI and your Dockerfile base image: they often differ.
- If you are on 20 or 18, you are on an unsupported line: move to 22 or 24 now.
- Pick an LTS line for production. Odd-numbered lines never become LTS.
- Check native modules and the package engines field before the switch.
- Put the upgrade in its own deploy with the test suite on the new version first.
05Questions about Node.js end of life
Is Node.js 20 end of life?
Yes. The Node.js release schedule lists April 30, 2026 as its end of life.
When does Node.js 22 reach end of life?
April 30, 2027, according to the nodejs/Release schedule.
When does Node.js 24 reach end of life?
April 30, 2028. It enters Maintenance on October 20, 2026.
Should production run an odd-numbered Node.js version?
The Release plan says odd-numbered lines are not promoted to LTS, so production apps usually follow even-numbered LTS lines.
06More deadlines
Next step
30 minutes with an engineer. Discuss your product, then get a free initial audit and a clear next step.
Sources
- GitHub: nodejs/Release, release schedule
- GitHub: nodejs/Release, schedule.json
- Node.js: Previous releases
Checked October 9, 2026.