Use Volta to manage Node.js versions

The Problem

Working across multiple JavaScript projects often requires different versions of Node.js. Running the wrong version can lead to compatibility issues, bugs, and wasted time troubleshooting. Manually managing these versions can be tedious and error-prone.

Time spent chasing environment inconsistencies is time away from delivering actual value. A reliable solution is needed to streamline this process.

The Solution: Volta

Volta is a JavaScript tool manager that makes it easy to install and switch between different versions of Node.js, npm, and Yarn. It allows you to set project-specific versions, ensuring that each project uses the correct environment without any manual intervention.

Installing and configuring Volta

To install volta, follow the installation instructions on the Volta website. Once installed, you can set the default Node.js version for your system:

volta install node@latest

To set a specific Node.js version for a project, navigate to the project directory and run:

volta pin node@24

You can also use the volta pin command to specify versions for npm or Yarn:

volta pin npm@latest

The volta pin command creates a volta section in your package.json, specifying the correct versions for that project:

{
  "volta": {
    "node": "24.11.1",
    "npm": "11.6.3"
  }
}

When any other engineer using Volta clones the project and runs Node.js commands, Volta automatically switches to the specified versions.

One other neat trick in monorepos is to delegate version management to the root package.json. This way, all sub-packages inherit the same Node.js version without needing to manually keep it in sync. For example, to keep a subpackage in sync with the root package.json, you can add this to the sub-package's package.json:

{
  "volta": {
    "extends": "../package.json"
  }
}

Why not NVM?

While NVM (Node Version Manager) is a popular choice for managing Node.js versions, Volta offers several advantages:

• Low mental overhead: Volta switches versions automatically based on project configuration, eliminating the need to remember to run nvm use.
• Simplicity: Volta is configured in package.json. No separate configuration files are needed.
• Cross-platform: Volta works seamlessly on Windows, macOS, Linux, etc. NVM is only available on Unix-like systems.