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Rainbow (Syntax Highlighting) VS highlight.js

Compare Rainbow (Syntax Highlighting) VS highlight.js and see what are their differences

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Contents:
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  2. » Reviews
  3. » Alternatives

Rainbow (Syntax Highlighting) logo Rainbow (Syntax Highlighting)

Simple syntax highlighting library written in JavaScript.

highlight.js logo highlight.js

Highlight.js is a syntax highlighter written in JavaScript. It works in the browser as well as on the server.
Not present
  • highlight.js Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-25

Rainbow (Syntax Highlighting) features and specs

  • Improved Code Readability
    Rainbow enhances code readability by applying distinct colors to different syntax elements, making it easier for developers to parse and understand the code structure quickly.
  • Customization
    Rainbow offers customizable themes, allowing developers to choose or create color schemes that suit their preferences and improve their coding experience.
  • Wide Language Support
    Rainbow supports a broad range of programming languages, making it versatile for developers working in multiple languages or projects.
  • No Dependencies
    The library does not rely on external dependencies, which simplifies integration into projects and reduces potential conflicts or load times.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source library, Rainbow allows developers to contribute to its development or modify it for personal use, promoting a collaborative and flexible environment.

Possible disadvantages of Rainbow (Syntax Highlighting)

  • Limited Customization Options
    While it offers theme customization, Rainbow may have limited configuration options compared to other more feature-rich syntax highlighting tools, particularly for users with specific needs.
  • Performance Overhead
    Similar to other client-side libraries, Rainbow adds some performance overhead, especially noticeable in large files or documents with extensive code snippets.
  • Maintenance and Updates
    Depending on its community and contributors, there might be delays in receiving updates or improvements compared to more actively maintained syntax highlighters.
  • Learning Curve
    For developers unfamiliar with integrating JavaScript libraries, there might be a slight learning curve to effectively implement and customize Rainbow in their projects.
  • Browser Compatibility
    Though a minor issue, there might be variances in how syntax highlighting appears across different web browsers, potentially affecting consistency.

highlight.js features and specs

  • Wide Language Support
    Highlight.js supports a comprehensive range of programming languages out of the box, making it versatile for various projects.
  • Automatic Language Detection
    It can automatically detect the programming language of a code block, reducing the setup time and effort for developers.
  • Customization
    Highlight.js offers numerous themes and customization options, allowing developers to easily tailor the syntax highlighting to match their application's aesthetic.
  • Lightweight and Fast
    The library is lightweight and performs efficiently, ensuring quick load times and a seamless user experience.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source project, Highlight.js benefits from community contributions and is free to use, modify, and distribute.

Possible disadvantages of highlight.js

  • Limited Dynamic Features
    Highlight.js is primarily used for static code block highlighting and lacks advanced features like real-time editing or complex code analysis.
  • Manual Updates
    New languages or updates may not be immediately available, requiring users to manually update the library or find alternatives for less common languages.
  • Performance Degradation on Large Files
    Highlight.js may experience performance issues when rendering very large code files, potentially slowing down page load times.
  • Dependency Management
    As with many JavaScript libraries, managing dependencies and ensuring compatibility with other libraries or frameworks can be challenging.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Rainbow (Syntax Highlighting) and highlight.js)

Rainbow (Syntax Highlighting)

highlight.js

Customer Feedback
20 20%
Customer Feedback
80% 80
App Reviews
19 19%
App Reviews
81% 81
Marketing Tools
21 21%
Marketing Tools
79% 79
Documentation
44 44%
Documentation
56% 56

User comments

Share your experience with using Rainbow (Syntax Highlighting) and highlight.js. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, highlight.js seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 55 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.

Rainbow (Syntax Highlighting) mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Rainbow (Syntax Highlighting) yet. Tracking of Rainbow (Syntax Highlighting) recommendations started around May 2025.

highlight.js mentions (55)

  • A better pkg.go.dev
    Every time a request come in, we forward it to the pkg.go.dev server, then append the highlight.js script to the response before sending it back to the client. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • Day 19: Highlight'em up! 🔖
    It supports 192 languages, just like a browser highlighter:. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • YouTube Embeds Are Bananas Heavy and It's Fixable
    Now we only need to force bloggers to stop using GitHub Gist embeds. Hugo (and probably other static site generators) has built-in support for code snippets with syntax highlighting, and more dynamic sites can rely on highlight.js which removes dependence on third-party services. It's just insane, using heavy iframes for small code snippets. https://gohugo.io/content-management/syntax-highlighting/... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Glimmer DSL for Web Ruby Integration with JavaScript Libraries
    Glimmer DSL for Web is a Ruby-in-the-Browser Web Frontend Framework that enables Rubyists to finally have Ruby productivity and happiness in the Frontend via a simpler, more intuitive, more straightforward, and more productive library than all JavaScript libraries like React, Angular, Ember, Vue, Svelte, etc.... Glimmer DSL for Web's Rails sample app "Sample Selector" has been upgraded with Code Syntax... - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Code Syntax highlighting in Next Js
    Let's get started by installing the highlight js. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Rainbow (Syntax Highlighting) and highlight.js, you can also consider the following products

prism.js - Prism is a lightweight, extensible syntax highlighter, built with modern web standards in mind.

Shiki - A beautiful syntax highlighter based on TextMate grammar, accurate and powerful.

Context.io - Context.IO is a REST email API that makes it easy and fast to integrate your user's email data in your application

starry-night - This package is an open source version of GitHub’s closed-source PrettyLights project (more on that later).

code-prettify - Code Prettify is an embeddable script that makes source-code snippets in HTML prettier.

Re-Highlight - Re-Highlight is a powerful text syntax highlighting library.

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