Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

DHTMLX VS Preact.js

Compare DHTMLX VS Preact.js and see what are their differences

DHTMLX logo DHTMLX

JavaScript Library for cross-platform web and mobile app development with HTML5 JavaScript widgets. Easy integration with popular JavaScript Frameworks.

Preact.js logo Preact.js

Preact is a fast 3kB alternative to React with the same modern API. Components & Virtual DOM.
  • DHTMLX Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-27
  • Preact.js Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-11

DHTMLX features and specs

  • Comprehensive Suite
    DHTMLX offers a wide range of UI components, from grids and charts to complex Gantt and scheduler components, providing a comprehensive toolkit for web application development.
  • Rich Documentation
    The platform provides extensive documentation, demos, and examples, which are invaluable for developers in understanding and implementing various components efficiently.
  • Cross-Browser Compatibility
    DHTMLX components are designed to be fully compatible across major browsers, ensuring a consistent user experience regardless of the user's environment.
  • Support and Community
    DHTMLX offers various support options including forums and ticket-based support, alongside a strong user community that can provide insights and assistance.
  • Customizability
    The components are highly customizable, allowing developers to tailor them to fit the specific aesthetics and functionality requirements of their projects.

Possible disadvantages of DHTMLX

  • Cost
    While DHTMLX provides a free version, the full suite with advanced features requires a paid license, which can be a drawback for startups or individual developers with limited budgets.
  • Complexity
    With its comprehensive set of features, DHTMLX can have a steep learning curve for newcomers who are unfamiliar with its architecture and functionalities.
  • Dependency on Proprietary Framework
    Using DHTMLX can lead to a dependency on its particular frameworks and methodologies, which might be a concern for projects that prioritize open-source solutions.
  • Performance Overhead
    Implementing multiple DHTMLX components in a single application might introduce performance overhead, which requires optimization to maintain responsiveness.
  • Limited Open Source Contributions
    As a commercial library, DHTMLX might not benefit from as many open source contributions and innovations as purely open-source alternatives.

Preact.js features and specs

  • Size
    Preact is very small in size (about 3KB gzipped), which makes it easy to load and faster to execute, resulting in improved performance and quicker load times.
  • Compatibility
    Preact is largely compatible with React, allowing developers to switch to Preact with minimal code changes. This makes it easier to adopt for projects already using React.
  • Performance
    Due to its small size and efficient design, Preact offers excellent performance, especially on low-powered devices and in applications with heavy user interactions.
  • Ecosystem
    Preact can work with many tools and libraries that are designed for React, giving developers access to a rich ecosystem of resources.
  • Community
    Preact has an active and growing community that provides support, plugins, and third-party tools, making it easier for developers to find solutions and share knowledge.

Possible disadvantages of Preact.js

  • Feature Set
    While Preact covers most of the core React features, it lacks some of the advanced functionality present in React, which may require additional workarounds or third-party libraries.
  • Learning Curve
    For developers coming from a non-React background, learning Preact might involve a learning curve, particularly because of its similarities and subtle differences with React.
  • Tooling Compatibility
    Although many tools designed for React can work with Preact, some might not be directly compatible, requiring additional configuration or patches.
  • Community Size
    While Preact has a supportive community, it is smaller compared to the massive React community, which can result in fewer available resources and third-party packages.
  • Maturity
    Preact, being newer and less widely adopted than React, might not have the same level of battle-tested reliability for all use cases, especially for large scale applications.

Analysis of Preact.js

Overall verdict

  • Preact.js is a strong option for projects where performance and load time are critical, or where a light footprint is necessary. Its compatibility with React makes it a flexible and efficient alternative in scenarios where React may be overkill due to its larger size.

Why this product is good

  • Preact.js is known for its small size and high performance, making it an excellent choice for developers who need a lightweight alternative to React without sacrificing functionality. It offers a familiar API for React developers, ensuring an easy transition, and is highly efficient in terms of rendering performance. Preact also offers excellent compatibility with existing React tools and ecosystems, meaning many React packages work seamlessly with Preact.

Recommended for

    Preact.js is recommended for developers building applications with stringent performance requirements, those needing to optimize for fast loading times in environments with limited bandwidth or resources, or those looking to integrate React-like architecture in smaller projects without introducing the full weight of the React library.

