canirequire

canirequire › ESM-only › open

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

Open stuff like URLs, files, executables. Cross-platform.

Last verified Sep 9, 2026 against open@11.0.2. JSON

ESM-only ESM-only since 9.0.0 — last CommonJS version is 8.4.2

open dropped its CommonJS build in 9.0.0 (March 2023). The last version you can require() on every Node.js version, including 18 and older, is 8.4.2, published Feb 20, 2023.

On Node.js 20.19+, 22.12+ and every newer release, require("open") 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.

open@11.0.2 declares engines ">=20", so Node.js 18 is outside its supported range regardless of module format.

Latest
11.0.2 (Aug 29, 2026)
Module format
ESM-only
Last CommonJS version
8.4.2
ESM-only since
9.0.0 (Mar 20, 2023)
TypeScript types
Bundled
Node engines
>=20
Weekly downloads
130.4M
License
MIT

Does open@11.0.2 actually load? Runtime test results

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

Runtimerequire("open")import "open"
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 open

ES modules (import)

import open from "open";

CommonJS (require)

// Node.js 20.19+ / 22.12+ / newer (package has no top-level await):
const open = require("open");

// Any Node.js version:
const open = await import("open");

// Or pin the last CommonJS release:
// npm install open@8.4.2

Module format by version

Derived from the type, main and exports fields of every stable release on npm (54 versions; the newest 54 shown).

VersionsFormatFirst published
9.0.0 – 11.0.2ESM-onlyMar 20, 2023
0.0.0 – 8.4.2CommonJSApr 14, 2012

Frequently asked

Is open ESM-only?

open@11.0.2 is ESM-only. open dropped its CommonJS build in 9.0.0 (March 2023). The last version you can require() on every Node.js version, including 18 and older, is 8.4.2, published Feb 20, 2023.

Which version of open still supports CommonJS / require()?

8.4.2 is the last version of open with a CommonJS build. Install it with "npm install open@8.4.2". Every version from 9.0.0 on is ESM-only.

How do I use open from a CommonJS file?

Use a dynamic import: const mod = await import("open"). On Node.js 20.19+, 22.12+ and newer, a plain require("open") also works for ESM packages that do not use top-level await. Alternatively pin open@8.4.2.

Does open work in Bun?

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

Does open ship TypeScript types?

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

Links

Other esm-only packages

Similar popularity