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

JavaScript parser, mangler/compressor and beautifier toolkit for ES6+

Last verified Sep 9, 2026 against terser@5.51.2. Markdown · JSON

Dual (CommonJS + ESM) Dual package — require() works on every Node.js version we test; import works too

terser publishes both a CommonJS entry and a native ESM entry (ESM added in 5.0.0). require("terser") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun. The package declares Node.js >=10. import "terser" works alongside it.

What to do

  1. Nothing to change. require("terser") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun. The package declares Node.js >=10. import * as terser from "terser" works alongside it; use named imports for what the ESM entry exports.
  2. TypeScript: types are bundled; install nothing extra.
Latest
5.51.2 (Aug 27, 2026)
Module format
Dual (CommonJS + ESM)
Last CommonJS version
5.51.2
Native ESM since
5.0.0
TypeScript types
Bundled
Node engines
>=10
Weekly downloads
71.8M
License
BSD-2-Clause

Does terser@5.51.2 actually load? Runtime test results

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

Runtimerequire("terser")import "terser"
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 terser

ES modules (import)

import * as terser from "terser";

Namespace import shown because the ESM entry may have no default export; use named imports for what it exports.

CommonJS (require)

const terser = require("terser");

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 (205 versions; the newest 60 shown).

VersionsFormatFirst published
5.21.0 – 5.51.2Dual (CommonJS + ESM)Oct 3, 2023

Frequently asked

Is terser ESM-only?

terser@5.51.2 ships CommonJS and ESM builds. terser publishes both a CommonJS entry and a native ESM entry (ESM added in 5.0.0). require("terser") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun. The package declares Node.js >=10. import "terser" works alongside it.

Can I require terser?

Yes. terser ships a CommonJS entry alongside the native ESM entry. require("terser") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun. The package declares Node.js >=10.

Does terser work in Bun?

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

Does terser ship TypeScript types?

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

Links

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