Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

ImpactJS VS Three.js

Compare ImpactJS VS Three.js and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

ImpactJS logo ImpactJS

HTML5 canvas and JavaScript game engine.

Three.js logo Three.js

A JavaScript 3D library which makes WebGL simpler.
  • ImpactJS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-25
  • Three.js Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-05-05

ImpactJS features and specs

  • User-friendly
    ImpactJS provides a user-friendly structure for developing games, making it accessible for beginners and simplifying the development process.
  • Level Editor
    It includes a built-in level editor called Weltmeister, which allows developers to create and manage game levels easily without external tools.
  • JavaScript-Based
    Being JavaScript-based, it allows developers to leverage their existing web development skills and integrates well with other web technologies.
  • Broad Browser Support
    ImpactJS games run in the browser, which means they are cross-platform and can be played on any device with a modern browser.
  • Active Community
    There is an active community around ImpactJS that offers support, plugins, and resources, which is beneficial for problem-solving and enhancing projects.

Possible disadvantages of ImpactJS

  • Paid License
    Unlike some other open-source game engines, ImpactJS requires a paid license, which might be a barrier for hobbyists and small developers with limited budgets.
  • Not as Feature-Rich
    Compared to some other game engines, ImpactJS might lack certain advanced features and tools that are available in competitors like Unity or Unreal Engine.
  • Limited 3D Capabilities
    ImpactJS is primarily a 2D engine, so developers looking to create 3D games will find its capabilities limited.
  • Less Modern Frameworks
    With the rise of more modern game development frameworks and libraries, some developers might find ImpactJS a bit outdated in terms of technology stack and capabilities.

Three.js features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Three.js simplifies the complex task of 3D rendering with an intuitive API, making it accessible to developers who may not have deep expertise in 3D graphics.
  • Cross-Browser Compatibility
    Three.js is built upon WebGL, ensuring compatibility across modern browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge.
  • Comprehensive Documentation
    The library offers extensive documentation, examples, and an active community, which helps in quickly resolving issues and understanding implementation.
  • Integration with HTML and CSS
    Three.js can be easily integrated with HTML and CSS, allowing for the blending of 2D and 3D elements in web applications.
  • Extensive Features
    It supports a wide range of features including cameras, lights, materials, shaders, and post-processing effects, making it highly versatile for various 3D projects.

Possible disadvantages of Three.js

  • Performance Overhead
    Despite its powerful capabilities, Three.js can have significant performance overhead, especially for complex scenes, which might require optimization.
  • Learning Curve
    While easier than raw WebGL, Three.js still has a learning curve, particularly for those new to 3D graphics, requiring time to become proficient.
  • Limited Built-in Advanced Tools
    Although feature-rich, Three.js lacks some advanced tools out-of-the-box compared to more specialized or industry-standard 3D engines, necessitating custom solutions for certain tasks.
  • Dependency on WebGL
    Three.js relies on WebGL, meaning it cannot be used in environments where WebGL is not supported, which can limit accessibility and compatibility.
  • Frequent Updates
    The library is actively developed, which is generally positive, but frequent updates can mean breaking changes, requiring developers to frequently refactor their code.

ImpactJS videos

impactjs deep-map plugin demo

Three.js videos

Getting Started With Three.js

More videos:

  • Review - Ricardo Cabello (Mr doob) - 5 years of three.js

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to ImpactJS and Three.js)
Game Development
36 36%
64% 64
Javascript UI Libraries
0 0%
100% 100
Game Engine
100 100%
0% 0
Flowcharts
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

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

ImpactJS Reviews

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Three.js Reviews

Top 20 Javascript Libraries
Cross-browser JS library and API that allows for the creation of beautiful animations, Three.js relies on WebGL rather than conventional browser-plugins. Through its library utilities, developers can include complex 3D animations on their website without much effort. Three.js include many features like geometry, lights, materials, shaders, effects, scenes, data loaders,...
Source: hackr.io

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Three.js seems to be a lot more popular than ImpactJS. While we know about 248 links to Three.js, we've tracked only 7 mentions of ImpactJS. 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.

ImpactJS mentions (7)

  • Anyone managed to successfully deploy three.js software to another platform?
    PhobosLab had ImpactJS and created Ejecta, which was a stripped down JS VM for just the audio/video stuff. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Full gamedev environment running on Dex: http://game.new
    Check his game development and engine: https://impactjs.com/. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Best practices for developing larger JavaScript applications [closed]
    I'm also curious how projects like JavaScript PC Emulator and JavaScript Game Engine handled those issues in case some of you know. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Web developer here thinking about developing a game with HTML5, any thoughts?
    One game which kind of is in the same ballpark as the game you are describing (minus the online part) is CrossCode which is also developed in HTML5 with https://impactjs.com/. Which handles audio, rendering and a bunch of other things for you so you can focus on making the game. Source: about 3 years ago
  • What is JavaScript used for?
    JavaScript has become so powerful that we can use it to build games. There are a lot of libraries on the market like melonJS and impactJS. - Source: dev.to / over 3 years ago
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Three.js mentions (248)

  • React Three Ecosystem
    Note three.js [1] has nothing to do with React out of the box though, this page highlights an atypical way of using three.js through a popular React binding. [1] https://threejs.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 28 days ago
  • Turn your phone into a wireless Joy-Con with SyncoPath
    The phone in the codepath sample got rendered using Three.js. For fun, I also added some beep sound generated using ZZfx when you tap. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • How to Build a Portfolio Website with React
    Also, to make your portfolio stand out to recruiters and clients, you can add some creative and interactive animations to it. The following libraries can help you easily do this: Framer Motion, tsParticles, and Three.js. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Rant: state of generative AI in code generation.
    In my experience with AI code generation, in visual projects like UI development or JavaScript based animation (using three.js or p5.js) etc. AI tools work pretty well. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • My son (9 yrs old) used plain JavaScript to make a game, and wants your feedback
    After he's done with v2, might I propose... THE GAMEY GAME 3D ?? https://threejs.org/ I started coding at 9 as well (which was a long time ago now), so I was very happy to play and see this today. - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing ImpactJS and Three.js, you can also consider the following products

Phaser - Desktop and Mobile HTML5 game framework. A fast, free and fun open source framework for Canvas and WebGL powered browser games.

p5.js - JS library for creating graphic and interactive experiences

Construct 2 - Scirra Construct is a 2D game development engine with a focus on building games visually.

PixiJS - Fast and flexible WebGL-based HTML5 game and app development library.

Crafty.js - Crafty is a JavaScript game library that can help you create games in a structured way…

Paper.js - Open source vector graphics scripting framework that runs on top of the HTML5 Canvas.