DHTMLX videos

Dhtmlx Scheduler

More videos:

  • Review - dhtmlxGantt 6.1 Release: Time Constraints, Backward Scheduling, S-curve and dataProcessor Update
  • Review - Dhtmlx-Grid with Flux4 Part2

Preact.js videos

JS frameworks are replaceable

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to DHTMLX and Preact.js)
Javascript UI Libraries
15 15%
85% 85
Development Tools
100 100%
0% 0
JavaScript Framework
0 0%
100% 100
JS Library
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare DHTMLX and Preact.js

DHTMLX Reviews

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Preact.js Reviews

Top JavaScript Frameworks in 2025
PreactJS is a JavaScript library that is said to be the fast 3Kb alternative to ReactJS using the same modern API. It implements the fastest virtual DOM compared to other frameworks in the market. Moreover, it is one of the smallest libraries in terms of size.
Source: solguruz.com
20 Next.js Alternatives Worth Considering
Preact is like React’s little sibling, smaller in size but with the same familiar moves. It’s cutting down the fluff and zipping through tasks with less overhead. When performance budgets are tight, Preact wiggles in perfectly.
20 Best JavaScript Frameworks For 2023
Preact is built with the same core principle of React – A component-based approach with Virtual DOM while completely compatible with React. It can even use React packages without compromising on speed, performance, and leaner size. In instances where the full potential of React isn’t necessary, most developers even use React during development and switch to Preact for...
Top 15 jQuery Alternatives To Know
ReactJS is a powerful JavaScript library to create user interfaces. Developers can design easy views at each stage in the application and there is regular update and rendering for the actual components whenever there is any data alteration. It is component-driven and creates encapsulated components that manage their own state.
Top 5 JavaScript Frameworks To Learn in 2021
But according to the graph above, we can notice a decrease in interest in Preact. This might result from having many similar frameworks with the same specs, like react-lite, Inferno, etc. However, knowing a framework like Preact will be useful for your development journey.
Source: enlear.academy

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Preact.js seems to be a lot more popular than DHTMLX. While we know about 97 links to Preact.js, we've tracked only 1 mention of DHTMLX. 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.

DHTMLX mentions (1)

  • How Much Does It Cost To a Project Management App
    To finish projects on time, efficient time management is a must. To help managers deal with deadlines, we usually implement a fully functional Gantt chart. To create a reliable and user-friendly UI, choosing the right set of tools is essential. In our work, we usually rely on Webix, a JavaScript UI library developed by the brightest minds of XB Software. Another ace up our sleeve is JavaScript UI libraries by... - Source: dev.to / over 4 years ago

Preact.js mentions (97)

  • How to Convert Supplier CSVs to Shopify/Amazon/WooCommerce Without Uploading to a Server
    eBay: 30+ fields (item specifics, variations, shipping) Each schema is a JSON file defining field names, data types, and validation rules. The mapper walks source → target assignments and applies type coercion (string → number, date formatting, etc.) before export. The entire app stays under 200 KB gzipped by avoiding heavy UI libraries. It's built with Preact + htm (no JSX build step) and styled with Tailwind CSS... - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Can Claude Code migrate VanillaJS/HTML/CSS to Preact/Tailwind?
    First of all, I was concerned that React would add a lot of overhead for a Chrome Extension, which should be pretty light and quick. So I decided to use Preact, which, as its homepage states, is a "fast 3kB alternative to React with the same modern API.". - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Shopify App: October 2025 Updates
    And because of this change Shopify have also moved to Preact as the main framework for building UI extensions. Preact if you haven't heard of it is a smaller and faster alternative to React but is compatible with React. - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
  • Spin up Bun + Preact full-stack app in minutes 🚀
    Bun makes full-stack TypeScript feel almost too easy - a fast runtime, a dev server with HMR, and a bundler. In this post we’ll spin up a minimal app that serves an HTML page, mounts a Preact component, and exposes a tiny API. - Source: dev.to / 12 months ago
  • Progressive frustration
    How do I retro-fit nextjs instructions on the Flagsmith website to fit Deno's fresh over preact? - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing DHTMLX and Preact.js, you can also consider the following products

jQuery - The Write Less, Do More, JavaScript Library.

Svelte - Cybernetically enhanced web apps

Sencha Ext JS - Sencha Ext JS is the most comprehensive JavaScript framework for building data-intensive, cross-platform web and mobile applications for any modern device. Ext JS includes 140+ pre-integrated and tested high-performance UI components.

React - A JavaScript library for building user interfaces

Webix UI - An enterprise JavaScript Library for cross-platform app development with HTML5 JavaScript widgets and easy integration with most popular JavaScript Frameworks.

Vue.js - Reactive Components for Modern Web Interfaces