Setting Up Node.js, pnpm, and Bun with winget (2026)

The modern Windows JavaScript stack is fast, snappy, and entirely scriptable. Here's how to get from clean Windows to a working Node + pnpm + Bun setup in 10 minutes using winget.

TL;DR — install everything

Open Terminal as Administrator:

winget install --id Schniz.fnm -e --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements
winget install --id pnpm.pnpm -e
winget install --id Oven-sh.Bun -e
winget install --id Microsoft.VisualStudioCode -e
winget install --id Git.Git -e
winget install --id Microsoft.WindowsTerminal -e
winget install --id Microsoft.PowerShell -e
winget install --id GitHub.cli -e

Then install Node via fnm:

fnm install --lts
fnm use lts-latest

You're ready to ship.

Step 1 — fnm or direct Node?

Two approaches:

Direct install (simpler, single Node version):

winget install --id OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS -e

Good if you only work on one Node version.

fnm (recommended for working on multiple projects):

winget install --id Schniz.fnm -e

fnm is a fast Node version manager. It reads .nvmrc or .node-version files and auto-switches Node version when you cd into a project.

This guide uses fnm. If you prefer direct install, skip Step 2.

Step 2 — Configure fnm in your shell

After install, add fnm to your PowerShell profile:

notepad $PROFILE

Paste:

# fnm
fnm env --use-on-cd | Out-String | Invoke-Expression

Save, restart Terminal. Now cd into a project with a .nvmrc and fnm switches Node version automatically.

Install Node versions

fnm install --lts
fnm install 22
fnm install 20

fnm list
# * v22.10.0 (default)
#   v20.18.0 (lts-latest)

Switch:

fnm use 22
fnm default 22

Step 3 — pnpm

winget install --id pnpm.pnpm -e

pnpm is faster than npm, uses 80% less disk space (symlinked store), and has stricter dependency resolution. Verify:

pnpm --version

Make it the default for new projects:

pnpm config set store-dir ~/.pnpm-store

Step 4 — Bun

winget install --id Oven-sh.Bun -e

Bun is an all-in-one runtime + package manager + bundler + test runner, written in Zig. Replaces Node + npm + webpack + jest for many workflows.

bun --version
bun init     # creates a starter project in current dir
bun add react
bun run dev

For Next.js / Vite / SvelteKit etc., Bun works as a drop-in npm replacement:

bun install   # like npm install
bun run dev   # like npm run dev

For server-side, Bun's runtime is 4× faster than Node for hot paths:

bun server.ts

Step 5 — VS Code + extensions

winget install --id Microsoft.VisualStudioCode -e

Install JS/TS essentials:

code --install-extension dbaeumer.vscode-eslint
code --install-extension esbenp.prettier-vscode
code --install-extension biomejs.biome
code --install-extension yoavbls.pretty-ts-errors
code --install-extension bradlc.vscode-tailwindcss

Biome is a modern alternative to ESLint + Prettier — a single tool, 10× faster.

VS Code settings for JS/TS

Ctrl+, → Open JSON:

{
  "editor.defaultFormatter": "biomejs.biome",
  "editor.formatOnSave": true,
  "editor.codeActionsOnSave": { "source.fixAll": "explicit" },
  "typescript.tsserver.experimental.enableProjectDiagnostics": true,
  "typescript.preferences.preferTypeOnlyAutoImports": true
}

Step 6 — Git + GitHub CLI

winget install --id Git.Git -e
winget install --id GitHub.cli -e

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "you@example.com"
git config --global init.defaultBranch main
git config --global pull.rebase true

gh auth login

A real example: Next.js + pnpm

cd ~/projects
mkdir my-app
cd my-app

# Use Node 22
fnm use 22

# Bootstrap Next.js with pnpm
pnpm create next-app@latest . --typescript --tailwind --eslint --app

pnpm dev

Open http://localhost:3000.

A real example: Bun + Hono API

cd ~/projects
mkdir my-api
cd my-api

bun init   # accept defaults
bun add hono

# Replace index.ts with:
@"
import { Hono } from 'hono'

const app = new Hono()
app.get('/', (c) => c.json({ hello: 'world' }))

export default app
"@ | Out-File -Encoding utf8 src/index.ts

bun --hot src/index.ts

Open http://localhost:3000.

Lockfile, ".nvmrc", and team standardisation

If you're on a team, commit a .nvmrc:

22

…and an .npmrc to pin pnpm:

engine-strict=true

In package.json:

{
  "engines": {
    "node": ">=22.0.0",
    "pnpm": ">=9.0.0"
  },
  "packageManager": "pnpm@9.12.0"
}

Now anyone cloning the repo gets the right Node + pnpm via fnm + Corepack automatically.

Pin runtimes with winget

If you've direct-installed Node (not via fnm), pin the LTS line:

winget pin add --id OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS --version "22.*"

Now winget upgrade --all won't accidentally bump you to Node 24. See winget pin guide.

Save your setup

winget export -o nodejs-dev.json --include-versions

Future you, on a new machine:

winget import -i nodejs-dev.json

Common pitfalls

Multiple Node versions confused — use fnm. Stop installing Node directly.

pnpm not found after install — close + reopen Terminal. PATH refresh.

Corepack vs pnpm-installed-via-winget — pick one. Either:

corepack enable
# Now `pnpm` comes from package.json's packageManager field

Or:

winget install --id pnpm.pnpm -e
# Now `pnpm` comes from winget

Both works fine; just don't mix.

Bun on Windows fails to install some packages — Bun on Windows is still maturing. For complex projects with native dependencies, fall back to pnpm. Bun for greenfield, pnpm for legacy.

What's next?

• Python setup with winget → — sibling guide for Python
• Best CLI tools → — modern terminal toolkit
• Fresh Windows 11 setup → — full setup workflow
• Developer bundle → — one-click install