Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Three.js VS mxGraph

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

Three.js logo Three.js

A JavaScript 3D library which makes WebGL simpler.

mxGraph logo mxGraph

mxGraph is a fully client side JavaScript diagramming library - jgraph/mxgraph
  • Three.js Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-05-05
  • mxGraph Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-07

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.

mxGraph features and specs

  • Open Source
    mxGraph is an open-source project, which allows developers to use, modify, and distribute the library freely.
  • Cross-Platform
    The library is designed to work seamlessly across multiple platforms (e.g., web browsers, desktop), providing flexibility in application deployment.
  • Rich Feature Set
    mxGraph provides a comprehensive set of features for building interactive diagramming applications, including support for drag-and-drop, undo/redo, zoom, and layout algorithms.
  • Lightweight
    Despite its rich feature set, mxGraph is relatively lightweight, which can yield better performance in terms of speed and resource usage.
  • Good Documentation
    mxGraph offers extensive documentation, making it easier for developers to understand and implement features in their projects.

Possible disadvantages of mxGraph

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Due to its extensive feature set and flexibility, mxGraph might have a steep learning curve for developers who are new to the library.
  • Limited Community Support
    Compared to more mainstream libraries, mxGraph may have a smaller community, potentially limiting the availability of community-based support and resources.
  • Legacy Codebase
    Some parts of mxGraph's codebase may be considered outdated, particularly as newer technologies and frameworks have emerged since its initial development.
  • Complex Customization
    While mxGraph offers powerful customization capabilities, achieving specific custom behaviors and styles can be complex without in-depth knowledge of the library.
  • Sparse Ecosystem
    As a specialized library, it may have fewer third-party plugins and extensions compared to more widely-adopted graph libraries.

Three.js videos

Getting Started With Three.js

More videos:

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

mxGraph videos

mxGraph Made Easy 3

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Three.js and mxGraph)
Javascript UI Libraries
89 89%
11% 11
Flowcharts
82 82%
18% 18
Charting Libraries
100 100%
0% 0
Org Charts
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 Three.js and mxGraph

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

mxGraph Reviews

20+ JavaScript libraries to draw your own diagrams (2022 edition)
mxGraph uses no third-party software, it requires no plugins and can be integrated into virtually any framework. The mxGraph package contains a client software, written in JavaScript, and a series of backends for various languages. The client software is a graph component with an optional application wrapper that is integrated into an existing web interface. The client...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Three.js seems to be a lot more popular than mxGraph. While we know about 247 links to Three.js, we've tracked only 2 mentions of mxGraph. 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.

Three.js mentions (247)

  • 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 1 month 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 / 3 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
  • Optimizing Three.js: 4 Key Techniques
    But code can also create something visually stunning, something everyone can appreciate. This is where tools like Three.js shine. However, Three.js can be heavy, especially when used in a dynamic web page accessed by devices with varying computational power. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
View more

mxGraph mentions (2)

  • Process Analytics - March 2022 News
    It is possible to use the new API to retrieve the bpmn-visualization and mxGraph versions used at runtime: getVersion(). - Source: dev.to / about 3 years ago
  • mxGraph usage in TypeScript projects
    This article is the first one of a series about mxGraph, the Javascript diagramming library. - Source: dev.to / almost 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.