Here's how I successfully upgraded from v0.8.18 to v0.10.20 without any other requirements like brew etc, (type these commands in the terminal):

  1. sudo npm cache clean -f (force) clear you npm cache
  2. sudo npm install -g n install n (this might take a while)
  3. sudo n stable upgrade to the current stable version

Note that sudo might prompt your password.

Additional note regarding step 3: stable can be exchanged for latest, lts (long term support) or any specific version number such as 0.10.20.

If the version number doesn't show up when typing node -v, you might have to reboot.

These instructions are found here as well: davidwalsh.name/upgrade-nodejs
More info about the n package found here: npmjs.com/package/n
More info about Node.js' release schedule: github.com/nodejs/Release

Answer from Johan Dettmar on Stack Overflow
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MacPaw
macpaw.com › how to › optimization › apps
How to update Node version on Mac
February 26, 2025 - There are a few options for updating Node.js on your Mac. If you have the Node version manager (nvm) installed, you can use that. If you don’t have nvm installed, you can either install it and then use it to update Node.js, or you can update Node.js manually.
Discussions

Can’t update node.js on 2012 mac mini
Are you still using it as a Mac? I got sick of being warned I had an insecure device on my iCloud and now my 2012 mini is a proxmox node. Biggest thing is making sure all the firmware is up to date manually first. Also have a USB Mac keyboard handy, it took me 30 goes to press the correct button on my wireless keyboard in the time I had to allow it to expose hard drives to the proxmox installer. Besides that most of the guides are very out of date and it was super easy and just worked on run. More on reddit.com
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10
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July 14, 2024
Nodejs version auto update to 18 on restart Mac
Nvm or use a Docker Image with your needed version of node. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/Angular2
6
3
March 4, 2023
Why is it so hard to update Node on my mac?
Download home brew first and use that to manage packages. NVM is nice (let’s you switch versions) but home brew is super helpful on Mac. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/NoStupidQuestions
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1
February 3, 2023
Cannot install latest version of Node.js on a Macbook OS X El Capitan. Does anyone know which previous version of Node.js to install where it's also fully compatible with the React library?
You might be interested in nvm, Node Version Manager -> https://github.com/nvm-sh/nvm More on reddit.com
🌐 r/node
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Better Stack
betterstack.com › community › questions › how-to-upgrade-node-js-on-macos
How to Upgrade Node.js to the Latest Version on Mac OS? | Better Stack Community
Download the latest version of Node.js for macOS. Once the download is complete, open the installer and follow the installation instructions. After installation, open a new terminal window and verify that Node.js has been updated: ... Remember ...
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DEV Community
dev.to › alikarbasicom › the-fastest-way-to-update-nodejs-on-your-mac-20fi
The fastest way to update Node.js on your Mac - DEV Community
August 27, 2024 - Now, let’s explore the simplest and fastest method to accomplish this on your macOS! Type this command in terminal to check your Node.js version: ... If you haven’t installed the n package yet, use npm to install it. ... After installing the n package, you can proceed to update your Node.js to the desired version.
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Medium
medium.com › macoclock › update-your-node-js-on-your-mac-in-2020-948948c1ffb2
The easiest way to update your Node.js on your Mac | by Joe T. Santhanavanich | Mac O’Clock | Medium
March 6, 2023 - ... (Use this command to install the stable node release.) $ sudo n stable(Use this command to install/update the latest node release.) $ sudo n latest(Use this command to install/update the latest LTS node release.)
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GeeksforGeeks
geeksforgeeks.org › node.js › how-to-upgrade-nodejs-to-the-latest-version-on-macos
How to Upgrade NodeJS To The Latest Version on MacOS? - GeeksforGeeks
July 23, 2025 - The very first step is to make sure that Homebrew installation on your machine is current. Open your terminal and perform the commands below to verify that Homebrew is currently up to date. ... Now that Homebrew is up to the minute, you might proceed in this way. Use this command to upgrade Node.js.
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Bacancy Technology
bacancytechnology.com › qanda › node › update-node-js
How To Update NodeJS Versions Using Mac, Windows, and Linux
January 25, 2024 - Here are steps to update Nodejs versions on Mac, Windows, and Linux most efficiently.
