Install the Aztec toolchain

Everything you need to build on Aztec comes from one installer — aztec-up — and one command-line tool, aztec.

Prerequisites#

Node.js 24 is required (minimum 24.15.0). Install it however you prefer — a system package, the official installer, or a version manager you already use.

If a recent-enough node is already on your PATH, it's used as-is.
If node is missing or too old and you have nvm, the installer uses it to fetch the right version automatically.
Otherwise it stops and asks you to install Node first.

First install#

Your very first install bootstraps aztec-up itself and a toolchain version in a single command. Set VERSION to the version this quickstart targets:

bash

VERSION=5.0.0-rc.1 bash -i <(curl -sL https://install.aztec.network)

It downloads prebuilt binaries (the aztec CLI, the Noir compiler, and the proving backend). Confirm it landed:

bash

aztec --version

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code

Install the Aztec developer toolchain by running
`VERSION=5.0.0-rc.1 bash -i <(curl -sL https://install.aztec.network)`, then run `aztec --version` to confirm. Explain what aztec-up
and the aztec CLI are. Docs: https://docs.aztec.network/developers/getting_started_on_local_network

Managing versions with aztec-up#

aztec-up is a version manager for the toolchain — think nvm, but for Aztec. Once it's installed you no longer need the bootstrap script; use it directly:

bash

aztec-up install 5.0.0-rc.1   # add a version
aztec-up use 5.0.0-rc.1       # switch the active version
aztec-up list                 # see what's installed