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raylib VS Three.js

Compare raylib VS Three.js and see what are their differences

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raylib logo raylib

Cross-platform, open-source game development library in C.

Three.js logo Three.js

A JavaScript 3D library which makes WebGL simpler.
  • raylib Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-07-08
  • Three.js Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-05-05

raylib features and specs

  • Simple and Easy to Use
    Raylib offers a straightforward API, making it ideal for beginners and those looking to quickly prototype game ideas without dealing with complex set-up or configurations.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Raylib supports multiple platforms, including Windows, Linux, macOS, and HTML5, allowing developers to build games that can run on different operating systems.
  • Lightweight
    This library is lightweight and requires minimal dependencies, which makes it fast to compile and easy to include in various projects.
  • Modular Design
    Raylib's modular design allows developers to use only the modules they need, which can help to optimize the application and reduce its size.
  • Growing Community
    With an active and growing community, raylib provides a support network of enthusiasts and developers, as well as a variety of tutorials and shared projects.

Possible disadvantages of raylib

  • Limited Advanced Features
    Raylib may lack some of the more advanced features found in other mature game development frameworks, which might be a drawback for experienced developers looking for advanced functionalities.
  • Smaller Ecosystem
    Compared to more popular engines, raylib has a smaller ecosystem, meaning fewer third-party tools, plugins, and extensions, which could limit development options.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Topics
    While it's beginner-friendly at a basic level, mastering more advanced development with raylib may require digging deeper into C programming and understanding low-level details.
  • Limited Official Documentation
    The official documentation, although available, might not be as comprehensive or detailed as what’s offered by larger frameworks, potentially leading to reliance on community support.
  • Lack of Built-in UI Tools
    Raylib does not include extensive graphical user interface tools, so developers might need to implement their own UI system or integrate third-party libraries for complex UI tasks.

Three.js features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Three.js simplifies the complex task of 3D rendering with an intuitive API, making it accessible to developers who may not have deep expertise in 3D graphics.
  • Cross-Browser Compatibility
    Three.js is built upon WebGL, ensuring compatibility across modern browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge.
  • Comprehensive Documentation
    The library offers extensive documentation, examples, and an active community, which helps in quickly resolving issues and understanding implementation.
  • Integration with HTML and CSS
    Three.js can be easily integrated with HTML and CSS, allowing for the blending of 2D and 3D elements in web applications.
  • Extensive Features
    It supports a wide range of features including cameras, lights, materials, shaders, and post-processing effects, making it highly versatile for various 3D projects.

Possible disadvantages of Three.js

  • Performance Overhead
    Despite its powerful capabilities, Three.js can have significant performance overhead, especially for complex scenes, which might require optimization.
  • Learning Curve
    While easier than raw WebGL, Three.js still has a learning curve, particularly for those new to 3D graphics, requiring time to become proficient.
  • Limited Built-in Advanced Tools
    Although feature-rich, Three.js lacks some advanced tools out-of-the-box compared to more specialized or industry-standard 3D engines, necessitating custom solutions for certain tasks.
  • Dependency on WebGL
    Three.js relies on WebGL, meaning it cannot be used in environments where WebGL is not supported, which can limit accessibility and compatibility.
  • Frequent Updates
    The library is actively developed, which is generally positive, but frequent updates can mean breaking changes, requiring developers to frequently refactor their code.

raylib videos

+ Add

Raylib 3.0 Released -- The Best Way to Learn C or C++ Game Development*

More videos:

  • Tutorial - Raylib tutorial | Episode 1 | Setting up Raylib and Creating a Window
  • Review - RayLib Receives An Epic MegaGrant!

