canirequire › CommonJS › canvas
Is canvas ESM-only? Can you require() it?
Canvas graphics API backed by Cairo
Last verified Sep 9, 2026 against canvas@3.2.3. JSON
CommonJS CommonJS — require() works on every Node.js version
canvas ships CommonJS only. require("canvas") works everywhere. import "canvas" 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.
Does canvas@3.2.3 actually load? Runtime test results
Installed and executed on Sep 9, 2026 with require("canvas") from a CommonJS file and import "canvas" from an ES module.
| Runtime | require("canvas") | import "canvas" |
|---|---|---|
| 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 canvas
ES modules (import)
import canvas from "canvas";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 canvas = require("canvas");Module format by version
Derived from the type, main and exports fields of every stable release on npm (134 versions; the newest 60 shown).
| Versions | Format | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 1.3.4 – 3.2.3 | CommonJS | Nov 21, 2015 |
Frequently asked
Is canvas ESM-only?
canvas@3.2.3 is a CommonJS package. canvas ships CommonJS only. require("canvas") works everywhere. import "canvas" 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 canvas with ES module syntax?
Yes. import canvas from "canvas" 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 canvas work in Bun?
Yes. import "canvas" loaded successfully in Bun 1.4 on Sep 9, 2026.
Does canvas ship TypeScript types?
Yes. canvas bundles its own type declarations; no @types package is needed.
Links
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