npm Range Explainer

Git

Explain what versions a range like ^5.2.1 allows.

Version range

Paste a value from package.json dependencies.

Range

Caret range

Any 5.x.x version at or above 5.2.1. Minor and patch updates are allowed; a new major is not.

Equivalent to >=5.2.1 <6.0.0.
Caret keeps the left-most non-zero number fixed, so this trusts the package to follow semver for backwards-compatible changes.
This is what `npm install <pkg>` writes by default.

Normalized range

>=5.2.1 <6.0.0-0

Lowest allowed version

5.2.1

5.2.15.2.25.3.05.4.5

6.0.05.2.04.9.97.0.06.0.0-beta.1

1.2.3Exact version only

^1.2.3≥1.2.3 <2.0.0 — minor + patch updates (npm default)

^0.2.3≥0.2.3 <0.3.0 — patch only, because major is 0

^0.0.3Exactly 0.0.3

~1.2.3≥1.2.3 <1.3.0 — patch updates only

1.2.x / 1.2.*Any patch of 1.2

1.x / 1Any minor or patch of 1

* / x / (empty)Anything

>=1.2.0 <2.0.0Both conditions (AND)

^1 || ^2Either side (OR)

1.2.3 - 2.3.4Inclusive hyphen range

latest / nextDist-tags resolve at install time, not ranges