Node Sass Version Incompatibility

Problem

When working with React projects that use Sass for styling, you may encounter a version compatibility error:

Error: Node Sass version 5.0.0 is incompatible with ^4.0.0

This error typically occurs when:

• Using create-react-app with newer versions of node-sass
• The installed node-sass version (5.0.0+) conflicts with the expected version range (^4.0.0) of your build tools
• Your Node.js version is incompatible with the installed node-sass version

Root Cause

The issue stems from a semantic versioning mismatch where sass-loader (a dependency of Create React App) expects node-sass version ^4.0.0, but version 5.0.0 was installed. Additionally, node-sass (LibSass) has been deprecated in favor of Dart Sass.

Solutions

Recommended: Migrate to Dart Sass

Since Node Sass (LibSass) is deprecated, the best long-term solution is to migrate to Dart Sass:

npm

npm uninstall node-sass
npm install sass --save-dev

Yarn

yarn remove node-sass
yarn add sass --dev

This replacement is API-compatible and provides better performance and newer Sass features.

Compatibility Fix: Downgrade Node Sass

If you must use node-sass, install a compatible version:

npm

npm uninstall node-sass
npm install node-sass@4.14.1

Yarn

yarn remove node-sass
yarn add node-sass@4.14.1

Update sass-loader

If you manage your own Webpack configuration, ensure you're using a compatible sass-loader version:

npm install sass-loader@^10.0.5

Node.js Version Compatibility

Ensure your Node.js version is compatible with your node-sass version. Check the node-sass compatibility table for guidance.

TIP

For Node.js 12, use node-sass@4.12.x For Node.js 14+, use node-sass@4.14.x

Clean Installation

If issues persist, try a clean reinstall:

npm cache clean --force
rm -rf node_modules package-lock.json
npm install

Migration Example

Before (using node-sass):

import './App.scss';

After (using Dart Sass):

import './App.scss'; // Same import - sass is API compatible

WARNING

Avoid manually editing version numbers in node_modules/package.json files as this approach is not maintainable and will break when reinstalling dependencies.

Best Practices

1. Prefer Dart Sass over node-sass for new projects
2. Check compatibility between Node.js and Sass implementations
3. Use consistent package managers (npm or Yarn) throughout your project
4. Update React Scripts if using Create React App (react-scripts@4.0.3+ has better compatibility)

By following these solutions, you can resolve the version incompatibility error and continue developing your React application with Sass styling.