NVM for Windows
Author Software Inc
Effective September 30, 2026
This End User License Agreement (“EULA”) is a binding contract between Author Software Inc, a Texas corporation (“Author”), and the person or entity that accepts it (“Customer”). Author and Customer are each a “party.”
This EULA licenses software. It is not a statement of work, and it does not cover custom development, project phases, milestones, change control, or acceptance of professional-services deliverables.
NVM for Windows (the “Software”) is a Windows desktop application that installs and switches Node.js versions on computers Customer controls. A version number is not part of the product name.
The Software is not a hosted multi-tenant service that stores Customer application data, not an npm package manager, and not a general-purpose network firewall.
Customer source code, projects, and runtime data remain on Customer’s computers. Author does not host that material.
Customer accepts this EULA for itself and for its users by any of the following:
The person who takes one of those steps represents that the person has authority to bind Customer. On an Organization License, that acceptance binds the organization and its authorized users.
An authorized user does not accept this EULA separately. Deployment to computers in Customer’s fleet, and use by those users, is use under Customer’s acceptance. Use by itself is not acceptance.
The same installer, setup wizard, and MST are used for every Customer. Accepting this EULA by a step above does not replace a master agreement or enterprise license Author has signed with that Customer. Section 27 states which document controls.
If Customer does not accept by one of the steps above, do not complete the purchase and do not install the Software.
A purchase order, invoice, or other government or commercial paper process does not replace or modify this EULA unless a separate agreement signed by Author says otherwise.
“Authorized user” means an employee, contractor, or agent of Customer who uses the Software for Customer’s internal purposes and who is within the license scope in Section 5 or Section 6.
“Author Mirror” means the security gateway Author operates at https://mirror.author.io/runtime/nodejs and related Author hosts, including licensing.author.io. The Author Mirror routes download requests to the official Node.js distribution source. Author maintains the gateway. The Author Mirror is not a third-party mirror and is not the official Node.js distribution source.
“Documentation” means Author’s published docs for the Software, including those available at https://docs.nvm-windows.com/features/mirrors and https://docs.nvm-windows.com/features/author-mirror.
“Hosted rules” means policy rules Customer stores in Author’s customer portal for evaluation when the Software communicates with Author hosts. Rules may be scoped by IP range, geography, directory domain (including Active Directory or Entra ID), user account or SID, and license group or access key.
“Order” means the checkout, portal record, or written order that identifies the modules Customer paid for and the fees and term Author charged.
“Organization License” means the organizational license scope in Section 5.
“Term” means the annual subscription period for one product. Each product has its own Term. A Term is one year from the start date on the Order, and each renewal is a new one-year Term. If the Order states a different period, that period is the Term.
Subject to this EULA and payment of the applicable fees, Author grants Customer a non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable, revocable license, during the Term, to install and run the paid modules of the Software in object-code form, solely for Customer’s internal use, within the scope in Section 5 or Section 6.
The license covers proprietary features of Author. It does not sell the Software. Author and its licensors keep all right, title, and interest in the Software, except the third-party components in Section 13, which remain under their own licenses.
Unpaid modules are not licensed. Enabling, configuring, or attempting to use a module that is not on the Order does not grant a license to that module.
Versions. During the Term, a paid subscription includes access to the Software versions Author offers for the paid modules. That includes new versions Author releases during the Term and older versions Author still offers. Author may release a version and may deprecate a version and stop offering it for download. Deprecation does not end the Term. A copy already installed remains licensed for the rest of the Term unless Author notifies Customer that the version must be discontinued for a security, legal, or infringement reason.
If Customer is a company, university, government body, or other organization, or if Customer purchases for an organization’s users, the license is an Organization License.
One Organization License covers deployment and use within a single Active Directory forest under the common administrative control of one purchasing entity or legal component. That scope includes all domains and child domains in that forest. Customer does not need another Organization License solely because that forest contains more than one domain.
A separate Active Directory forest, or an environment under separate administrative or legal control, requires an additional Organization License unless Author agrees otherwise in a signed writing.
If Customer has no Active Directory forest, one Organization License covers one Entra ID tenant under the common administrative control of that same purchasing entity or legal component. A separate tenant requires an additional Organization License unless Author agrees otherwise in a signed writing.
