Nuxt v4.5.0 is here, and it's a significant step toward Nuxt 5. This release focuses on internal plumbing and dependency upgrades to make the eventual migration as seamless as possible. Additionally, the team has announced that Nuxt 3 will reach end-of-life on July 31, 2026, urging users to upgrade to v4 now.
Key changes in v4.5.0:
- Upgraded core dependencies: unhead v3, unctx v3, and Vite 8 — these are now on their latest major versions, improving performance and compatibility.
- The framework's own build now uses tsdown instead of the previous bundler, aligning with modern tooling.
- Introduced a stable
nuxt/*build output contract with dev exports (see #35463 and #35605). This allows type-checking in the Nuxt monorepo without a build step, streamlining development. - To test upcoming Nuxt 5 breaking changes early, you can opt in by setting
future.compatibilityVersion: 5in your config. Keep an eye on the Upgrade Guide for details as they land. - The team's focus will now shift to stabilizing Nuxt v5 and creating compatibility utilities for a smooth upgrade.
- Nuxt 3 End-of-Life: v3 will stop receiving updates after July 31, 2026. Most users report a smooth upgrade from v3 to v4, and the upgrade guide remains available.
For developers, this release is about preparing your projects for the future. Upgrading to v4.5.0 now ensures you're on the latest tooling and avoids a last-minute migration when Nuxt 3 support ends. The internal changes are invisible but will reduce migration friction to Nuxt 5, making the upgrade "as boring as possible."