open is a crucial utility that simplifies the process of opening files, websites, and more using your system's default application. It supports various platforms and cleverly determines the correct application to launch based on the input. open handles cross-platform compatibility elegantly, offering a consistent experience regardless of the operating system. Developers frequently utilize it to launch documentation, preview outputs, or interact with external resources directly from their scripts.
The open npm package has exhibited varied release frequency since its initial release in April 2012. Releases were sparse until 2019, followed by increased activity through 2021. After a lull in 2022, there were some releases in 2023, and then again in the first half of 2024 and 2025. There have been no releases in August 2025 yet.
The npm package "open" experienced significant download growth from February 2024 to July 2025. Downloads generally increased month-over-month, peaking at 236 million in July 2025. August 2025 downloads are incomplete and significantly lower, reflecting the partial month.
