esbuild-plugin-swc-minify

2.1.3 verified Fri May 01 auth: no javascript

An esbuild plugin that replaces esbuild's default minifier (Terser) with SWC's minifier for faster minification of JavaScript and JSX files. Current stable version is 2.1.3, released March 2026 with a CVE fix. Active development with monthly releases. Key differentiators: leverages SWC's Rust-based minifier for 5-10x faster minification compared to Terser, supports all JSX/JS minification options via SWC's JsMinifyOptions, and integrates seamlessly as an esbuild plugin without requiring a separate build step. Requires esbuild >=0.20.0 and @swc/core >=1.13.3 as peer dependencies.

Common errors

error Error: Cannot find module 'esbuild-plugin-swc-minify' ↓

cause Missing or incorrect installation; package not installed or not in node_modules.

fix

Install the package: pnpm add -D esbuild-plugin-swc-minify (or npm).

error TypeError: swcMinify is not a function ↓

cause Using default import instead of named import, or incorrectly requiring the package.

fix

Use named import: import { swcMinify } from 'esbuild-plugin-swc-minify';

error Error: @swc/core version must be >=1.13.3 ↓

cause Installed @swc/core version is too old for the current esbuild-plugin-swc-minify version.

fix

Upgrade @swc/core: pnpm add @swc/core@latest

error Error: The plugin 'swcMinify' must be used with esbuild >=0.20.0 ↓

cause esbuild version below required peer dependency.

fix

Upgrade esbuild: pnpm add esbuild@latest

Warnings

gotcha Do not use both esbuild's built-in minification (minify: true) and swcMinify plugin together; they will conflict. The plugin is designed to replace the built-in minifier. ↓

fix Remove minify: true from esbuild options when using swcMinify plugin.

breaking v2.0.0 dropped CommonJS support; the package is now ESM-only. Node.js must be configured for ES modules ("type": "module" in package.json or .mjs extension). ↓

fix Switch to ESM imports; replace require() with import statements.

deprecated Using @swc/core <1.13.3 is unsupported and may cause runtime errors. ↓

fix Upgrade @swc/core to >=1.13.3.

gotcha The plugin does not support minifying CSS; only JavaScript/JSX files are processed. ↓

fix Use a separate CSS minifier (e.g., esbuild's built-in CSS minifier or a plugin).

Install

npm install esbuild-plugin-swc-minify

yarn add esbuild-plugin-swc-minify

pnpm add esbuild-plugin-swc-minify

Imports

swcMinify
wrong
```
const { swcMinify } = require('esbuild-plugin-swc-minify')
```
correct
```
import { swcMinify } from 'esbuild-plugin-swc-minify'
```
ESM-only plugin; CommonJS require may fail in older Node.js versions. The package is ESM-only since v2.0.
default export
wrong
```
const swcMinify = require('esbuild-plugin-swc-minify').default
```
correct
```
import swcMinify from 'esbuild-plugin-swc-minify'
```
No default export; only named export 'swcMinify' exists. Default import is incorrect and yields undefined.

swcMinify (as plugin)

wrong

import swcMinify from 'esbuild-plugin-swc-minify'

correct

import { swcMinify } from 'esbuild-plugin-swc-minify'

Using default import instead of named import will result in undefined.

Quickstart

Demonstrates basic usage of esbuild-plugin-swc-minify with esbuild build, including plugin setup with SWC minification options.

import * as esbuild from 'esbuild';
import { swcMinify } from 'esbuild-plugin-swc-minify';

await esbuild.build({
  entryPoints: ['./src/index.js'],
  outfile: 'dist/index.min.js',
  bundle: true,
  minify: true,
  sourceMap: true,
  plugins: [
    swcMinify({ ecma: 2022 })
  ]
});