Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Paper.js VS GSAP

Compare Paper.js VS GSAP 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.

GSAP logo GSAP

GSAP (GreenSock Animation Platform) is a suite of JavaScript tools for high-performance animations that work in all major browsers.
Not present
  • GSAP Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-11-22

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.

GSAP features and specs

  • Performance
    GSAP is designed for high-performance animations and is highly optimized to handle more animations simultaneously with smoother transitions compared to other libraries.
  • Ease of Use
    It features a user-friendly API that simplifies creating complex animations with minimal code.
  • Cross-Browser Compatibility
    GSAP ensures consistent behavior across all major browsers, including older versions, offering a reliable solution for animations.
  • Flexibility
    The library supports a wide range of animation types, including tweens, timelines, and more, making it versatile for various use cases.
  • Community and Support
    GSAP has a strong community and extensive documentation, plus active forums where users can get help and share insights.
  • Plugins
    It offers a variety of plugins, such as ScrollTrigger, MorphSVG, and Draggable, which extend its capabilities for more advanced animations.
  • Compatibility with Frameworks
    GSAP integrates well with popular JavaScript frameworks like React, Vue, and Angular, making it a great choice for modern web applications.

Paper.js videos

Revision clouds in AutoCAD using Paper.js

GSAP videos

GSAP 3.0 Crash Course - JavaScript Animation Library

More videos:

  • Review - Getting Started with GSAP TweenMax (Tutorial) - Animating a Landing Page

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Paper.js and GSAP)
Javascript UI Libraries
32 32%
68% 68
Flowcharts
100 100%
0% 0
Charting Libraries
25 25%
75% 75
Development
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using Paper.js and GSAP. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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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 GSAP

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.

GSAP Reviews

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

Based on our record, GSAP should be more popular than Paper.js. It has been mentiond 80 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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GSAP mentions (80)

  • Webflow makes GSAP 100% free – plus more updates
    GSAP – A wildly robust JavaScript animation library built for professionals [https://gsap.com]. - Source: Hacker News / 1 day ago
  • Bring Your Scroll to Life: A Beginner’s Guide to Scroll-Based Animations with GSAP
    I'm using a component-based framework (like Astro) along with Tailwind CSS classes and GSAP to build our animation experience. Here’s a quick overview of our file structure:. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Some platforms to post your animations on the web
    You can use web technologies directly themselves to create very rich animations for the web. Sometimes only CSS alone is all you need. Many examples online. Sometimes a library like Motion or GASP can help speed web animations. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • 8 Essential Tools Every Modern Web Developer Should Know
    GSAP stands as the gold standard for web animations. This JavaScript animation library offers unprecedented control over HTML elements, SVGs, and Canvas animations. What sets GSAP apart is its exceptional performance and cross-browser compatibility. Whether you're creating simple transitions or complex, timeline-based animations, GSAP provides a robust API that makes smooth, professional animations achievable... - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • p5.js
    GSAP[1] is pretty much the industry standard, I think. You have to pay for some of its more advanced features. There's also Anime.js[2] and Scene.js[3] - but I've never played with them so can't vouch for their usefulness. Both have had code updates in the past year. (Self-promotion time) I had a lot of fun adding an animation/tween system to my canvas library[4] a while back. Building out the code to run such... - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
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What are some alternatives?

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

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

Anime.js - Lightweight JavaScript animation library

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

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

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

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.