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Is argparse ESM-only? Can you require() it?

CLI arguments parser. Native port of python's argparse.

Last verified Sep 9, 2026 against argparse@3.0.1. JSON

CommonJS CommonJS — require() works on every Node.js version

argparse ships CommonJS only. require("argparse") works everywhere. import "argparse" also works because Node.js and Bun can import CommonJS from ES modules, but only the default export is guaranteed; named imports depend on Node's static analysis of the module.

Latest
3.0.1 (Aug 25, 2026)
Module format
CommonJS
Last CommonJS version
3.0.1
TypeScript types
Bundled
Node engines
not declared
Weekly downloads
231.6M
License
PSF-2.0

Does argparse@3.0.1 actually load? Runtime test results

Installed and executed on Sep 9, 2026 with require("argparse") from a CommonJS file and import "argparse" from an ES module.

Runtimerequire("argparse")import "argparse"
Node.js 18✓ works✓ works
Node.js 20✓ works✓ works
Node.js 22✓ works✓ works
Node.js 24✓ works✓ works
Node.js 26✓ works✓ works
Bun 1.4✓ works✓ works

How to import argparse

ES modules (import)

import argparse from "argparse";

Named imports from a CommonJS package only work when Node.js can statically detect them. If a named import fails, use the default import and destructure.

CommonJS (require)

const argparse = require("argparse");

Module format by version

Derived from the type, main and exports fields of every stable release on npm (32 versions; the newest 32 shown).

VersionsFormatFirst published
0.1.0 – 3.0.1CommonJSMay 16, 2012

Frequently asked

Is argparse ESM-only?

argparse@3.0.1 is a CommonJS package. argparse ships CommonJS only. require("argparse") works everywhere. import "argparse" also works because Node.js and Bun can import CommonJS from ES modules, but only the default export is guaranteed; named imports depend on Node's static analysis of the module.

Can I import argparse with ES module syntax?

Yes. import argparse from "argparse" works in Node.js and Bun because they support importing CommonJS modules. Named imports work only when Node.js can statically detect the exports.

Does argparse work in Bun?

Yes. import "argparse" loaded successfully in Bun 1.4 on Sep 9, 2026.

Does argparse ship TypeScript types?

Yes. argparse bundles its own type declarations; no @types package is needed.

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