Node.js 26 is now out for the popular open-source JavaScript runtime for building server apps, featuring the Temporal API enabled by default, an updated V8 engine, Undici 8, and several major removals to streamline the platform.
This release marks the start of the next major development line. It will remain the Current release for six months before transitioning to long-term support in October 2026.
The most notable change is the default enablement of the Temporal API, a modern JavaScript date and time API that addresses many limitations of the traditional Date object. Temporal offers dedicated types and improved handling for dates, times, durations, time zones, and calendar-aware operations.
Node.js 26 also updates the bundled V8 JavaScript engine to version 14.6.202.33 from Chromium 146. This update introduces new JavaScript features, such as Map.prototype.getOrInsert(), Map.prototype.getOrInsertComputed(), the corresponding WeakMap methods, and Iterator.concat(). Plus, Undici has been updated to version 8.0.2.
As with other major releases, Node.js 26 removes or deprecates several older APIs. The http.Server.prototype.writeHeader() method has been removed; developers should use http.Server.prototype.writeHead() instead. In addition, legacy internal stream modules, such as _stream_wrap, _stream_readable, _stream_writable, _stream_duplex, _stream_transform, and _stream_passthrough, are now end of life and unavailable.
Within the module system, module.register() is now runtime-deprecated, and the --experimental-transform-types flag has been removed. The release also introduces crypto-related deprecations and removals, as well as other major changes across build, diagnostics, streams, utilities, and platform internals.
Build requirements have also changed. Node.js 26 now requires GCC 13.2, no longer supports Python 3.9 in the build process, updates the Node module version, and raises certain platform baselines, including targeting Power 9 for AIX and IBM i.
More details are available in the official release announcement.
