Node.js 26 LTS: what actually changed

Node.js 26 entering LTS is a quiet but meaningful release: fewer breaking changes than last year, more quality-of-life improvements.

Highlights

1. Runtime polish — startup time and memory footprint keep trending down.
2. Test runner — watch mode and coverage are stable defaults now.
3. Docker images — the official slim images are ~15% smaller.

Upgrade path

Use your version manager of choice, then run your test suite:

nvm install 26
nvm use 26
npm test

Watch for native addons that need rebuilding; everything else should be a smooth ride.