fnm vs nvm

fnm is a free Node.js version manager built in Rust for developers working from a command line or shell. It runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux, and is distributed as a single file through installation scripts, package managers, Cargo, or release binaries. It reads `.node-version` and `.nvmrc` files, so projects can specify a Node.js version. Shell setup can also enable automatic version switching when changing directories. The project provides setup instructions for Bash, Zsh, Fish, PowerShell, Windows Command Prompt, and Cmder. Its binary includes completions for Bash, Zsh, Fish, and PowerShell. On macOS and Linux, the installation script requires `curl` and `unzip`. The repository identifies the license as GPL-3.0 and invites pull requests, with issues available for project interaction. No paid plans are listed. The project page reports no published security advisories, while also noting that it has not set up a SECURITY.md file.

nvm is a free, MIT-licensed command-line tool for installing and managing Node.js versions. It is designed for installation per user and invocation per shell, and works in POSIX-compliant shells including sh, dash, ksh, zsh, and bash. Users can install specific versions, switch between them, set aliases such as a default, and use LTS aliases and commands to select long-term support versions. A project can specify its Node.js version in an.nvmrc file; documented shell snippets can support automatic switching. During installation, nvm can reinstall global npm packages from another installed Node.js version. With the --offline flag, it can install a version that was previously downloaded or cached without network access. The project documents use in Docker, including an example for CI/CD jobs. On Windows, nvm can work through WSL and may work with Git Bash or Cygwin depending on the environment. Fish shell is not supported, and the project points users to community alternatives. The project states that only the latest nvm version is supported.