Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Three.js VS Popcorn.js

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

Three.js logo Three.js

A JavaScript 3D library which makes WebGL simpler.

Popcorn.js logo Popcorn.js

Popcorn.js is an open-source HTML5 Media Framework developed and owned by Mozilla.
  • Three.js Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-05-05
  • Popcorn.js Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-31

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.

Popcorn.js features and specs

  • Open Source
    Popcorn.js is open source, meaning it is free to use and the community can contribute to its development and improvement.
  • Interactive Media
    Popcorn.js allows developers to create time-based interactive media experiences, making web videos more engaging by integrating with web elements like maps, images, and more.
  • Integration with HTML5 Video
    It is designed to work seamlessly with HTML5 video, providing developers with flexibility to enhance video content without requiring proprietary software.
  • Custom Plugins
    Popcorn.js provides support for custom plugins, allowing developers to extend its functionality and add new interactive features as needed.
  • Community Support
    Being a project from Mozilla, Popcorn.js has garnered a community of users and developers who contribute plugins, provide support, and share knowledge.

Possible disadvantages of Popcorn.js

  • Discontinued Development
    Popcorn.js is no longer actively maintained, which may result in compatibility issues with modern web technologies and a lack of timely updates or security patches.
  • Learning Curve
    Developers might face a learning curve due to its unique approach to integrating web elements with video content, particularly those new to web development.
  • Limited Documentation
    As development has slowed, there may be limited and outdated documentation available, making it challenging for new users to understand and utilize the library effectively.
  • Dependency on Other Libraries
    Some functionalities in Popcorn.js might depend on other libraries, potentially leading to conflicts or additional overhead in project setup.
  • Performance Overheads
    Integrating numerous interactive elements may cause performance overheads, especially on less powerful devices, affecting video playback smoothness.

Three.js videos

Getting Started With Three.js

More videos:

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

Popcorn.js videos

Popcorn.js

More videos:

  • Review - popcorn.js - Untertitel (subtitle)

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Three.js and Popcorn.js)
Javascript UI Libraries
Development
0 0%
100% 100
Flowcharts
95 95%
5% 5
Charting Libraries
100 100%
0% 0

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 Popcorn.js

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

Popcorn.js Reviews

We have no reviews of Popcorn.js yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Three.js seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 248 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.

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 / about 1 month 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 / 3 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 / 4 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 / 6 months ago
View more

Popcorn.js mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Popcorn.js yet. Tracking of Popcorn.js recommendations started around May 2023.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Three.js and Popcorn.js, 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.

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

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