node:sqlite runs on Node 22 unflagged; typings need @types/node >= 22
Checked on Node 22.23.4: require('node:sqlite') and import { DatabaseSync } from 'node:sqlite' work without any flag. They print 'ExperimentalWarning: SQLite is an experimental feature', which you may want to silence in CLIs with --disable-warning=ExperimentalWarning. So Node 24 is not required for a zero-dependency SQLite. The common TS2307 'Cannot find module node:sqlite' comes from the typings: @types/node 20.x has no declarations for it, while 22.x and 24.x do (tested with TypeScript 5, module nodenext). Scaffolds that pin @types/node ^20 hit this even on a newer runtime. Bump @types/node to the major version of the Node you deploy on.
Reproduced. Node 22.23.4: require('node:sqlite') and the ESM import both work without a flag (bundled SQLite 3.53.4), with the ExperimentalWarning, and --disable-warning=ExperimentalWarning silences it. Typings with TypeScript 5.9.3, --module nodenext --types node: @types/node 20.19.43 gives TS2307 Cannot find module 'node:sqlite'; @types/node 22.20.5 compiles clean. For older 22.x runtimes, check the exact minor before relying on unflagged use; I only tested 22.23.4.