Node-RED Standalone Binaries

Standalone executable binaries of Node-RED for multiple platforms. No Node.js installation required.

Features

• Standalone binaries for macOS, Linux, and Windows
• No Node.js or npm installation required
• Multiple platform support (Intel & ARM)
• Simple CLI interface
• Portable and easy to distribute

Download

Download the latest binaries from the Releases page:

Platform	Binary	Architecture
macOS Intel	node-red-macos-x64	x86_64
macOS Apple Silicon	node-red-macos-arm64	ARM64
Linux	node-red-linux-x64	x86_64
Windows	node-red-win-x64.exe	x86_64

Installation

macOS

1. Download the appropriate binary for your Mac:

   • Intel Macs: node-red-macos-x64
   • Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3): node-red-macos-arm64

2. Make the binary executable:

   chmod +x node-red-macos-x64
   # or
   chmod +x node-red-macos-arm64

3. Run Node-RED:

   ./node-red-macos-x64
   # or
   ./node-red-macos-arm64

Linux

1. Download node-red-linux-x64

2. Make the binary executable:

   chmod +x node-red-linux-x64

3. Run Node-RED:

   ./node-red-linux-x64

Windows

1. Download node-red-win-x64.exe

2. Double-click to run, or use Command Prompt:

   node-red-win-x64.exe

Usage

Default Usage

Simply run the binary without any arguments:

./node-red-macos-x64

Node-RED will start on port 6878 by default and create a .node-red directory in your home folder.

Access the Node-RED editor at: http://localhost:6878/admin

CLI Options

-p, --port <number>        Port number (default: 6878)
-u, --userDir <path>       Path to user directory (default: ~/.node-red)
-s, --settings <path>      Path to settings.json file
-h, --help                 Display help

Examples

Start on a different port:

./node-red-macos-x64 --port 1880

Use a custom user directory:

./node-red-macos-x64 --userDir /path/to/data

Use a settings file:

./node-red-macos-x64 --settings ./my-settings.json

Combine options:

./node-red-macos-x64 --port 7878 --userDir ./node-red-data --settings ./settings.json

Configuration

Settings File

You can customize Node-RED using a settings.json file. See example-settings.json for a template.

Example settings file:

{
  "uiPort": 7878,
  "flowFile": "flows.json",
  "credentialSecret": "my-secret-key",
  "logging": {
    "console": {
      "level": "info",
      "metrics": false,
      "audit": false
    }
  },
  "editorTheme": {
    "projects": {
      "enabled": false
    }
  }
}

Configuration Priority

Configuration values are merged in this order (later overrides earlier):

1. Default values
2. Settings file (if provided via --settings)
3. CLI arguments

User Directory

The user directory stores your flows, credentials, and installed nodes. Default locations:

• macOS/Linux: ~/.node-red
• Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.node-red

Platform-Specific Notes

macOS

• On macOS Catalina and later, you may see a security warning when first running the binary
• Right-click the binary and select "Open" to bypass the warning
• Or use: xattr -d com.apple.quarantine node-red-macos-x64

Linux

• Ensure the binary has execute permissions: chmod +x node-red-linux-x64
• Some distributions may require additional dependencies

Windows

• Windows Defender may scan the binary on first run
• You may need to allow the binary through Windows Firewall

Building from Source

Prerequisites

• Node.js 22.x or later
• npm

Build Steps

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone git@github.com:digitalnodecom/node-red-bin.git
   cd node-red-bin

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

3. Build for your platform:

   # macOS Intel
   npm run build:macos-x64
   
   # macOS Apple Silicon
   npm run build:macos-arm64
   
   # Linux
   npm run build:linux-x64
   
   # Windows
   npm run build:win-x64

4. Find the binary in the build/ directory

Build All Platforms

npm run build:macos-x64
npm run build:macos-arm64
npm run build:linux-x64
npm run build:win-x64

Note: Cross-platform builds may have limitations depending on your host OS.

Troubleshooting

Port Already in Use

If you see "port already in use" error, either:

• Stop the process using port 6878
• Use a different port: ./node-red-macos-x64 --port 7878

Permission Denied (Linux/macOS)

Make sure the binary is executable:

chmod +x node-red-macos-x64

Windows Security Warning

If Windows blocks the binary:

1. Click "More info"
2. Click "Run anyway"

Or add an exception in Windows Defender.

Cannot Find Module

If you see module errors, ensure you're using the correct binary for your platform and architecture.

Version Information

This binary packages Node-RED v5.0.0-beta.2 with Node.js 22.

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

Links

• Node-RED Official Site
• Node-RED Documentation
• Report Issues

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please open an issue or submit a pull request.

Development

To run Node-RED without building:

npm start

This runs the source directly using Node.js.

Credits

Built with pkg for packaging Node.js applications as standalone executables.