canirequire

canirequire › CommonJS › sqlite3

Is sqlite3 ESM-only? Can you require() it?

Asynchronous, non-blocking SQLite3 bindings

Last verified Sep 9, 2026 against sqlite3@6.0.1. Markdown · JSON

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

sqlite3 ships CommonJS only. require("sqlite3") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun. The package declares Node.js >=20.17.0. import "sqlite3" 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("sqlite3") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun. The package declares Node.js >=20.17.0.
  2. From ES modules use the default import: import sqlite3 from "sqlite3"; then destructure. Named imports only work when Node.js can statically detect the exports.
  3. TypeScript: types are bundled; install nothing extra.
Latest
6.0.1 (Mar 12, 2026)
Module format
CommonJS
Last CommonJS version
6.0.1
TypeScript types
Bundled
Node engines
>=20.17.0
Weekly downloads
2.2M
License
BSD-3-Clause

Does sqlite3@6.0.1 actually load? Runtime test results

Installed and executed on Sep 9, 2026 with require("sqlite3") from a CommonJS file and import "sqlite3" from an ES module.

Runtimerequire("sqlite3")import "sqlite3"
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 sqlite3

ES modules (import)

import sqlite3 from "sqlite3";

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 sqlite3 = require("sqlite3");

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 (102 versions; the newest 60 shown).

VersionsFormatFirst published
2.2.4 – 6.0.1CommonJSJul 15, 2014

Frequently asked

Is sqlite3 ESM-only?

sqlite3@6.0.1 is a CommonJS package. sqlite3 ships CommonJS only. require("sqlite3") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun. The package declares Node.js >=20.17.0. import "sqlite3" 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 sqlite3 with ES module syntax?

Yes. import sqlite3 from "sqlite3" 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 sqlite3 work in Bun?

Yes. import "sqlite3" loaded successfully in Bun 1.4.0 on Sep 9, 2026.

Does sqlite3 ship TypeScript types?

Yes. sqlite3 bundles its own type declarations; no @types package is needed.

Links

Other commonjs packages

Similar popularity