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

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Last verified Sep 9, 2026 against ora@9.4.1. JSON

ESM-only ESM-only since 6.0.0 — last CommonJS version is 5.4.1

ora dropped its CommonJS build in 6.0.0 (August 2021). The last version you can require() on every Node.js version, including 18 and older, is 5.4.1, published Jun 8, 2021.

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

ora@9.4.1 declares engines ">=20", so Node.js 18 is outside its supported range regardless of module format.

Latest
9.4.1 (Jun 22, 2026)
Module format
ESM-only
Last CommonJS version
5.4.1
ESM-only since
6.0.0 (Aug 23, 2021)
TypeScript types
Bundled
Node engines
>=20
Weekly downloads
79.8M
License
MIT

Does ora@9.4.1 actually load? Runtime test results

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

Runtimerequire("ora")import "ora"
Node.js 18✗ failsERR_REQUIRE_ESM✗ failsSyntaxError
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 ora

ES modules (import)

import ora from "ora";

CommonJS (require)

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

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

// Or pin the last CommonJS release:
// npm install ora@5.4.1

Module format by version

Derived from the type, main and exports fields of every stable release on npm (57 versions; the newest 57 shown).

VersionsFormatFirst published
6.0.0 – 9.4.1ESM-onlyAug 23, 2021
0.1.0 – 5.4.1CommonJSMar 3, 2016

Frequently asked

Is ora ESM-only?

ora@9.4.1 is ESM-only. ora dropped its CommonJS build in 6.0.0 (August 2021). The last version you can require() on every Node.js version, including 18 and older, is 5.4.1, published Jun 8, 2021.

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

5.4.1 is the last version of ora with a CommonJS build. Install it with "npm install ora@5.4.1". Every version from 6.0.0 on is ESM-only.

How do I use ora from a CommonJS file?

Use a dynamic import: const mod = await import("ora"). On Node.js 20.19+, 22.12+ and newer, a plain require("ora") also works for ESM packages that do not use top-level await. Alternatively pin ora@5.4.1.

Does ora work in Bun?

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

Does ora ship TypeScript types?

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

Links

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