Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Popcorn.js VS GoJS

Compare Popcorn.js VS GoJS and see what are their differences

Popcorn.js logo Popcorn.js

Popcorn.js is an open-source HTML5 Media Framework developed and owned by Mozilla.

GoJS logo 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.
  • Popcorn.js Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-31
  • GoJS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-21

Popcorn.js features and specs

  • Open Source
    Popcorn.js is open source, meaning it is free to use and the community can contribute to its development and improvement.
  • Interactive Media
    Popcorn.js allows developers to create time-based interactive media experiences, making web videos more engaging by integrating with web elements like maps, images, and more.
  • Integration with HTML5 Video
    It is designed to work seamlessly with HTML5 video, providing developers with flexibility to enhance video content without requiring proprietary software.
  • Custom Plugins
    Popcorn.js provides support for custom plugins, allowing developers to extend its functionality and add new interactive features as needed.
  • Community Support
    Being a project from Mozilla, Popcorn.js has garnered a community of users and developers who contribute plugins, provide support, and share knowledge.

Possible disadvantages of Popcorn.js

  • Discontinued Development
    Popcorn.js is no longer actively maintained, which may result in compatibility issues with modern web technologies and a lack of timely updates or security patches.
  • Learning Curve
    Developers might face a learning curve due to its unique approach to integrating web elements with video content, particularly those new to web development.
  • Limited Documentation
    As development has slowed, there may be limited and outdated documentation available, making it challenging for new users to understand and utilize the library effectively.
  • Dependency on Other Libraries
    Some functionalities in Popcorn.js might depend on other libraries, potentially leading to conflicts or additional overhead in project setup.
  • Performance Overheads
    Integrating numerous interactive elements may cause performance overheads, especially on less powerful devices, affecting video playback smoothness.

GoJS features and specs

  • Rich Feature Set
    GoJS offers a comprehensive set of features designed for creating interactive diagrams, charts, and complex visualizations. This includes node and link modeling, custom styling, data binding, automatic layouts, and more.
  • Extensive Documentation
    The library is well-documented, providing developers with thorough guides, a detailed API reference, and numerous examples to assist in the implementation and troubleshooting of applications.
  • High Performance
    GoJS is optimized for performance, enabling the creation of responsive web applications that can handle a large number of nodes and complex interactions efficiently.
  • Flexibility and Customization
    GoJS offers great flexibility, allowing developers to customize the appearance and behavior of diagrams entirely, which makes it suitable for a wide range of use cases.
  • Active Support and Community
    The GoJS team provides active support to users through their forum and is responsive to issues and feature requests. This is complemented by a growing community of users sharing insights and solutions.

Possible disadvantages of GoJS

  • Commercial Licensing
    GoJS is a commercial product, and while it offers a free trial, a license is required for sustained use. This might be a constraint for projects with limited budgets.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    Due to its extensive capabilities and myriad of options, there can be a steep learning curve for developers new to GoJS to understand and effectively use all its features.
  • Complexity for Simple Diagrams
    While GoJS is powerful for complex diagrams, it might be considered overkill for simpler visualizations, where a lightweight library might suffice.
  • Browser Compatibility
    Although modern browsers are generally supported, there might be some compatibility issues or performance differences to manage when targeting older or less common browsers.
  • File Size
    The library's comprehensive feature set comes with a relatively large file size, which could impact loading times, particularly in environments with limited bandwidth.

Analysis of GoJS

Overall verdict

  • GoJS is considered a good choice for developers needing a versatile and feature-rich library for developing complex diagramming applications. Its performance, flexibility, and extensive support make it a reliable tool for both small and large-scale projects.

Why this product is good

  • GoJS is widely regarded as a powerful JavaScript and TypeScript library for building interactive diagrams and graphs. It offers a comprehensive set of features, including customizable templates, support for a variety of diagram types, and intuitive drag-and-drop functionality. The library is optimized for performance with large datasets and provides a robust API for creating complex visual representations. It also boasts thorough documentation and a range of examples to help developers get started quickly.

Recommended for

  • Developers working on data visualization apps
  • Teams creating interactive diagrams or flowcharts
  • Projects requiring complex and scalable diagram solutions
  • Organizations needing customizable and high-performance diagram libraries

Popcorn.js videos

Popcorn.js

More videos:

  • Review - popcorn.js - Untertitel (subtitle)

GoJS videos

GoJS in 12 Minutes: JavaScript Diagramming Library Tutorial

More videos:

  • Tutorial - What's in a GoJS JavaScript Application? | GoJS Beginner Tutorial #1
  • Review - [GOJS] Design Patterns em Javascript

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Popcorn.js and GoJS)
Development
24 24%
76% 76
Flowcharts
10 10%
90% 90
Javascript UI Libraries
11 11%
89% 89
Tool
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 Popcorn.js and GoJS

Popcorn.js Reviews

We have no reviews of Popcorn.js yet.
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GoJS Reviews

20+ JavaScript libraries to draw your own diagrams (2022 edition)
GoJS offers many advanced features for user interactivity such as drag-and-drop, copy-and-paste, transactional state and undo management, palettes, overviews, data-bound models, event handlers, and an extensible tool system for custom operations. They provide over 150 interactive samples to help you get started with diagrams such as BPMN, flowchart, state chart, visual...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, GoJS seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 13 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.

Popcorn.js mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Popcorn.js yet. Tracking of Popcorn.js recommendations started around May 2023.

GoJS mentions (13)

  • Ask HN: What do you use to create diagrams?
    Well I make https://gojs.net, so I just use the GoJS diagramming library to make diagrams :D Of course, its made for developers trying to make applications, not end users. - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Ask HN: What is the best software to visualize a graph with a billion nodes?
    My library (https://gojs.net) can do that easily. Give it a look, and if you think the price is acceptable for your project, contact us and we can make you a proof-of-concept. - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
  • Your 14-Day Free Trial Ain't Gonna Cut It
    If you click on their username, it takes you to their profile. https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=simonsarris. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Burning money on paid ads for a dev tool – what we've learned
    Have spent six figures yearly on ads, mostly for reach for the developer-focused diagram library GoJS (https://gojs.net) > Each experiment will need ~$500 and 2 weeks I would add a zero if you want serious data. I would also double the timescale. $5,000 over 4 weeks I second the uselessness of Google Display, it might look like conversions numbers are good but they are 100% too good to be true. As soon as you look... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Any Ideas How to Create a Graph Builder UI in React?
    Used goJS in one project and konva in another. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Popcorn.js and GoJS, you can also consider the following products

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

mxGraph - mxGraph is a fully client side JavaScript diagramming library - jgraph/mxgraph

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

jsPlumb - jsPlumb is an advanced, standards-compliant and easy to use JS library for building connectivity based applications, such as flowcharts, process flow diagrams, sequence diagrams, organisation charts, etc. More than just a diagram library.

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

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