canirequire › ESM-only › cliui
Is cliui ESM-only? Can you require() it?
easily create complex multi-column command-line-interfaces
Last verified Sep 9, 2026 against cliui@9.0.1. JSON
ESM-only ESM-only since 9.0.0 — last CommonJS version is 8.0.1
cliui dropped its CommonJS build in 9.0.0 (March 2025). The last version you can require() on every Node.js version, including 18 and older, is 8.0.1, published Oct 1, 2022.
On Node.js 20.19+, 22.12+ and every newer release, require("cliui") works anyway: Node can load synchronous ES modules through require(). Verified on Node 20, 22, 24, 26. Node.js 18 and older still fail with ERR_REQUIRE_ESM.
cliui@9.0.1 declares engines ">=20", so Node.js 18 is outside its supported range regardless of module format.
Does cliui@9.0.1 actually load? Runtime test results
Installed and executed on Sep 9, 2026 with require("cliui") from a CommonJS file and import "cliui" from an ES module.
| Runtime | require("cliui") | import "cliui" |
|---|---|---|
| Node.js 18 | ✗ failsERR_REQUIRE_ESM | ✓ 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 cliui
ES modules (import)
import cliui from "cliui";CommonJS (require)
// Node.js 20.19+ / 22.12+ / newer (package has no top-level await):
const cliui = require("cliui");
// Any Node.js version:
const cliui = await import("cliui");
// Or pin the last CommonJS release:
// npm install cliui@8.0.1Module format by version
Derived from the type, main and exports fields of every stable release on npm (27 versions; the newest 27 shown).
| Versions | Format | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 9.0.0 – 9.0.1 | ESM-only | Mar 16, 2025 |
| 7.0.0 – 8.0.1 | Dual (CommonJS + ESM) | Aug 16, 2020 |
| 1.0.0 – 6.0.0 | CommonJS | Apr 20, 2015 |
Frequently asked
Is cliui ESM-only?
cliui@9.0.1 is ESM-only. cliui dropped its CommonJS build in 9.0.0 (March 2025). The last version you can require() on every Node.js version, including 18 and older, is 8.0.1, published Oct 1, 2022.
Which version of cliui still supports CommonJS / require()?
8.0.1 is the last version of cliui with a CommonJS build. Install it with "npm install cliui@8.0.1". Every version from 9.0.0 on is ESM-only.
How do I use cliui from a CommonJS file?
Use a dynamic import: const mod = await import("cliui"). On Node.js 20.19+, 22.12+ and newer, a plain require("cliui") also works for ESM packages that do not use top-level await. Alternatively pin cliui@8.0.1.
Does cliui work in Bun?
Yes. import "cliui" loaded successfully in Bun 1.4 on Sep 9, 2026.
Does cliui ship TypeScript types?
No. cliui ships no type declarations and there is no @types package for it.
Links
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