How to Install TypeScript on Windows, macOS and Linux

What is TypeScript?

TypeScript is a typed superset of JavaScript developed by Microsoft. It compiles down to plain JavaScript that runs anywhere JavaScript runs — browsers, Node.js, serverless functions — but gives you static type checking, modern language features and proper editor tooling along the way. In 2026 it’s the default language of choice for serious JavaScript work; React, Vue, Next.js, Angular, NestJS and most modern Node frameworks ship with TypeScript-first templates.

The compiler is distributed as a Node.js package called typescript. That means installation always reduces to one prerequisite — a working Node.js plus npm — followed by one command to add the compiler. The variations between operating systems are entirely about how you get Node.js itself onto the machine.

Pick the guide for your platform

This page is the index. The deep installation walkthroughs live in three OS-specific posts, each with the exact commands, common pitfalls, and verification steps for that environment.

Quick comparison: install paths by platform

Platform	Typical Node.js source	Best for	Watch out for
Windows	Node.js MSI installer or winget	Developer workstations, VS Code, PowerShell users	PATH not refreshed in current shell after install — open a fresh terminal
macOS	Homebrew or Node.js installer	Mac developer laptops, both Apple Silicon and Intel	Homebrew prefix differs between Apple Silicon (/opt/homebrew) and Intel (/usr/local)
Linux (Ubuntu / Debian)	apt or NodeSource repo	Servers, containers, dev workstations	Distro nodejs package often lags — use NodeSource for current LTS
Linux (RHEL / Rocky / Alma)	dnf or NodeSource	Enterprise servers, RHEL fleets	Default repo lags further than Ubuntu’s; NodeSource is the practical choice

The shared install flow (what every guide does)

Whichever OS guide you follow, the structure is the same four-step flow. The OS-specific guides cover step 1 in depth (because that’s where the variation lives) and confirm steps 2–4 work the same way everywhere.

1. Install Node.js and npm. Confirm with node -v and npm -v. The Node.js LTS line is the right default; avoid Current unless you specifically need a feature only on the latest release.
2. Install TypeScript. Globally with npm install -g typescript for system-wide use, or project-locally with npm install --save-dev typescript inside an existing project directory. Project-local is the better default — see the next section.
3. Verify the compiler. tsc -v for global installs, or npx tsc -v for project-local installs. The output is just Version X.Y.Z.
4. Bootstrap a project. npx tsc --init in a project directory generates a starter tsconfig.json. Compile a single file with npx tsc index.ts, or run npx tsc on its own to compile every file referenced by tsconfig.json.

Global vs project-local TypeScript

The single most useful decision when installing TypeScript is whether to install it globally (one copy on the machine, available to every shell) or project-locally (a copy inside node_modules for a specific project, pinned via package.json). Both work; they’re for different jobs.

• Global (npm install -g typescript) — convenient for ad-hoc one-file scripts, learning, or quickly running tsc outside any project. The compiler version is whatever was installed last; teams that share machines can drift apart silently.
• Project-local (npm install --save-dev typescript) — the right default for any real project. The compiler version is pinned in package.json, so every developer and every CI run uses the same version. Invoke via npx tsc, or via npm scripts ("build": "tsc" in package.json).
• Both — you can have one of each. The project-local copy wins inside the project directory; the global copy is available everywhere else.

If you’re just getting started and want to play, install globally. If you’re starting a project you intend to keep, install project-local from day one and use npx tsc consistently. Mixed teams that switch between the two are the most common source of “works on my machine” TypeScript errors.

Verification

Sanity-check that everything is wired up before you write code:

• node -v — confirms Node.js is on the path. Anything 18.x or later is fine in 2026; 20.x or 22.x LTS are the safest defaults.
• npm -v — confirms npm is installed alongside Node.js (it is, by default).
• tsc -v (global) or npx tsc -v (project-local) — prints the TypeScript compiler version.
• echo 'const x: string = "ok"; console.log(x);' > test.ts && npx tsc test.ts && node test.js — end-to-end smoke test. Compiles a one-line TypeScript file and runs the resulting JavaScript.

Troubleshooting common install issues

tsc: command not found after a global install — the install succeeded but the npm global bin directory isn’t on your PATH. Run npm config get prefix; the binaries live in $prefix/bin. Add that directory to PATH in your shell profile, or open a fresh terminal if the install just completed.

EACCES: permission denied on global install — npm’s default global directory needs sudo on some systems. The right fix is not sudo npm install -g but to point npm at a user-owned directory: npm config set prefix ~/.npm-global, then add ~/.npm-global/bin to PATH.

Wrong TypeScript version inside a project — global install is shadowing the project-local one. Always use npx tsc inside projects, or invoke ./node_modules/.bin/tsc directly. Editor integrations often have a “Use Workspace Version” toggle (VS Code: command palette → “TypeScript: Select TypeScript Version”).

Cannot find module '@types/node' — TypeScript doesn’t know about Node.js’s built-in modules unless you install the type definitions: npm install --save-dev @types/node.

Compile succeeds but runtime imports fail — usually a module setting mismatch in tsconfig.json. "module": "CommonJS" for Node, "module": "ESNext" for modern bundlers. The wrong combination produces JavaScript Node can’t require().

Authoritative sources

The canonical references are typescriptlang.org — Download, nodejs.org (for Node.js itself, the prerequisite), and the npm CLI documentation for the install commands. The TypeScript release notes on GitHub are the source of truth for what’s new in each version.

Related reading

• How to Install TypeScript on Windows — the deep guide for Windows machines
• How to Install TypeScript on macOS — the deep guide for Mac developers
• How to Install TypeScript on Linux — the deep guide for servers, containers and Linux desktops
• How to install Docker on Ubuntu — for containerised TypeScript / Node.js builds
• How to write the perfect AGENTS.md file — for AI-coding-friendly TypeScript projects
• Cursor vs Claude Code — both lean heavily on TypeScript-aware tooling
• AI Workflows Start Here — the wider AI-coding tutorial hub