An Organization License is for a typical organizational deployment. A very large multi-forest environment, or a multi-million-user environment, is outside a single Organization License. That deployment requires a separately signed enterprise agreement. Contact [email protected].
For a U.S. government Customer, a “purchasing entity or legal component” means an individual agency, bureau, major command, laboratory, or equivalent organizational unit that maintains its own Active Directory forest. One Organization License does not cover the entire federal government, or an entire department or agency that operates more than one forest, unless a signed writing says otherwise.
The Organization License boundary is the same for every paid module. The modules differ by capability, not by forest scope.
An Organization License is a sitewide license. Sitewide means one Active Directory forest, or one Entra ID tenant when Customer has no forest, as this section describes. It does not mean every forest, every tenant, every location, or an entire department.
If Customer is a natural person who purchases solely for that person’s own use, Customer may install and use the paid modules on computers that person is authorized to use. That license does not authorize organization-wide deployment, use by other people, or use across an Active Directory forest. Those uses require an Organization License.
Author licenses the Software in modules. Customer receives only the modules identified as paid on the Order. Module names are:
A separately signed agreement may add or restate modules. It controls only if Author has signed it.
Customer will not, and will not allow others to:
Open-source components may be used only under their own licenses plus these restrictions where the restrictions do not conflict with those licenses.
License keys, access tokens, and access keys are confidential. Customer will protect them with at least reasonable care and will restrict them to authorized users.
Author may suspend or revoke a license, key, token, or access to the Author Mirror if Customer materially breaches this EULA and fails to cure within 30 days after written notice, or immediately if Customer shares credentials outside this EULA, commits fraud, or is a sanctioned or prohibited party under Section 23. Suspension or revocation does not entitle Customer to a refund except as Section 18 provides.
The Software installs and switches Node.js versions on the local machine.
The Software can restrict or control certain downloads, including Node.js and runtime distribution downloads, in a firewall-like way. It can warn Customer about changes to npm-related or dependency artifacts. The Software does not manage, install, audit, or take responsibility for npm modules, and it is not Customer’s package manager.
Download controls, version allow and block lists, change warnings, and lifecycle rules are best-effort policy aids. They are not a promise that malicious, broken, end-of-life, or policy-violating software will be detected or blocked. Customer alone decides what to download, allow, install, and run, and Customer remains responsible for those choices and for the results.
Customer may point the Software at third-party Node.js mirrors and npm registry URLs, including nodejs.org and other public mirrors, and at HTTP proxies. Author does not operate those third-party sites. Their availability, content, and terms are between Customer and the site operator.
Local static allow and block lists run on the device. They can run without the Author Mirror, including in an air-gapped environment. Local lists are best-effort. They do not expand lifecycle aliases that the Documentation says are applied only on the Author Mirror.
Proxy credentials that Customer stores in Customer configuration or the Windows registry are Customer’s responsibility. Some proxy authentication can be stored in plain text, as the Documentation describes. Customer will not place secrets in the Software configuration unless Customer accepts that storage.
If Customer lists a public or other non-Author mirror as a fallback, Author lifecycle rules and hosted rules do not apply to downloads served from that fallback. A misconfigured mirror list, fallback, or proxy is Customer’s risk.
These local controls and third-party endpoints are separate from the Author Mirror in Section 12.
The Author Mirror and hosted rules are an optional Governance capability. They are not included in every license. They are available only if Customer has a paid Governance module (or a bundle that includes Governance) and Customer chooses to use them.
Customer configures mirrors, fallbacks, proxies, local allow and block lists, and hosted rules. Author does not configure Customer’s environment unless a separate signed agreement says otherwise.
The Author Mirror is provided AS AVAILABLE. This EULA contains no uptime commitment, service credit, or service-level agreement.
When the Software communicates with Author hosts, the Author Mirror may require a license check before it routes a Node.js archive request to the official Node.js distribution source, and it may apply dynamic or lifecycle policy (including blocking an end-of-life version). The Software may send an access token and a short-lived license JWT. If Customer turns on verbose license metadata, that JWT may include machine and user identity claims for auditing.
