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

Node.js compression middleware

Last verified Sep 9, 2026 against compression@1.8.1. Markdown · JSON

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

compression ships CommonJS only. require("compression") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun. The package declares Node.js >= 0.8.0. import "compression" 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.

What to do

  1. require("compression") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun. The package declares Node.js >= 0.8.0.
  2. From ES modules use the default import: import compression from "compression"; then destructure. Named imports only work when Node.js can statically detect the exports.
  3. TypeScript: npm install -D @types/compression
Latest
1.8.1 (Jul 17, 2025)
Module format
CommonJS
Last CommonJS version
1.8.1
TypeScript types
@types/compression
Node engines
>= 0.8.0
Weekly downloads
37.0M
License
MIT

Does compression@1.8.1 actually load? Runtime test results

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

Runtimerequire("compression")import "compression"
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 1.4.0✓ works✓ works

How to import compression

ES modules (import)

import compression from "compression";

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 compression = require("compression");

Module format by version

Derived from the type, main and exports fields of every stable release on npm, corrected where a runtime test of that version contradicted them (39 versions; the newest 39 shown).

VersionsFormatFirst published
1.0.0 – 1.8.1CommonJSJan 1, 2014

Frequently asked

Is compression ESM-only?

compression@1.8.1 is a CommonJS package. compression ships CommonJS only. require("compression") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun. The package declares Node.js >= 0.8.0. import "compression" 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 compression with ES module syntax?

Yes. import compression from "compression" 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 compression work in Bun?

Yes. import "compression" loaded successfully in Bun 1.4.0 on Sep 9, 2026.

Does compression ship TypeScript types?

Not bundled. Install the community types with "npm install -D @types/compression".

Links

Other commonjs packages

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