This Babel plugin extracts repetitive Babel's helper functions into a single, reusable module. Instead of injecting the same helper code into every file where it's needed, this plugin references them from @babel/runtime. This reduces code duplication and overall bundle size, especially in larger projects. Using @babel/plugin-external-helpers requires @babel/runtime as a dependency. It improves performance and maintainability by centralizing Babel's internal utility functions.
The @babel/plugin-external-helpers package has seen sporadic releases since August 2018. Releases were more frequent in 2020 and 2021 with occasional releases in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. The most recent release was version 7.27.1 in April 2025 with no releases in the last four months. Monthly release counts varied from zero to two versions.
@babel/plugin-external-helpers downloads show a decline from early 2024 peaks. Downloads stabilized around 1.6 million for much of late 2024, decreasing into 2025, with a recent rise in June 2025 offset by a sharp drop in August 2025, likely due to the month not being complete.
