canirequire

canirequire › ESM-only › yargs

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

yargs the modern, pirate-themed, successor to optimist.

Last verified Sep 9, 2026 against yargs@18.1.0. Markdown · JSON

ESM-only ESM-only since 18.0.0 — last CommonJS version is 17.7.3

yargs dropped its CommonJS build in 18.0.0 (May 2025). The last version with a plain require()-able CommonJS entry is 17.7.3, published Jun 19, 2026; it declares support for Node.js >=12.

On Node.js 20.19+, 22.12+ and newer, require("yargs") works with the latest version: Node.js loads synchronous ES modules through require(). Verified on Node.js 20, 22, 24 and 26. Node.js 18 has no require(esm), and yargs@18.1.0 declares Node.js ^20.19.0 || ^22.12.0 || >=23, so 18 is outside its supported range anyway.

yargs@18.1.0 declares engines "^20.19.0 || ^22.12.0 || >=23", so Node.js 18 is outside its supported range regardless of module format.

What to do

  1. On Node.js 20.19+, 22.12+ and newer, require("yargs") works with the latest version: Node.js loads synchronous ES modules through require(). Verified on Node.js 20, 22, 24 and 26.
  2. From a CommonJS file, use a dynamic import inside an async function: const yargs = await import("yargs"). That works on every Node.js version the package supports (^20.19.0 || ^22.12.0 || >=23).
  3. If you need a synchronous require() or run Node.js 18: npm install yargs@17.7.3, the last CommonJS release (published Jun 19, 2026); it declares Node.js >=12.
  4. yargs@18.1.0 declares engines "^20.19.0 || ^22.12.0 || >=23", so Node.js 18 is unsupported regardless: upgrade Node.js or pin an older release.
  5. TypeScript: types are bundled; install nothing extra.
Latest
18.1.0 (Jul 26, 2026)
Module format
ESM-only
Last CommonJS version
17.7.3
ESM-only since
18.0.0 (May 27, 2025)
TypeScript types
Bundled
Node engines
^20.19.0 || ^22.12.0 || >=23
Weekly downloads
229.0M
License
MIT

Does yargs@18.1.0 actually load? Runtime test results

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

Runtimerequire("yargs")import "yargs"
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 1.4.0✓ works✓ works

How to import yargs

ES modules (import)

import * as yargs from "yargs";

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

CommonJS (require)

// Node.js 20.19+, 22.12+ and newer (verified):
const yargs = require("yargs");

// Any Node.js version the package supports (^20.19.0 || ^22.12.0 || >=23), from an async function:
async function main() {
  const yargs = await import("yargs");
}

// Or pin the last CommonJS release (declares Node.js >=12):
// npm install yargs@17.7.3

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 (180 versions; the newest 60 shown).

VersionsFormatFirst published
18.0.0 – 18.1.0ESM-onlyMay 27, 2025
16.0.0 – 17.7.3Dual (CommonJS + ESM)Sep 9, 2020
10.1.2 – 15.4.1CommonJSJan 17, 2018

Frequently asked

Is yargs ESM-only?

yargs@18.1.0 is ESM-only. yargs dropped its CommonJS build in 18.0.0 (May 2025). The last version with a plain require()-able CommonJS entry is 17.7.3, published Jun 19, 2026; it declares support for Node.js >=12.

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

17.7.3 is the last version of yargs with a CommonJS build; it declares Node.js >=12. Install it with "npm install yargs@17.7.3". Every version from 18.0.0 on is ESM-only.

How do I use yargs from a CommonJS file?

From a CommonJS file, use a dynamic import inside an async function: const yargs = await import("yargs"). That works on every Node.js version the package supports (^20.19.0 || ^22.12.0 || >=23). On Node.js 20.19+, 22.12+ and newer, require("yargs") works with the latest version: Node.js loads synchronous ES modules through require(). Verified on Node.js 20, 22, 24 and 26. Alternatively pin yargs@17.7.3 (declares Node.js >=12).

Does yargs work in Bun?

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

Does yargs ship TypeScript types?

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

Links

Other esm-only packages

Similar popularity