Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

particles.js VS p5.js

Compare particles.js VS p5.js and see what are their differences

particles.js logo particles.js

A lightweight JavaScript library for creating particles.

p5.js logo p5.js

JS library for creating graphic and interactive experiences
  • particles.js Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-13
  • p5.js Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-22

particles.js features and specs

  • Easy Integration
    Particles.js can be easily integrated into web projects using simple HTML and JavaScript. It doesn't require any complex setup, making it accessible for developers of all skill levels.
  • Customizability
    The library offers a high degree of customizability, allowing developers to adjust parameters such as particle count, color, shape, size, and animation effects to suit their specific design needs.
  • Smooth Animations
    Particles.js provides smooth and visually appealing animations that enhance the interactive aspects of a website without significant performance drawbacks on modern browsers.
  • Lightweight
    Particles.js is relatively lightweight, which means it won’t significantly increase the load time of your site, ensuring a snappy user experience.
  • Open Source
    Being open source, it allows developers to contribute to the project, customize it further, or use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.

Possible disadvantages of particles.js

  • Performance Issues on Low-End Devices
    While it performs well on modern devices, low-end devices may experience lag or performance issues, especially with high particle counts.
  • Limited Interactivity
    The built-in interactive features are somewhat limited. For developers seeking complex interactivity, additional custom code might be necessary.
  • Not SEO Friendly
    Since particles.js generates a canvas-based animation, it does not contribute to search engine optimization (SEO) as search engines primarily index text content.
  • Dependency on JavaScript
    The library is entirely dependent on JavaScript. Thus, if a user's browser has JavaScript disabled, the particle effects will not function.
  • Potential for Overuse
    There is a risk that overuse or overcomplexity of particle effects could lead to distraction or interfere with the user experience if not implemented judiciously.

p5.js features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    p5.js simplifies the process of learning and creating interactive graphics with its intuitive syntax, making it accessible for beginners.
  • Web-Based
    As a JavaScript library, p5.js runs directly in the web browser, enabling easy sharing and embedding of interactive sketches online without the need for additional plugins.
  • Creative Coding Community
    p5.js is supported by a vibrant community that shares a plethora of examples, tutorials, and resources, facilitating learning and troubleshooting.
  • Extensibility
    Its modular architecture allows for easy integration with other libraries like p5.sound, p5.dom, and even external JavaScript libraries, enhancing its functionality.
  • Accessibility
    p5.js emphasizes inclusivity, offering features that make it easier to create accessible web content, such as screen reader support.

Possible disadvantages of p5.js

  • Performance
    p5.js may not be as performant as other lower-level graphics libraries or frameworks, which can be a limitation for highly intensive graphical applications.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    While beginner-friendly, mastering complex features and fine-tuning performance in p5.js can require significant effort and understanding of JavaScript.
  • Not Ideal for Large Projects
    Due to its simplicity and focus on learning and prototyping, p5.js might not be suitable for large-scale, production-grade applications.
  • Limited 3D Support
    Although p5.js offers 3D rendering capabilities, these are less developed and performant compared to dedicated 3D libraries like Three.js.
  • Dependency on JavaScript
    Since p5.js is built on JavaScript, it inherits the language's limitations and quirks, which might be a hindrance for developers accustomed to other programming languages.

particles.js videos

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p5.js videos

Processing or p5.js? My opinions

More videos:

  • Review - Q&A #1: Side-Scroller in p5.js
  • Tutorial - 17.11: Sound Visualization: Frequency Analysis with FFT - p5.js Sound Tutorial

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to particles.js and p5.js)
Javascript UI Libraries
12 12%
88% 88
Development
100 100%
0% 0
Charting Libraries
12 12%
88% 88
3D
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 particles.js and p5.js

particles.js Reviews

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p5.js Reviews

20+ JavaScript libraries to draw your own diagrams (2022 edition)
A JS client-side library for creating graphics and interactive experiences, based on the core principles of Processing to make coding accessible to artists, designers and educators. Beyond drawing, this project provides offers web audio functionality, collision detection and even generation of graphical user interfaces from p5.js sketches.
8 Best Free and Open-Source Drawing Libraries in JavaScript
The p5.js library is a great option for people who are looking for a library that doesn't have a steep learning curve, but which can create very complicated systems if necessary. The get started with P5.js page on the official website has a functional example that draws circles wherever you move your mouse in only a few lines of code.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, p5.js seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 146 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.

particles.js mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of particles.js yet. Tracking of particles.js recommendations started around Mar 2021.

p5.js mentions (146)

  • Ask HN: Who Are Your Favorite Photography and Generative Coding Artists?
    p5.js is a JavaScript library that I've enjoyed messing with. It's related to Processing. https://p5js.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • Art Blocks and the Future of Open Source with Blockchain
    Art Blocks, founded by Erick Calderon in 2020, is a platform that enables artists to create generative art using blockchain technology. It operates on the Ethereum blockchain, leveraging smart contracts to mint unique art pieces as NFTs. The process begins with artists submitting scripts that define the artwork's parameters. Once approved, these scripts generate unique pieces upon purchase, offering collectors a... - Source: dev.to / 2 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 / 3 months ago
  • Procedural Generation and Noise
    For this most recent assignment we were tasked with contributing a larger feature to an open source project. During my time with the previous assignment I worked on a game engine called Litecanvas, inspired engine by libraries like raylib and p5.js/Processing. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • Antirez/load81: SDL based Lua programming environment for kids similar to Codea
    Let’s not forget P5js which has a long and esteemed history of helping to teach kids and more to program. It’s browser based so it’s compatible with every OS and requires no install. FOSS with an active community of users and contributors. I personally taught some middle schoolers with zero programming experience how to make interactive monsters in 1 hour. It was awesome! https://p5js.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing particles.js and p5.js, you can also consider the following products

Anime.js - Lightweight JavaScript animation library

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

Processing - C++ and Java programming at the speed of thought.

Substance - A JavaScript library for web-based content editing

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

Glottologist - JavaScript translation framework