Execute tests smoothly via the CLI using the new runner flag: node --test Use code with caution. 3. V8 Engine Upgrade to 10.1
: Iterates from right to left and returns the index of the found element. Intl.SupportedValuesOf
Faster class initialization and optimized garbage collection. 4. Web Streams API Integration
Node.js 18 is the 18th major version of the runtime, released in April 2022. It became an Active LTS version in October 2022, meaning it was officially recommended for production environments. Hydrogen Release Date: April 19, 2022 node 18 full
🔥 Native fetch API (Goodbye, node-fetch !) ⚡ Engine: V8 10.1 (Class fields & private methods) 🧪 Testing: Built-in Test Runner ( node --test ) 🌍 Web Standards: Better Blob and BroadcastChannel support 🛑 Status: Nearing End-of-Life (April 2025)
: By moving to V8 10.1, Node 18 gained significant performance boosts and new JavaScript features like findLast() and findLastIndex() [8, 15, 29]. This upgrade also improved the performance of class fields and private methods, making modern JS patterns more efficient [29].
Node.js 18 represents a major milestone in the JavaScript ecosystem, bringing native web APIs, a built-in test runner, and significant V8 engine upgrades to the server side. As a Long-Term Support (LTS) release, understanding its full capabilities is essential for building modern, high-performance applications. Execute tests smoothly via the CLI using the
import test from 'node:test'; import assert from 'node:assert'; test('Math operations suite', async (t) => await t.test('addition subtest', () => assert.strictEqual(1 + 1, 2); ); await t.test('subtraction subtest', () => assert.strictEqual(5 - 3, 2); ); ); Use code with caution. 3. V8 Engine Upgrade to 10.1
Node 18 uses a new ABI version (NODE_MODULE_VERSION 108). Recompile any native addons with node-gyp rebuild .
To enhance compatibility with frontend code, Node 18 included: For handling raw data. It became an Active LTS version in October
Node.js 18 Full Guide: Features, LTS, and Migration Node.js 18 ("Hydrogen") marked a significant milestone in the evolution of the popular JavaScript runtime, bringing improved performance, better browser compatibility, and modernized developer tools to the ecosystem. Released in April 2022 and promoted to Long-Term Support (LTS) in October 2022, Node 18 became a cornerstone for backend developers, serving as a stable, robust environment for high-performance applications until April 2025.
Node.js 18, codenamed , was released in April 2022 and transitioned to a "Maintenance" phase before reaching its End-of-Life (EOL) on April 30, 2025 . Because it no longer receives official security updates or bug fixes, users are strongly encouraged to migrate to supported versions like Node.js 20 or 22.
Node.js 18 lays the groundwork for a robust built-in security model. It introduces permission controls that allow developers to restrict access to system resources during runtime. Using flags, you can restrict or grant specific access: