CommonJS to ESM migration friction in new projects

4/10 Low

Developers starting new browser-based projects in 2025 sometimes default to CommonJS (`require()`) and heavy webpack configurations despite native ESM working everywhere that matters. This creates unnecessary migration burden and uses legacy tooling patterns.

JavaScriptCommonJSESMwebpackViteesbuild
Category
dx
Workaround
solid
Stage
onboarding
Freshness
persistent
Scope
language
Recurring
Yes
Buyer Type
individual

Sources

Collection History

Query: “What are the most common pain points with JavaScript for developers in 2025?”4/5/2026

If you're writing browser code in 2025 and reaching for `require()` or heavy webpack configurations, pause. Native ESM works everywhere that matters. Lighter bundlers like Vite and esbuild handle the remaining edge cases with minimal configuration.

Created: 4/5/2026Updated: 4/5/2026