Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Preact.js VS Glimmer

Compare Preact.js VS Glimmer and see what are their differences

Preact.js logo Preact.js

Preact is a fast 3kB alternative to React with the same modern API. Components & Virtual DOM.

Glimmer logo Glimmer

Fast and light-weight UI components for the web
  • Preact.js Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-11
  • Glimmer Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-03-12

Preact.js features and specs

  • Size
    Preact is very small in size (about 3KB gzipped), which makes it easy to load and faster to execute, resulting in improved performance and quicker load times.
  • Compatibility
    Preact is largely compatible with React, allowing developers to switch to Preact with minimal code changes. This makes it easier to adopt for projects already using React.
  • Performance
    Due to its small size and efficient design, Preact offers excellent performance, especially on low-powered devices and in applications with heavy user interactions.
  • Ecosystem
    Preact can work with many tools and libraries that are designed for React, giving developers access to a rich ecosystem of resources.
  • Community
    Preact has an active and growing community that provides support, plugins, and third-party tools, making it easier for developers to find solutions and share knowledge.

Possible disadvantages of Preact.js

  • Feature Set
    While Preact covers most of the core React features, it lacks some of the advanced functionality present in React, which may require additional workarounds or third-party libraries.
  • Learning Curve
    For developers coming from a non-React background, learning Preact might involve a learning curve, particularly because of its similarities and subtle differences with React.
  • Tooling Compatibility
    Although many tools designed for React can work with Preact, some might not be directly compatible, requiring additional configuration or patches.
  • Community Size
    While Preact has a supportive community, it is smaller compared to the massive React community, which can result in fewer available resources and third-party packages.
  • Maturity
    Preact, being newer and less widely adopted than React, might not have the same level of battle-tested reliability for all use cases, especially for large scale applications.

Glimmer features and specs

  • Lightweight
    Glimmer is known for being lightweight, meaning it requires fewer resources and loads quickly, which enhances performance, particularly for applications that require high speed and efficiency.
  • Fast Re-rendering
    The library is optimized for fast re-rendering, allowing it to efficiently update the UI in response to changes in application state, which is crucial for maintaining a smooth user experience.
  • Component Model
    Glimmer employs a component-based architecture, promoting reusability and modularity of code, making it easier to manage and scale applications.
  • Integration with Ember.js
    As a core rendering engine for Ember.js, Glimmer can be effortlessly integrated into existing Ember applications, benefiting from the ecosystem and tools available for Ember.

Possible disadvantages of Glimmer

  • Learning Curve
    Developers new to Glimmer may experience a steep learning curve, particularly if they are not familiar with its conventions and component-based architecture.
  • Smaller Community
    Compared to larger frameworks like React or Angular, Glimmer has a smaller community and less online support, which can be a challenge when trying to find solutions to issues or seeking guidance.
  • Limited Standalone Usage
    While Glimmer can be used independently, it is primarily designed to work within the Ember.js ecosystem, limiting its standalone usage and flexibility compared to other libraries.
  • Mature Alternatives
    The presence of more mature alternatives like React, Angular, and Vue.js means that Glimmer may not always be the first choice, especially for developers seeking libraries with extensive features and community support.

Preact.js videos

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Glimmer videos

Jacaszek- Glimmer ALBUM REVIEW

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Preact.js and Glimmer)
Javascript UI Libraries
80 80%
20% 20
JavaScript Framework
78 78%
22% 22
JavaScript
100 100%
0% 0
Development
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 Preact.js and Glimmer

Preact.js Reviews

Top JavaScript Frameworks in 2025
PreactJS is a JavaScript library that is said to be the fast 3Kb alternative to ReactJS using the same modern API. It implements the fastest virtual DOM compared to other frameworks in the market. Moreover, it is one of the smallest libraries in terms of size.
Source: solguruz.com
20 Next.js Alternatives Worth Considering
Preact is like React’s little sibling, smaller in size but with the same familiar moves. It’s cutting down the fluff and zipping through tasks with less overhead. When performance budgets are tight, Preact wiggles in perfectly.
20 Best JavaScript Frameworks For 2023
Preact is built with the same core principle of React – A component-based approach with Virtual DOM while completely compatible with React. It can even use React packages without compromising on speed, performance, and leaner size. In instances where the full potential of React isn’t necessary, most developers even use React during development and switch to Preact for...
Top 15 jQuery Alternatives To Know
ReactJS is a powerful JavaScript library to create user interfaces. Developers can design easy views at each stage in the application and there is regular update and rendering for the actual components whenever there is any data alteration. It is component-driven and creates encapsulated components that manage their own state.
Top 5 JavaScript Frameworks To Learn in 2021
But according to the graph above, we can notice a decrease in interest in Preact. This might result from having many similar frameworks with the same specs, like react-lite, Inferno, etc. However, knowing a framework like Preact will be useful for your development journey.
Source: enlear.academy

Glimmer Reviews

Best Javascript libraries to use in 2021
Glimmer.js features lighter components and a smaller size, and it uses the robust Ember CLI. It can be used with Ember.js as a component, it can run standalone, or it can be added as a web component to an existing application. It is not the time to talk whether it has been successful or not since it’s been only 4 years, but the trends point towards a bright future for Glimmer.
Source: codersera.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Preact.js seems to be a lot more popular than Glimmer. While we know about 93 links to Preact.js, we've tracked only 2 mentions of Glimmer. 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.

Preact.js mentions (93)

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Glimmer mentions (2)

  • Glimmer: DSL Framework for Ruby GUI and More
    Note there is already UI component framework called Glimmer that is used by Ember.js: https://glimmerjs.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • 12 Useful JavaScript Libraries You’ve Probably Never Used
    Glimmer.js is a great library that helps with user interface components and DOM rendering. It is built on the Ember CLI and uses Git, Node. js, npm, and Yarn. If you are looking for a tool for creating components and want to optimize the process of working with them, pay attention to Glimmer. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Preact.js and Glimmer, you can also consider the following products

Svelte - Cybernetically enhanced web apps

Zepto - World's Simplest AI Powered Cloud-based Data Analytics Tool.

Vue.js - Reactive Components for Modern Web Interfaces

Inferno - An extremely fast React-like javascript library for building modern user interfaces.

Select2 - Select2 offers customizable select box with support for searching, tagging, infinite scrolling, and many other used options.

React - A JavaScript library for building user interfaces