Node.js 24 moves from Active LTS to Maintenance LTS on October 20, 2026, and reaches end of life on April 30, 2028. Eight days later, on October 28, Node.js 26 becomes the new Active LTS. Your Node 24 app won't break on the 20th, but it starts receiving only security fixes and critical bug fixes. That's the cue to plan an upgrade, not to panic.
The current Node.js timeline
| Version | Status (late October 2026) | End of life |
|---|---|---|
| Node 20 | End of life (April 30, 2026) | Already ended |
| Node 22 | Maintenance LTS | April 30, 2027 |
| Node 24 | Maintenance LTS from Oct 20 | April 30, 2028 |
| Node 26 | Active LTS from Oct 28 | — |
If you're still on Node 20, that's the urgent one: it no longer gets security patches.
What "Maintenance LTS" means in practice
- Security fixes and critical bug fixes only.
- No new features or performance improvements.
- Fine for stable production apps for many months, but upgrades get harder the longer you wait.
A practical upgrade plan
- Check what you're actually running: production servers, Docker base images, CI and serverless runtimes often differ.
- Upgrade anything on Node 20 first.
- Test on Node 26 in CI now. Add it to your test matrix alongside your current version. Most apps pass with no changes, and dependencies with native modules are the usual exception.
- Watch for deprecations. Run with warnings visible and fix them while you're still on a supported line.
- Move production to Node 26 early in 2027, once your hosting platform and key dependencies officially support it.
Our standard for client apps
At NextGen Fusion, our Node.js and web development company in Lucknow, client backends run on a supported LTS line, with CI testing against the next one, so upgrades are routine maintenance rather than emergencies.
Need help upgrading or maintaining a Node.js app? Talk to me.
