openai/openai-deno-build
OfficialDeno build of the official Typescript library for the OpenAI API.
openai-deno-build is an official repo by OpenAI that republishes the openai-node TypeScript library as a Deno-compatible module for deno.land/x. It saves Deno developers from hand-porting Node-only import syntax just to call the OpenAI API.
Our Review
openai-deno-build sits directly under the openai GitHub org with 142 stars and 28 forks, and it exists purely to solve one narrow problem: Deno cannot natively resolve Node-style package imports, so OpenAI maintains this build as a drop-in mirror published to deno.land/x/openai.
What openai-deno-build does:
- •Deno-ready import path
import OpenAI from "https://deno.land/x/openai@v4.69.0/mod.ts"gives you the full openai-node client with zero adapter code. - •Same client surface as openai-node chat completions, embeddings, images, audio, and the Assistants API all work identically to the Node package, since this repo rebuilds rather than reimplements the source.
- •Apache-2.0 licensed fully open-source, matching the license on openai-node itself.
- •Auto-generated, not hand-maintained the repo's own README is two lines long and points straight back to openai-node for docs, issues, and source, which keeps this mirror lightweight but means it inherits none of openai-node's day-to-day maintenance attention.
Getting started:
Import directly from the pinned version, import OpenAI from "https://deno.land/x/openai@v4.69.0/mod.ts";, then instantiate the client exactly as you would in Node: const client = new OpenAI();. Deno's newer runtimes also resolve import OpenAI from "npm:openai" directly, which pulls the current openai-node release instead of this pinned mirror: the repo's own README calls this out as the alternative path.
Limitations:
The repo has not been pushed since October 2024, while openai-node itself shipped v7.4.0 in August 2026 with 11,113 stars and active weekly commits: so openai-deno-build's example pin (v4.69.0) is roughly three major versions behind current. There are no GitHub Releases on this repo at all, so there is no changelog to check version-by-version. For any project that needs current OpenAI API features (newer Assistants API surface, latest model parameters), Deno's native npm:openai specifier is the safer default since it tracks openai-node directly rather than this unsynced mirror.
Our Verdict
openai-deno-build answers one specific question: how do I import OpenAI's SDK in a Deno project when Deno cannot resolve a plain Node package. It has been doing that job since 2023, but it has not been pushed since October 2024, which matters for a library sitting between your code and a fast-moving API.
For developers maintaining an older Deno project already pinned to this mirror, or following a tutorial that references deno.land/x/openai directly, it still works exactly as documented: the client surface hasn't changed in ways that would break existing calls. For anyone starting a new Deno integration with the OpenAI API in 2026, Deno's built-in npm: specifier (import OpenAI from "npm:openai") is the better starting point, since it resolves the current openai-node release instead of this unsynced snapshot.
Skip openai-deno-build if you want current Assistants API features, recent model parameters, or any fix shipped in openai-node's last two years of releases: none of that has propagated into this mirror. Use it only if you specifically need the deno.land/x URL-import pattern and are fine pinning to an older SDK version.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is openai-deno-build?
openai-deno-build is an official OpenAI repository that republishes the openai-node TypeScript library as a Deno-importable module, hosted on deno.land/x/openai. It has 142 GitHub stars and is licensed under Apache-2.0, and it exists specifically because Deno cannot natively resolve Node-style package imports without a build step like this.
Is openai-deno-build free and open source?
Yes. openai-deno-build is released under the Apache-2.0 license, the same open-source license OpenAI uses for openai-node, so you can import, modify, and redistribute it with attribution and no licensing fee. As of 2026 the repo has 28 forks, which shows real developer reuse despite its narrow scope.
Is openai-deno-build still maintained?
Not actively. The repo's last push was October 2024, and it has zero GitHub Releases to track version history against. Its parent library, openai-node, is maintained by OpenAI directly and reached v7.4.0 in August 2026, so this Deno mirror is meaningfully behind current OpenAI SDK functionality.
How do I use openai-deno-build in a Deno project?
Import it directly from deno.land/x with a pinned version, for example `import OpenAI from "https://deno.land/x/openai@v4.69.0/mod.ts"`, then create a client with `const client = new OpenAI()` exactly as in the Node SDK. OpenAI's own README for the repo recommends this only as one option; modern Deno runtimes can also resolve `import OpenAI from "npm:openai"` directly.
Should I use openai-deno-build or Deno's npm:openai specifier instead?
Choose openai-deno-build when you're maintaining an existing project already pinned to the deno.land/x/openai import path and don't need the newest OpenAI API features. Choose the npm:openai specifier when starting a new Deno project in 2026, since it resolves the actively maintained openai-node package directly rather than this stale mirror that hasn't synced since 2024.
What license does openai-deno-build use?
openai-deno-build uses the Apache-2.0 license.
What are alternatives to openai-deno-build?
Explore related tools and alternatives on My AI Guide.
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Apache-2.0 licensed: free to use in any project, no strings attached. 142 developers have starred this, meaning the community has reviewed and trusted it.
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