The Author Mirror is not available in an air-gapped environment. Customer may instead use local static allow and block lists on the device.
Customer may disable the Author Mirror, disable hosted rules in the portal, use only local or air-gapped installs, or ask Author to remove hosted rules. Highly regulated customers may request that hosted rules be removed entirely. Contact [email protected].
Author does not promise that end-of-life rules, hosted rules, local allow or block lists, download controls, or warnings will block every disallowed, malicious, broken, or end-of-life download, or every bad package.
The Author Mirror is not a customer-data hosting platform and is not a complete security control.
Paid and certified builds contain proprietary software of Author and also link third-party open-source libraries. Open-source licenses continue to apply to those components and to any open-source lineage in the Software. Proprietary features are licensed only under this EULA.
Author will keep third-party notices in the install (About / licenses folder) and at https://cdn.author.io/metadata/nvm-windows/oss-notice.html, as applicable.
Customer will pay the annual subscription fee stated at checkout for each product on the Order. Each module in Section 7 is a separate product. The bundle, if purchased, is one product. An Organization License subscription is the sitewide license for that product and covers the scope in Section 5. A separate forest requires a separate subscription for each product.
Author charges the annual fee for each product at the start of each renewal Term. If that fee will be higher than the fee for the current Term, Author will give Customer notice at least 30 days before the renewal date. The notice will state the higher fee, the renewal date, and how to cancel. If Customer does not cancel before the renewal date, the higher fee applies. A renewal at the same fee does not require that price notice.
Customer may cancel renewal of a product through the customer portal, or by notice to [email protected], before the renewal date. Cancellation stops the next annual charge. The current Term continues until it ends.
Fees already paid are non-refundable except for the exclusive remedy in Section 18, a Public Customer refund under Section 28, or where a non-waivable law requires a refund. Failure to pay is a material breach. Author may withhold portal delivery of unpaid licenses.
The license for a product starts when Customer accepts this EULA and Author has received payment for that product’s Term (or when a signed agreement says it starts) and continues through that Term and each renewal Term until it ends or Customer cancels renewal.
Author may terminate or suspend the license if Customer materially breaches this EULA and fails to cure within 30 days after written notice, or immediately if Customer shares credentials outside this EULA, commits fraud, or is a sanctioned or prohibited party under Section 23. Customer may stop using the Software at any time.
When the license ends, Customer will stop using the proprietary Software and Author-issued keys and tokens. Sections that by their nature should survive do survive, including Sections 5, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, and 28. Open-source components remain available under their own licenses.
Author does not host Customer source code, project files, or application runtime data. Author is not a processor of that material. Customer will not send protected health information or classified information to Author. Author does not store Customer card numbers.
If Customer enables the Author Mirror, hosted rules, or verbose license metadata, Author processes license, authentication, and policy-evaluation data. That data may include IP address, coarse location, directory identifiers, and user or machine identifiers that Customer chooses to send. Customer is responsible for deciding whether that processing is acceptable under Customer’s own policies, contracts, and laws, and for providing any notice or obtaining any permission Customer’s rules require.
Customer may avoid that processing by disabling the Author Mirror, disabling hosted rules, using only local or air-gapped operation, or requesting removal of hosted rules, as Section 12 describes.
Author’s privacy policy is at https://nvm-windows.com/privacy.html. If this EULA conflicts with the privacy policy on what the Software does, this EULA controls. The privacy policy controls on how Author handles personal information it actually receives.
THE SOFTWARE, THE AUTHOR MIRROR, HOSTED RULES, DOCUMENTATION, AND ANY RELATED MATERIALS ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE.” TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY TEXAS LAW, AUTHOR DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, STATUTORY, OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, QUIET ENJOYMENT, AND ANY WARRANTY ARISING FROM COURSE OF DEALING OR USAGE OF TRADE.
AUTHOR DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE SOFTWARE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR FREE OF HARMFUL COMPONENTS, OR THAT IT WILL NOT CHANGE PATH SETTINGS, NODE.JS INSTALLS, TOOLCHAINS, BUILD PIPELINES, OR ANY OTHER PART OF THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT.
