What is Semantic Versioning?

Semver (MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH) is a versioning standard where MAJOR = breaking changes, MINOR = new features (backward-compatible), PATCH = bug fixes. Pre-release tags and build metadata are optional.

What does ^ (caret) mean in version ranges?

^1.2.3 means 'compatible with 1.2.3' — any version ≥1.2.3 and <2.0.0. It allows minor and patch updates but not major ones. This is npm's default range operator.

What does ~ (tilde) mean?

~1.2.3 means 'approximately 1.2.3' — any version ≥1.2.3 and <1.3.0. It only allows patch-level updates within the same minor version.

Why is 1.0.0-alpha less than 1.0.0?

Per the semver spec, pre-release versions always have lower precedence than the associated normal version. So 1.0.0-alpha < 1.0.0-beta < 1.0.0.

Home/Semver Calculator

Semver Calculator

Parse, compare, bump, and sort semantic versions. Check range compatibility for npm/cargo/gems.

Version String

Major

Minor

Patch

beta.2

Pre-release

build.456

Build

Bump to Next Version

Quick Start Guide

1
Parse a Version
Enter any semver string (e.g. 2.4.1-beta.2) to see its components and bump options.
2
Compare Versions
Switch to Compare tab to check which of two versions is greater.
3
Check Range Compatibility
Use Range Check to see if a version satisfies ^, ~, or comparison ranges.
4
Sort Multiple Versions
Paste multiple versions (one per line) to sort them in order.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: February 6, 2026

More Tools

1 / 12

💵Tip 🔒Encrypt 💸Fees 🖼️Favicon 📆Cron 🔄DCA Calculator 🔐chmod+🏦Margin Calc

← View all tools

Showing 8 of 95 related tools

Semver Calculator

Bump to Next Version

Quick Start Guide

Parse a Version

Compare Versions

Check Range Compatibility

Sort Multiple Versions