Node.js Support Lifecycle & End-of-Life Schedule
Official release schedule, active LTS windows, and deprecation dates for Node.js. Avoid running unsupported versions in production.
Node.js Lifecycle Policy Summary
Node.js JavaScript runtime built on Chrome's V8 engine. Even-numbered versions enter LTS, odd-numbered versions reach EOL after 6 months.
Branch Support Matrix & EOL Cutoffs
| Branch / Cycle | Status | Release Date | End of Life (EOL) | Latest Patch | Upgrade Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| v24 LTS | 🟢 Active Support | 2025-04-22 | 2028-04-30 | 24.0.0 | ✓ Supported for production |
| v22 LTS | 🟢 Active Support | 2024-04-23 | 2027-04-30 | 22.14.0 | ✓ Supported for production |
| v20 LTS | 🟡 Maintenance Only | 2023-04-18 | 2026-04-30 | 20.18.3 | Plan upgrade to v24 |
| v18 LTS | 🔴 End of Life (EOL) | 2022-04-19 | 2025-04-30 | 18.20.7 | ⚠️ Upgrade to v24 |
| v16 LTS | 🔴 End of Life (EOL) | 2021-04-20 | 2023-09-11 | 16.20.2 | ⚠️ Upgrade to v24 |
Why Upgrading from EOL Versions is Critical
Once an open-source branch reaches End-of-Life, upstream maintainers no longer backport patches for Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs). Automated botnets routinely scan for publicly known exploits on unsupported runtime versions.