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How to uninstall nvm on a Mac, and every Node version it holds

Remove nvm and the Node versions it installed. On our Mac the nvm package was 224 KB, and the versions it managed took 4.5 GB.

4 min read

How do I uninstall nvm on a Mac?

  1. Remove the lines nvm added to ~/.zshrc (they mention NVM_DIR and nvm.sh), and open a new Terminal window.
  2. Move ~/.nvm to the Trash. Every Node version nvm installed goes with it.
  3. If nvm came from Homebrew: brew uninstall nvm.

How much space does nvm take?

Almost none for nvm, a lot for what it holds. Our Homebrew nvm 0.40.0 was 224 KB; ~/.nvm was 4.5 GB, mostly eight Node versions and their global packages.

Will Node still work after removing nvm?

Only if you have another copy. Run which -a node in a new window: our Mac also had Node from the official installer and from Homebrew. See uninstall Node.

Keeping nvm and only clearing old versions: nvm Node versions taking up space.

Common questions

How do I completely uninstall nvm on Mac?

Remove its lines from ~/.zshrc, move ~/.nvm to the Trash, and brew uninstall nvm if Homebrew installed it.

Does uninstalling nvm remove Node?

It removes every Node version nvm installed. Other copies, from Homebrew or the installer, stay.

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