Find elsewhere
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Bytearcher
bytearcher.com › articles › ways-to-get-the-latest-node.js-version-on-a-mac
4 ways to update to the latest Node.js version on a Mac
Assuming you have previously installed node with brew install node. You can get up-to-date with formulae and upgrade to the latest Node.js version with the following. ... MacPorts is the other package manager for Mac. The following will update the local ports tree to get access to updated versions.
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OS X Daily
osxdaily.com › 2024 › 07 › 02 › how-update-node-js-latest-version-mac
How to Update Node.js to Latest Version on Mac
September 30, 2024 - Optional, but not necessary, is to first check which version of node.js and npm you have installed on the Mac, which is possible with the following command: ... Now, you will want to update Homebrew, so that Homebrew itself can retrieve the latest versions of software: brew update
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OpenReplay
blog.openreplay.com › update-node-npm-guide
How to Update Node and NPM on Windows, Mac, and Linux (2024 Guide)
This guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to update Node.JS and NPM on Windows, Mac, and Linux in 2024.
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Ropstam
ropstam.com › home › blogs › how to update node.js version [mac, windows, & linux]
How to Update Node.js Version [Mac, Windows, & Linux] - Ropstam Solutions Inc.
May 13, 2024 - To stay up-to-date with the latest advancements introduced in the Node.js framework, it is important to update the Node.js version. This article covered the question of how to update the node.js version on various platforms. Commands needed for updating the node.js development kit across platforms such as Windows, Ubuntu, Linux, and Mac have been thoroughly explained to guide the readers.
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PhoenixNAP
phoenixnap.com › home › kb › devops and development › how to update node.js version on linux, windows, and macos
How to Update Node.js Version on Linux, Windows, and macOS
1 day ago - A manual update involves downloading the installer from the official website and updating the app using the installation wizard. A manual update gives you direct control over the process. ... 1. Navigate to the official Node.js website and download ...
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HubSpot
blog.hubspot.com › website listing page
How To Update Node Versions Using Mac, Windows, and ...
HubSpot’s Website Blog covers everything you need to know to build maintain your company’s website.
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NodeSource
nodesource.com › blog › update-Node.js-versions-on-MacOS
How to Update Node.js Versions on MacOS
January 31, 2025 - In this guide, we’ll walk through different methods to updated Node.js in MacOS, including Homebrew, Node Version Manager (nvm), and manual installation.
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Grid Hosting
gridhosting.co.uk › blog › how to update node.js to latest version for mac, windows or linux
How to Update Node.js to Latest Version For Mac, Windows or Linux
October 20, 2022 - You can also use it to install Node.js over your laptop · Brew install node is the command you need to run this command in your Operating system Terminal. The brew update command will help you to homebrew before updating the Node.js.
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NodeSource
nodesource.com › pages › content-how-to-update-nodejs-wb.html
Full Content: How to Update Node.js Versions
NodeSource is the safest and most secure Node.js platform. Secure. Reliable. Extensible.
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Node.js
nodejs.org › en › download
Node.js — Download Node.js®
BashCopy to clipboard and their installation scripts are not maintained by the Node.js project. If you encounter any issues please visit 's website ... Read the changelog or blog post for this version.
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Treehouse
treehouse.github.io › installation-guides › mac › node-mac.html
Installing Node.js® and NPM on Mac
Homebrew handles downloading, unpacking and installing Node and NPM on your system. The whole process (after you have Homebrew installed) should only take you a few minutes. Open the Terminal app and type brew update. This updates Homebrew with a list of the latest version of Node.
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GitHub
github.com › nvm-sh › nvm
GitHub - nvm-sh/nvm: Node Version Manager - POSIX-compliant bash script to manage multiple active node.js versions
Note For Macs with the Apple Silicon chip, node started offering arm64 arch Darwin packages since v16.0.0 and experimental arm64 support when compiling from source since v14.17.0. If you are facing issues installing node using nvm, you may want to update to one of those versions or later.
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