Node.js: Open-source JavaScript runtime environment
JavaScript runtime built on V8 for server-side development.
Learn more about Node.js
Node.js is an open-source runtime environment that executes JavaScript code on servers and local machines rather than in web browsers. It uses the V8 JavaScript engine and provides APIs for file system access, networking, and process management through its standard library. The runtime supports both synchronous and asynchronous operations, with event-driven, non-blocking I/O as a core architectural pattern. Node.js is commonly used for building web servers, command-line tools, real-time applications, and microservices across Linux, macOS, and Windows platforms.
Event-Driven Concurrency
Single-threaded event loop handles thousands of concurrent connections without thread-per-request overhead. Non-blocking I/O operations enable high throughput for network-bound applications while maintaining low memory footprint.
Unified JavaScript Stack
Same language and libraries run on both client and server through npm's ecosystem. Share code, types, and validation logic across frontend and backend without context switching or duplicate implementations.
Dual Release Cadence
Current releases deliver new features every six months while LTS versions provide 30-month support cycles. Choose stability for production workloads or adopt latest capabilities without compromising maintenance guarantees.
const http = require('http');
const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
res.writeHead(200, { 'Content-Type': 'text/plain' });
res.end('Hello World!');
});
server.listen(3000, () => {
console.log('Server running on port 3000');
});Node.js v25.6.0 introduces new async hooks tracking options, network socket TOS methods, ESM embedder API support, and stream consumer enhancements.
- –(SEMVER-MINOR) async_hooks: add trackPromises option to createHook()
- –(SEMVER-MINOR) net: add setTOS and getTOS to Socket
- –(SEMVER-MINOR) src: add initial support for ESM in embedder API
- –src: improve TextEncoder encode performance with simdutf
- –(SEMVER-MINOR) stream: add bytes() method to node:stream/consumers
Node.js v25.5.0 introduces Single Executable Application (SEA) build improvements, SQLite enhancements, file system watching options, and updated security certificates.
- –crypto: update root certificates to NSS 3.119
- –(SEMVER-MINOR) deps: add LIEF as a dependency
- –(SEMVER-MINOR) fs: add ignore option to fs.watch
- –(SEMVER-MINOR) sea: add --build-sea to generate SEA directly with Node.js binary
Node.js v25.4.0 stabilizes several experimental features including require(esm), module compile cache, and adds new CLI options and HTTP proxy functionality.
- –cli: add --require-module/--no-require-module
- –cli: mark --heapsnapshot-near-heap-limit as stable
- –crypto: update root certificates to NSS 3.117
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