AUTHOR DOES NOT WARRANT THAT DOWNLOAD CONTROLS, VERSION FIREWALLS, CHANGE WARNINGS, LOCAL ALLOW OR BLOCK LISTS, HOSTED RULES, LIFECYCLE OR END-OF-LIFE RULES, OR THE AUTHOR MIRROR WILL DETECT, BLOCK, OR PREVENT ANY THREAT, OUTAGE, END-OF-LIFE BINARY, POLICY VIOLATION, OR BAD PACKAGE.
Some jurisdictions do not allow some disclaimers. In those jurisdictions, the disclaimers apply to the maximum extent permitted.
If the Software fails to conform to a warranty that Texas law does not allow this EULA to disclaim, Customer’s exclusive remedy, and Author’s entire liability for that failure, is, at Author’s option: (a) repair of the Software, (b) replacement of the Software, or (c) a refund of the fees Customer paid Author for the affected license Term.
Author has no obligation to pay Customer’s downstream losses, including losses of Customer’s own customers, users, or projects.
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY TEXAS LAW, AUTHOR’S TOTAL LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS EULA, THE SOFTWARE, THE AUTHOR MIRROR, HOSTED RULES, OR ANY RELATED SERVICE, FROM ALL CLAIMS AND ALL THEORIES (INCLUDING CONTRACT, TORT, STATUTE, AND STRICT LIABILITY), WILL NOT EXCEED THE ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION FEES CUSTOMER PAID AUTHOR FOR THE PRODUCT AT ISSUE DURING THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS BEFORE THE CLAIM AROSE. IF THOSE FEES ARE ZERO AND THE CLAIM ARISES DURING A PAID TERM, THE CAP IS THE ANNUAL FEE PAID FOR THAT PRODUCT FOR THAT TERM.
THIS CAP APPLIES TO AUTHOR’S INDEMNITY IN SECTION 21 AND TO ANY CLAIM CONCERNING DATA, SECURITY, OR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. THIS EULA DOES NOT CREATE UNLIMITED LIABILITY FOR DATA BREACH OR FOR INTELLECTUAL-PROPERTY CLAIMS.
If the law does not allow a cap on a particular kind of liability, the cap applies to every other kind. The cap is an essential part of the bargain. Author would not license the Software at the stated fees without it.
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY TEXAS LAW, AUTHOR WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, OR FOR LOST PROFITS, LOST REVENUE, LOST DATA, LOST GOODWILL, OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, WHETHER OR NOT AUTHOR WAS ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY, AND WHETHER THE CLAIM IS IN CONTRACT, TORT, STATUTE, OR OTHERWISE.
THIS EXCLUSION SURVIVES ANY FAILURE OF AN EXCLUSIVE OR LIMITED REMEDY TO ACCOMPLISH ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE, TO THE EXTENT TEXAS LAW ALLOWS.
Author will defend Customer against a third-party claim that the proprietary Software, as Author delivered it and as used within this EULA, directly infringes a United States patent, copyright, or trademark, and will pay damages and reasonable attorneys’ fees finally awarded against Customer on that claim, or a settlement Author approves in writing.
Author has no obligation under this section for a claim arising from:
If a claim is made or Author believes one is likely, Author may, at its option, procure a right to continue use, modify or replace the Software so it is non-infringing, or terminate the affected license and refund the fees Customer paid Author for the affected Term. This section, together with the cap in Section 19, is Customer’s exclusive remedy for intellectual-property infringement by the proprietary Software.
Customer will give Author prompt written notice of the claim, sole control of the defense and settlement, and reasonable cooperation at Author’s expense. Author will not settle a claim in a way that admits fault by Customer or imposes an obligation on Customer, other than stopping use of the Software, without Customer’s written consent, not to be unreasonably withheld.
Customer will defend Author and its directors, officers, and employees against a third-party claim arising out of:
Customer will pay damages and reasonable attorneys’ fees finally awarded against Author on that claim, or a settlement Customer approves. Author will give prompt written notice, allow Customer to control the defense, and provide reasonable cooperation. Customer will not settle a claim that imposes an obligation on Author, other than payment of money that Customer pays, without Author’s written consent.
This section does not make Author assume Customer’s liabilities. It is not a blanket hold-harmless of Customer. Section 21 is subject to Sections 19 and 20. Section 22 is not limited by Sections 19 or 20.
