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

Blazing fast, zero configuration web application bundler

Latest version 2.16.4, published Feb 2, 2026. Markdown · JSON

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

parcel ships CommonJS only. require("parcel") should work on every Node.js version the package supports (>= 16.0.0); the runtime probe has not run for this version. import "parcel" 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("parcel") should work on every Node.js version the package supports (>= 16.0.0); the runtime probe has not run for this version.
  2. From ES modules use the default import: import parcel from "parcel"; then destructure. Named imports only work when Node.js can statically detect the exports.
  3. TypeScript: no types are available for parcel; declare the module yourself if you need them.
Latest
2.16.4 (Feb 2, 2026)
Module format
CommonJS
Last CommonJS version
2.16.4
TypeScript types
None
Node engines
>= 16.0.0
Weekly downloads
240K
License
MIT

Does parcel@2.16.4 actually load? Runtime test results

Runtime probe pending for this version. The values below are what package.json declares; they are refreshed once the probe runs.

Runtimerequire("parcel")import "parcel"
Node.js 18✓ expected✓ expected
Node.js 20✓ expected✓ expected
Node.js 22✓ expected✓ expected
Node.js 24✓ expected✓ expected
Node.js 26✓ expected✓ expected
Bun 1.4.0pendingpending

Install failed in our sandbox: PROBE_TIMEOUT The rows above show what package.json declares.

How to import parcel

ES modules (import)

import parcel from "parcel";

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 parcel = require("parcel");

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 (71 versions; the newest 60 shown).

VersionsFormatFirst published
1.9.7 – 2.16.4CommonJSJul 16, 2018

Frequently asked

Is parcel ESM-only?

parcel@2.16.4 is a CommonJS package. parcel ships CommonJS only. require("parcel") should work on every Node.js version the package supports (>= 16.0.0); the runtime probe has not run for this version. import "parcel" 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 parcel with ES module syntax?

Yes. import parcel from "parcel" 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 parcel ship TypeScript types?

No. parcel ships no type declarations and there is no @types package for it.

Links

Other commonjs packages

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