Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Chroma (Syntax Highlighter) VS prism.js

Compare Chroma (Syntax Highlighter) VS prism.js and see what are their differences

Chroma (Syntax Highlighter) logo Chroma (Syntax Highlighter)

Chroma takes source code and other structured text and converts it into syntax highlighted HTML, ANSI-coloured text, etc.

prism.js logo prism.js

Prism is a lightweight, extensible syntax highlighter, built with modern web standards in mind.
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  • prism.js Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-08-28

Chroma (Syntax Highlighter) features and specs

  • Language Support
    Chroma offers extensive support for many programming languages, making it a versatile choice for syntax highlighting in diverse projects.
  • Go Implementation
    Implemented in Go, Chroma ensures fast performance and seamless integration in Go-based projects, benefiting developers working in the Go ecosystem.
  • Ease of Use
    Chroma is designed with simplicity in mind, allowing users to easily implement syntax highlighting in their applications without a steep learning curve.
  • Compatibility
    It's compatible with styles from popular syntax highlighters, such as Pygments, which eases the transition for users migrating from those tools.
  • Playground Feature
    The Chroma Playground allows users to test and experiment with syntax highlighting in real-time, facilitating easier customization and evaluation of results.

Possible disadvantages of Chroma (Syntax Highlighter)

  • Limited Ecosystem
    Compared to some long-established syntax highlighters, Chroma's ecosystem of plugins and community contributions is more limited, potentially affecting feature richness.
  • Go Dependency
    For projects not using Go, incorporating Chroma might introduce an additional dependency, which could be cumbersome for some development environments.
  • Less Community Support
    Being a relatively newer tool, Chroma might not have as extensive community support or documentation as older, more established syntax highlighters.
  • Customization Complexity
    While it offers many styles, deeply customizing these styles may require more effort and understanding of its workings than some other highlighters.

prism.js features and specs

  • Lightweight
    Prism.js is designed to be a lightweight library, minimizing performance impact on the website. It is optimized for being small in size, which aids in faster loading times.
  • Easy to Use
    It is very easy to integrate Prism.js into any web project with minimal setup required. The instructions and implementation are straightforward, making it accessible for developers.
  • Theme Customization
    Prism.js supports custom themes, allowing developers to easily match syntax highlighting styles with the design of their website or application.
  • Extensible
    The library is modular with plugins and supports language extensions. This allows developers to add just the components they need, reducing bloat and improving performance.
  • Wide Language Support
    Prism.js supports a broad array of programming languages, making it versatile for projects that require syntax highlighting across multiple coding languages.

Possible disadvantages of prism.js

  • Basic Functionality
    Prism.js focuses on simple syntax highlighting and doesn't include advanced features like IDE-level code analysis or linting, which some users might expect.
  • Limited Plugin Ecosystem
    While there are several plugins available, the ecosystem isn't as extensive as some other larger projects, which may limit customization for more advanced use cases.
  • Lacks Built-in Line Highlighting
    Some alternative libraries offer built-in advanced line highlighting features, which are not included out of the box in Prism.js, requiring additional customization.
  • No Built-in Live Code Editing
    Prism.js doesnโ€™t support live code editing natively, which may be a limitation for users needing an interactive coding environment, such as in educational tools.
  • Supports Web Only
    Prism.js is optimized specifically for web use, which might be a limitation if you need syntax highlighting for different environments or formats, like desktop applications.

Chroma (Syntax Highlighter) videos

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prism.js videos

Prism.js - How to show html css javascript code syntax on your own website

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Chroma (Syntax Highlighter) and prism.js)
Customer Feedback
38 38%
62% 62
App Reviews
31 31%
69% 69
Marketing Tools
39 39%
61% 61
Documentation
42 42%
58% 58

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, prism.js seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 20 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Chroma (Syntax Highlighter) mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Chroma (Syntax Highlighter) yet. Tracking of Chroma (Syntax Highlighter) recommendations started around May 2025.

prism.js mentions (20)

  • Artisanal Handcrafted Git Repositories
    The site uses Astro (https://astro.build/) and the code blocks are generated using Shiki (https://shiki.style/). As Shiki generates the HTML and CSS at build-time instead of requiring runtime JS like alternatives like Prism (https://prismjs.com/#basic-usage), it's actually quite performant. I think it's unlikely that a couple of hundred lines with some empty spans in is going to cause performance issues โ€“ imo it's... - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Build A Full-Stack Application With AnalogJS
    First step it to open src/app/app.config.ts, enable markdown file support, and add a syntax highlighter. You can pick between Prism or Shiki, both are great, but for this example, weโ€™re rolling with Prism. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • Supercharge Your Projects: Must-Have JavaScript Plugins for Developers ๐Ÿš€
    โœจ Explore Prism.js for more themes and plugins! - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • SLATE Code editor with highlight
    This function receives a SLATE Node. I get the text of the "Node" With the text, I create the "tokens" with PRISMJS. I transform the "tokens" into Range. The "Ranges" have the className property with the information for the highlight. - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
  • My OpenSource Blog that You Can Use Right Now
    For Code highlighting, I am using Prism.js. First I am loading the styles file inside the _app.tsx file and inside the CodeBlock component, I am loading the styling that gives us beautiful syntax highlights. - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Chroma (Syntax Highlighter) and prism.js, you can also consider the following products

Shiki - A beautiful syntax highlighter based on TextMate grammar, accurate and powerful.

highlight.js - Highlight.js is a syntax highlighter written in JavaScript. It works in the browser as well as on the server.

Torchlight.dev - Torchlight is a VS Code-compatible syntax highlighter that requires no JavaScript, supports every language, every VS Code theme, line highlighting, git diffing, and more.

starry-night - This package is an open source version of GitHubโ€™s closed-source PrettyLights project (more on that later).

Re-Highlight - Re-Highlight is a powerful text syntax highlighting library.

Pygments - Generic syntax highlighter suitable for use in code hosting, forums, wikis or other applications...