Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Paper.js VS FabricJS

Compare Paper.js VS FabricJS and see what are their differences

Paper.js logo Paper.js

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

FabricJS logo FabricJS

Fabric.js is a powerful and simple Javascript HTML5 canvas library,
Not present
  • FabricJS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-20

Paper.js features and specs

  • Vector Graphics Support
    Paper.js excels in handling vector graphics, making it an excellent choice for creating and manipulating graphics with precision.
  • Scene Graph
    The library uses a scene graph, which facilitates hierarchical organization and management of graphical objects.
  • Rich API
    Paper.js offers a highly intuitive and rich API that simplifies tasks like working with paths, segments, and more.
  • Ease of Use
    With its clear documentation and straightforward syntax, Paper.js is beginner-friendly while remaining powerful for advanced users.
  • Cross-Platform
    Being JavaScript-based, Paper.js works across different platforms and browsers without requiring any additional plugins.
  • Interactive Graphics
    It allows for easy creation of interactive graphics, making it ideal for use in web applications needing dynamic graphic manipulation.
  • Built-In Animation Support
    Paper.js includes built-in support for animations, enabling smooth and complex animations with minimal effort.

Possible disadvantages of Paper.js

  • Performance
    Due to its high-level abstraction and ease of use, Paper.js may not perform as well as lower-level graphics libraries in performance-critical applications.
  • File Size
    Paper.js can be relatively large in terms of file size compared to some lightweight alternatives, which might affect load times.
  • Limited to Canvas
    Paper.js is limited to the HTML5 Canvas element, so it doesn't natively support other rendering contexts like SVG.
  • Animation Flexibility
    While it offers built-in animation support, the flexibility and feature set might not be as extensive as dedicated animation libraries.
  • Learning Curve for Complex Features
    Although it's beginner-friendly for simple tasks, mastering more complex aspects of Paper.js can have a steeper learning curve.
  • Community and Support
    Paper.js might not have as large a community or as extensive support as some other more widely-used JavaScript libraries such as D3.js or Three.js.

FabricJS features and specs

  • Canvas Manipulation
    FabricJS provides a powerful and easy-to-use API for canvas manipulation, allowing users to create, modify, and interact with complex canvas elements with ease.
  • Object Model
    It offers a rich object model that includes shapes, images, and text elements that can be easily manipulated on the HTML5 canvas.
  • Cross-browser Compatibility
    FabricJS is designed to work across all major modern browsers, ensuring consistent behavior and appearance of canvas applications.
  • Extensibility
    Developers can extend FabricJS functionality by adding custom shapes, objects, and handlers, which allows for a tailored interaction experience.
  • Animation Support
    The library includes built-in animation capabilities, which help create dynamic, engaging user interactions without needing additional frameworks.

Possible disadvantages of FabricJS

  • Performance
    For very large or complex scenes, FabricJS can experience performance issues, leading to slower rendering times.
  • Learning Curve
    While the API is powerful, new users may find there is a steep learning curve, especially those unfamiliar with canvas-based programming.
  • Large File Size
    FabricJS can be relatively large compared to simpler libraries, which may impact initial load times, especially on slower networks.
  • Limited 3D Capabilities
    FabricJS is primarily 2D focused and does not inherently support complex 3D operations, limiting its use for advanced graphics applications.
  • Complexity in Advanced Features
    Implementing advanced features, such as custom hit detection or event processing, can be complex and may require a deep understanding of the library’s internals.

Paper.js videos

Revision clouds in AutoCAD using Paper.js

FabricJS videos

T-shirt design using fabric js and three.js

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Paper.js and FabricJS)
Javascript UI Libraries
60 60%
40% 40
Flowcharts
44 44%
56% 56
Development
78 78%
22% 22
Org Charts
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 Paper.js and FabricJS

Paper.js Reviews

20+ JavaScript libraries to draw your own diagrams (2022 edition)
Paper.js is an open source vector graphics scripting framework that runs on top of the HTML5 Canvas. It offers a clean Scene Graph / Document Object Model and a lot of powerful functionality to create and work with vector graphics and bezier curves, all neatly wrapped up in a well designed, consistent and clean programming interface. It’s based on (and largely compatible)...
8 Best Free and Open-Source Drawing Libraries in JavaScript
The Paper.js library is another free and open-source solution for people who want to draw using JavaScript. The library uses canvas to handle its drawing animations. However, its primary focus is vector-based drawings instead of raster images.

FabricJS Reviews

We have no reviews of FabricJS yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, FabricJS should be more popular than Paper.js. It has been mentiond 33 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.

Paper.js mentions (11)

  • How Framer/Figma is built?
    I started with angular and paper.js: http://paperjs.org/. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Polygon JS libraries
    In a thread in the Processing forum, Boolean operations in polygons , user ErraticGenerator suggests using g.js or Paper.js. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Looking for a javascript library with good wrapping support
    It is likely that paper.js provides the functionality needed. I will probably investigate it at some point since it appears to be the more popular library Compare paper.js & bezier.js. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Animating an svg
    Just remember you can do some SVG displacement with Paper.JS. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Diagnosing RangeError: Maximum call stack size exceeded in React KeyEscapeUtils
    Our webapp is written with React and Redux using the official react-redux bindings. Another primary library used in this web app is PaperJS. We recently transitioned this to being a Redux app, though it has used React for a while. Source: almost 3 years ago
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FabricJS mentions (33)

  • Canva API: A Comprehensive Guide
    Open Source Alternatives - For those who prefer open-source tools, Libraries like SVG.js and Fabric.js offer customizable, canvas-based design functionality that can be integrated into web applications. These tools are free to use, offering high flexibility, though they may require significant development effort. - Source: dev.to / 26 days ago
  • Ask HN: Framework for Quick Python or Java and Web UIs?
    I hope I'm understanding this right: You're trying to build a web UI that can let you overlay and position a QR code on top of another image? If so, I think rather than trying to build your own CLI to do this and refresh the image every time, you can do it entirely clientside with something like https://konvajs.org/docs/react/Intro.html or https://fabricjs.com/, storing the QR overlay position and alpha in state.... - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • When You Need More Power Than a Lambda Provides
    In a publishing project, we utilized Fabric.js—a JavaScript HTML5 canvas library—to manage complex metadata and content layers. These complexities included spreads, pages, and templates, each embedded with fonts, text attributes, shapes, and images. As the content evolved, teams were tasked with updates, necessitating the creation of a publisher-quality PDF after each update. - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
  • Fun, Beautiful, Printable 'Story Cards' for Kids with Cloudflare AI
    This AI-powered Story Card Maker is built as a SvelteKit application with Typescript. Using Flowbite Svelte component library, the whole application was laid out. The layout for the Story Card (emulating the size of a postcard - 4" x 3") is created as an HTML Canvas using Fabric.js. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • JSON Canvas – An open file format for infinite canvas data
    The canvas in Obsidian is as the whole app very well made. I wondered what they are using as well. My guess is https://www.xyflow.com/, which is for drawing nodes. More general purpose would be http://fabricjs.com/. Or very low level https://pixijs.com/. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Paper.js and FabricJS, you can also consider the following products

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

Konva - Konva is 2d Canvas JavaScript framework for drawings shapes, animations, node nesting, layering, filtering, event handling, drag and drop and much more.

Three.js - A JavaScript 3D library which makes WebGL simpler.

GoJS - GoJS is a JavaScript library for building interactive diagrams on HTML web pages. Build apps with flowcharts, org charts, BPMN, UML, modeling, and other visual graph types.

Pixi.js - Fast lightweight 2D library that works across all devices

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