The Software is subject to U.S. export control and sanctions laws, including the Export Administration Regulations and rules administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control.
Customer represents that Customer is not a prohibited or restricted party and is not located in, or ordinarily resident in, a jurisdiction subject to a comprehensive U.S. embargo. Customer will not export, re-export, transfer, or use the Software in violation of U.S. law, including to a prohibited party or for a prohibited end use.
Author may refuse an order, or suspend or terminate a license, if Author believes Customer is a sanctioned party, is in a restricted jurisdiction, or would use the Software in violation of those laws.
Customer is solely responsible for complying with technical rules in the place where Customer installs and runs the Software, including import, encryption, and other local deployment rules. That responsibility does not shift Author’s duties for personal information Author actually receives under Section 16.
The Software and Documentation are “commercial computer software” and “commercial computer software documentation,” as those terms are used in applicable U.S. acquisition rules. U.S. Government users receive only the rights in this EULA. Use, duplication, or disclosure by the Government is subject to the restrictions in this EULA and to FAR 12.212 and DFARS 227.7202, as applicable. This EULA, not a Government form license, is the Government’s license, unless Author has signed a separate agreement that says otherwise.
The Software is not designed, tested, or licensed for nuclear facilities, aircraft navigation or communication, air traffic control, life support, or any other ultra-hazardous control system. Customer will not use the Software in those environments. Customer is solely responsible if Customer does.
Texas law governs this EULA, without regard to conflict-of-law rules that would apply another jurisdiction’s law. The state and federal courts located in Texas have exclusive jurisdiction over disputes arising out of this EULA, and each party consents to personal jurisdiction and venue there.
This EULA does not require binding arbitration. Section 28 modifies this section for a Public Customer only.
The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods does not apply.
Entire agreement. This EULA and the Order are the entire agreement for the standard self-serve license. They supersede prior discussions about that license. A master agreement or enterprise license controls over this EULA where they conflict, only if Author has signed it, and only for that Customer. Customer’s later acceptance of this EULA, including in the setup wizard or by applying the MST, does not revoke or replace that signed agreement. The signed agreement does not have to be included in the Software. Where the signed agreement is silent, this EULA still applies. Customer’s vendor forms, click-through vendor terms, and unsigned paper do not modify this EULA.
No third-party beneficiaries. There are no third-party beneficiaries except indemnified persons under Section 22.
Assignment. Customer may not assign this EULA without Author’s prior written consent, except to a successor to substantially all of Customer’s assets or voting securities, with prompt notice to Author. Any assignment remains subject to the Organization License scope in Section 5. An assignment does not extend one Organization License to another Active Directory forest. Author may assign this EULA.
Notices. Legal notices to Author must be sent to [email protected]. Author may give notice to the email address on the account or Order.
Waiver and severability. A failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver. If a court holds a provision unenforceable, the provision will be modified to the minimum extent required, and the rest of this EULA will remain in effect. Sections 19 and 20 are independent.
Changes. Author may post an updated EULA. The updated EULA applies to a new Order, to a renewal Term, and to a Software version once Customer accepts the updated EULA by a method in Section 2. A version already installed stays under the EULA in effect for the Order until Customer accepts the updated EULA or the Term renews. Use by an authorized user does not, by itself, accept an updated EULA. An updated EULA does not amend a separately signed agreement and does not end a Term already paid.
Contact. [email protected]
A “Public Customer” is a U.S. federal, state, tribal, or local government agency, or a public college or university that is an agency or instrumentality of a U.S. state or local government. A private company, financial institution, private hospital, private college, or government contractor buying for its own use is not a Public Customer.
If Customer is a Public Customer, only the following modifications apply. Every other term of this EULA stays in effect, including the warranty disclaimer in Section 17, the exclusive remedy in Section 18, the liability cap in Section 19, and the exclusion of consequential damages in Section 20.
This section does not raise the liability cap, restore consequential damages, add a warranty that the Software or the Author Mirror will detect or block a threat, authorize classified information or protected health information to be sent to Author, or require a business associate agreement, a student-records agreement, an audit right, or a security certification.