Three.js VS Paper.js

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

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Three.js

A JavaScript 3D library which makes WebGL simpler.

Paper.js

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

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2019-05-05

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Three.js

Website: threejs.org
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Paper.js

Website: paperjs.org
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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.

Paper.js features and specs

Vector Graphics Support
Paper.js excels in handling vector graphics, making it an excellent choice for creating and manipulating graphics with precision.
Scene Graph
The library uses a scene graph, which facilitates hierarchical organization and management of graphical objects.
Rich API
Paper.js offers a highly intuitive and rich API that simplifies tasks like working with paths, segments, and more.
Ease of Use
With its clear documentation and straightforward syntax, Paper.js is beginner-friendly while remaining powerful for advanced users.
Cross-Platform
Being JavaScript-based, Paper.js works across different platforms and browsers without requiring any additional plugins.
Interactive Graphics
It allows for easy creation of interactive graphics, making it ideal for use in web applications needing dynamic graphic manipulation.
Built-In Animation Support
Paper.js includes built-in support for animations, enabling smooth and complex animations with minimal effort.

Possible disadvantages of Paper.js

Performance
Due to its high-level abstraction and ease of use, Paper.js may not perform as well as lower-level graphics libraries in performance-critical applications.
File Size
Paper.js can be relatively large in terms of file size compared to some lightweight alternatives, which might affect load times.
Limited to Canvas
Paper.js is limited to the HTML5 Canvas element, so it doesn't natively support other rendering contexts like SVG.
Animation Flexibility
While it offers built-in animation support, the flexibility and feature set might not be as extensive as dedicated animation libraries.
Learning Curve for Complex Features
Although it's beginner-friendly for simple tasks, mastering more complex aspects of Paper.js can have a steeper learning curve.
Community and Support
Paper.js might not have as large a community or as extensive support as some other more widely-used JavaScript libraries such as D3.js or Three.js.

Three.js videos

+ Add

Getting Started With Three.js

Paper.js videos

+ Add

Revision clouds in AutoCAD using Paper.js

Category Popularity

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

Paper.js

Javascript UI Libraries

80 80%

Javascript UI Libraries

20% 20

Flowcharts

76 76%

Flowcharts

24% 24

Charting Libraries

80 80%

Charting Libraries

20% 20

Development

0 0%

Development

100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Three.js and Paper.js. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Three.js and Paper.js

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

Paper.js Reviews

20+ JavaScript libraries to draw your own diagrams (2022 edition)

Paper.js is an open source vector graphics scripting framework that runs on top of the HTML5 Canvas. It offers a clean Scene Graph / Document Object Model and a lot of powerful functionality to create and work with vector graphics and bezier curves, all neatly wrapped up in a well designed, consistent and clean programming interface. It’s based on (and largely compatible)...

Source: modeling-languages.com

8 Best Free and Open-Source Drawing Libraries in JavaScript

The Paper.js library is another free and open-source solution for people who want to draw using JavaScript. The library uses canvas to handle its drawing animations. However, its primary focus is vector-based drawings instead of raster images.

Source: code.tutsplus.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Three.js seems to be a lot more popular than Paper.js. While we know about 247 links to Three.js, we've tracked only 11 mentions of Paper.js. 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

Paper.js mentions (11)

How Framer/Figma is built?
I started with angular and paper.js: http://paperjs.org/. Source: almost 2 years ago
Polygon JS libraries
In a thread in the Processing forum, Boolean operations in polygons , user ErraticGenerator suggests using g.js or Paper.js. Source: about 2 years ago
Looking for a javascript library with good wrapping support
It is likely that paper.js provides the functionality needed. I will probably investigate it at some point since it appears to be the more popular library Compare paper.js & bezier.js. Source: about 2 years ago
Animating an svg
Just remember you can do some SVG displacement with Paper.JS. Source: over 2 years ago
Diagnosing RangeError: Maximum call stack size exceeded in React KeyEscapeUtils
Our webapp is written with React and Redux using the official react-redux bindings. Another primary library used in this web app is PaperJS. We recently transitioned this to being a Redux app, though it has used React for a while. Source: almost 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

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

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

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

D3.js - D3.js is a JavaScript library for manipulating documents based on data. D3 helps you bring data to life using HTML, SVG, and CSS.

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.