Why are ES Modules becoming the standard in Node.js?

ES Modules (ESM) are becoming the standard in Node.js because they provide consistency, interoperability, performance benefits, and long-term ecosystem alignment with modern JavaScript that works both in browsers and on the server. They enable asynchronous loading and support advanced features like static analysis and tree-shaking for better performance.

ES Modules improve code maintainability with explicit import/export statements and align with the evolving JavaScript ecosystem. Although CommonJS is still widely used, ESM offers better interoperability for modern development workflows and future-proof projects in Node.js.