Node.js has undergone a remarkable transformation since its early days. If you’ve been writing Node.js for several years, you’ve likely witnessed this evolution firsthand—from the callback-heavy, CommonJS-dominated landscape to today’s clean, standards-based development experience.
The changes aren’t just cosmetic; they represent a fundamental shift in how we approach server-side JavaScript development. Modern Node.js embraces web standards, reduces external dependencies, and provides a more intuitive developer experience. Let’s explore these transformations and understand why they matter for your applications in 2025.
1. Module System: ESM is the New Standard
The module system is perhaps where you’ll notice the biggest difference. CommonJS served us well, but ES Modules (ESM) have become the clear winner, offering better tooling support and alignment with web standards.
The Old Way (CommonJS)
Let’s look at how we used to structure modules. This approach required explicit exports and synchronous imports:
// math.js function add ( a , b ) { return a + b ; } module . exports = { add }; // app.js const { add } = require ( './math' ); console . log ( add ( 2 , 3 ));
This worked fine, but it had limitations—no static analysis, no tree-shaking, and it didn’t align with browser standards.
The Modern Way (ES Modules with Node: Prefix)
Modern Node.js development embraces ES Modules with a crucial addition—the node: prefix for built-in modules. This explicit naming prevents confusion and makes dependencies crystal clear:
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