canirequire

canirequire › ESM-only › p-limit

Is p-limit ESM-only? Can you require() it?

Run multiple promise-returning & async functions with limited concurrency

Last verified Sep 9, 2026 against p-limit@7.3.2. JSON

ESM-only ESM-only since 4.0.0 — last CommonJS version is 3.1.0

p-limit dropped its CommonJS build in 4.0.0 (August 2021). The last version you can require() on every Node.js version, including 18 and older, is 3.1.0, published Nov 25, 2020.

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

p-limit@7.3.2 declares engines ">=20", so Node.js 18 is outside its supported range regardless of module format.

Latest
7.3.2 (Aug 31, 2026)
Module format
ESM-only
Last CommonJS version
3.1.0
ESM-only since
4.0.0 (Aug 12, 2021)
TypeScript types
Bundled
Node engines
>=20
Weekly downloads
293.1M
License
MIT

Does p-limit@7.3.2 actually load? Runtime test results

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

Runtimerequire("p-limit")import "p-limit"
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 p-limit

ES modules (import)

import pLimit from "p-limit";

CommonJS (require)

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

// Any Node.js version:
const pLimit = await import("p-limit");

// Or pin the last CommonJS release:
// npm install p-limit@3.1.0

Module format by version

Derived from the type, main and exports fields of every stable release on npm (26 versions; the newest 26 shown).

VersionsFormatFirst published
4.0.0 – 7.3.2ESM-onlyAug 12, 2021
1.0.0 – 3.1.0CommonJSOct 21, 2016

Frequently asked

Is p-limit ESM-only?

p-limit@7.3.2 is ESM-only. p-limit dropped its CommonJS build in 4.0.0 (August 2021). The last version you can require() on every Node.js version, including 18 and older, is 3.1.0, published Nov 25, 2020.

Which version of p-limit still supports CommonJS / require()?

3.1.0 is the last version of p-limit with a CommonJS build. Install it with "npm install p-limit@3.1.0". Every version from 4.0.0 on is ESM-only.

How do I use p-limit from a CommonJS file?

Use a dynamic import: const mod = await import("p-limit"). On Node.js 20.19+, 22.12+ and newer, a plain require("p-limit") also works for ESM packages that do not use top-level await. Alternatively pin p-limit@3.1.0.

Does p-limit work in Bun?

Yes. import "p-limit" loaded successfully in Bun 1.4 on Sep 9, 2026.

Does p-limit ship TypeScript types?

Yes. p-limit bundles its own type declarations; no @types package is needed.

Links

Other esm-only packages

Similar popularity