SemVer Calculator
Calculate the next semantic version after a patch, minor, or major bump. Compare two versions. Check if a version satisfies a range like ^1.4.0. Free, no signup.
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How to Use SemVer Calculator
- Enter your current version in the Version Bump section to see patch, minor, and major options
- Click the copy button next to the version you need
- Use the Version Comparator to check which of two versions is newer
- Use the Range Checker to test if a version satisfies a semver range like ^1.4.0 or ~2.1.0
- Refer to the SemVer Quick Reference at the bottom for range syntax reminders
About SemVer Calculator
Semantic Versioning (SemVer) is the versioning standard used by npm, Cargo, RubyGems, and most modern package ecosystems. Our SemVer Calculator helps you answer the questions that come up every time you cut a release.
What this tool does:
Version Bump Calculator — Enter your current version (e.g. 1.4.2) and instantly see the correct next version for a patch fix, new feature, or breaking change. No more guessing whether a new API method should be a minor or patch bump.
Version Comparator — Is 2.0.0-alpha.1 greater or less than 1.9.9? Is 1.10.0 greater than 1.9.0? Semver has specific comparison rules that aren't obvious — this answers them instantly.
Range Checker — Does version 1.5.1 satisfy the range ^1.4.0? Does 2.0.0 break a ~1.2.3 range? Essential for understanding npm dependency resolution and figuring out which package versions are compatible.
SemVer Rules (MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH): - MAJOR — increment when you make incompatible API changes - MINOR — increment when you add functionality in a backwards-compatible manner - PATCH — increment when you make backwards-compatible bug fixes
Pre-release versions: Add a hyphen and label after the patch version: 1.0.0-alpha, 1.0.0-beta.1, 1.0.0-rc.2. Pre-release versions have lower precedence than the associated normal version.
Range syntax: - `^1.2.3` — compatible with version (>=1.2.3 <2.0.0) - `~1.2.3` — approximately equivalent (>=1.2.3 <1.3.0) - `>=1.0.0` — greater than or equal to
Used by npm, Yarn, pnpm for dependency resolution. Understanding ranges is essential for managing package.json dependencies safely.
Common Use Cases
Frequently Asked Questions
What is semantic versioning?
Semantic Versioning (SemVer) is a versioning scheme for software that conveys meaning about the underlying changes. Version numbers follow the MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH format: MAJOR for breaking changes, MINOR for new backwards-compatible features, PATCH for backwards-compatible bug fixes.
What does the ^ (caret) mean in package.json?
The caret ^ allows changes that do not modify the left-most non-zero digit. For ^1.2.3 it allows >=1.2.3 <2.0.0. For ^0.2.3 it allows >=0.2.3 <0.3.0. This is npm's default range operator and allows minor and patch updates while protecting from major breaking changes.
What does ~ (tilde) mean?
The tilde ~ allows patch-level changes if a minor version is specified. ~1.2.3 allows >=1.2.3 <1.3.0. It is more conservative than caret — only allowing patch updates, not minor version bumps.
When should I bump the major version to 1.0.0?
When your software is ready for public use and you want to commit to a stable API. Before 1.0.0, the 0.x.x range is considered unstable — anything may change at any time. Once you reach 1.0.0, semantic versioning rules fully apply and breaking changes must increment the major version.
How do pre-release versions compare?
Pre-release versions (1.0.0-alpha, 1.0.0-beta.1) have lower precedence than the associated release. So 1.0.0-alpha < 1.0.0-beta < 1.0.0-rc.1 < 1.0.0. Within pre-releases, identifiers are compared numerically if numeric, and lexically otherwise.
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