Three.js videos

+ Add

Getting Started With Three.js

More videos:

  • Review - Ricardo Cabello (Mr doob) - 5 years of three.js

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to raylib and Three.js)

raylib

Three.js

Game Engine
100 100%
Game Engine
0% 0
Javascript UI Libraries
0 0%
Javascript UI Libraries
100% 100
Game Development
54 54%
Game Development
46% 46
Flowcharts
0 0%
Flowcharts
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 raylib and Three.js

raylib Reviews

  1. Diliup Gabadamudalige
    · Partner at EMorphusGames ·
    Raylib, a hidden Powerhouse

    I got to know Raylib just a few days ago taking a course on learning C++ to start using Unreal Engine. I have a background with assembler(a long time ago), Python/Pygame, C#/Monogame, and Unity/C#. Within the few days I used it, I am simply blown away by the simplicity but yet extremely powerful Raylib library. The routines and functions are very clear and access is very simple. Everything is well documented. I am yet to go in-depth with the library but I never had such an experience in the past building games, which is my main interest. If you stumbled upon this by chance stop and give it a go. You'll never regret it. Right now I am thinking of the many ways I can use this with the languages I know.

    🏁 Competitors: MonoGame, Pygame

Three.js Reviews

Top 20 Javascript Libraries
Cross-browser JS library and API that allows for the creation of beautiful animations, Three.js relies on WebGL rather than conventional browser-plugins. Through its library utilities, developers can include complex 3D animations on their website without much effort. Three.js include many features like geometry, lights, materials, shaders, effects, scenes, data loaders,...
Source: hackr.io

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Three.js seems to be a lot more popular than raylib. While we know about 248 links to Three.js, we've tracked only 7 mentions of raylib. 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.

raylib mentions (7)

  • New Year, New Game Engine - Nikola Engine Devlog 0
    You see, for the past several years I have used many programming languages and many more game frameworks and libraries. Programming languages like Java, C#, C++, and even, sadly, JavaScript (I know...). Game frameworks like LWJGL, SDL2, Raylib, MonoGame, SFML, and many more. Essentially, I have seen it all. Out of all of them, I think SDL2 was closer to what I was looking for, though, Raylib was the one I used the... - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Are there any game engines that support 3D that are more code orientated?
    It sounds like you're maybe asking for code frameworks/libraries instead of engines? Something like https://raylib.com/ might be better suited? Source: over 2 years ago
  • How can I make graphics games using cpp?
    I would recommend SFML or Raylib, they're both excellent and fairly easy to set up, plus have really good documentation. And if you decide to really dig into them you'll eventually be able to create any game you want. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Best C++ libraries for 2D game development
    I'd also recommend raylib as an option. Check out its website: http://raylib.com/. It is beginner friendly enough with good cheatsheet and examples. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Question about graphic/game libraries
    Finally, you can use raylib.com , a C library but it has a great interface and multiple examples. Howeve, it is not wide-spread like SDL. Source: almost 4 years ago
View more

Three.js mentions (248)

  • React Three Ecosystem
    Note three.js [1] has nothing to do with React out of the box though, this page highlights an atypical way of using three.js through a popular React binding. [1] https://threejs.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 6 days ago
  • Turn your phone into a wireless Joy-Con with SyncoPath
    The phone in the codepath sample got rendered using Three.js. For fun, I also added some beep sound generated using ZZfx when you tap. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • How to Build a Portfolio Website with React
    Also, to make your portfolio stand out to recruiters and clients, you can add some creative and interactive animations to it. The following libraries can help you easily do this: Framer Motion, tsParticles, and Three.js. - Source: dev.to / 4 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
  • My son (9 yrs old) used plain JavaScript to make a game, and wants your feedback
    After he's done with v2, might I propose... THE GAMEY GAME 3D ?? https://threejs.org/ I started coding at 9 as well (which was a long time ago now), so I was very happy to play and see this today. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing raylib and Three.js, you can also consider the following products

SFML - SFML provides a simple interface to the various components of your PC, to ease the development of games and multimedia applications. It is composed of five modules: system, window, graphics, audio and network.

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

Godot Engine - Feature-packed 2D and 3D open source game engine.

PixiJS - Fast and flexible WebGL-based HTML5 game and app development library.

SDL - Simple DirectMedia Layer is a cross-platform multimedia library designed to provide low level...

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

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