Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Three.js VS Processing

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

Three.js logo Three.js

A JavaScript 3D library which makes WebGL simpler.

Processing logo Processing

C++ and Java programming at the speed of thought.
  • Three.js Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-05-05
  • Processing Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-12

We recommend LibHunt Processing for discovery and comparisons of trending Processing projects.

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.

Processing features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Processing has a simple and straightforward syntax, making it accessible for beginners and quick for prototyping.
  • Visualization Capabilities
    Processing excels at creating visually appealing graphics, animations, and interactive content.
  • Active Community
    Processing has a large, active community that contributes tutorials, examples, libraries, and forums support.
  • Cross-Platform
    Processing is cross-platform, allowing developers to run their sketches on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
  • Educational Focus
    Processing is designed with teaching in mind and is widely used in educational settings to teach programming concepts.
  • Integration with Other Tools
    Processing can be easily integrated with other creative coding tools and software such as Arduino.

Possible disadvantages of Processing

  • Performance Limitations
    Processing may not be the best choice for highly performance-critical applications, especially those requiring intense computation.
  • Limited Functionality
    While great for graphics and animation, Processing might be limited for other types of development like database-driven applications.
  • Java Dependency
    Processing is built on top of Java, which may not be ideal or preferred for all users, especially those who do not wish to work with Java.
  • Scalability Issues
    Processing sketches might face challenges when scaling up to large or more complex projects.
  • Basic IDE
    The Processing IDE is quite basic compared to more advanced development environments, potentially limiting for complex project management.

Analysis of Processing

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Processing is considered to be good, especially for artists, designers, and beginners who are interested in creative coding. Its simplicity and focus on visual output make it an excellent entry point for those looking to merge programming with art.

Why this product is good

  • Processing is a flexible software sketchbook and a language for learning how to code within the context of the visual arts. It's highly appreciated for its simplicity and ease of use, making it accessible for beginners. Additionally, it has a strong community and a wealth of tutorials and examples that help users to quickly get started with creating visual art and interactive media.

Recommended for

  • Artists and designers who want to learn coding
  • Educators looking for a tool to teach coding in a visual context
  • Beginners interested in interactive graphics and visualizations
  • Developers who want to quickly prototype visual ideas

Three.js videos

Getting Started With Three.js

More videos:

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

Processing videos

Processing - Kickstarter Board Game Review

More videos:

  • Review - Processing or p5.js? My opinions
  • Review - Processing: A Game of Serving Humanity Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Three.js and Processing)
Javascript UI Libraries
74 74%
26% 26
3D
17 17%
83% 83
Flowcharts
100 100%
0% 0
Charting Libraries
59 59%
41% 41

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 Processing

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

Processing Reviews

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

Social recommendations and mentions

Processing might be a bit more popular than Three.js. We know about 345 links to it since March 2021 and only 257 links to Three.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 (257)

  • Why a static Three.js scene still cooks your phone, and the dirty-flag fix
    So I have a bunch of small games on my site. Ludo, tic-tac-toe, carrom, rock-paper-scissors. Nothing fancy, the kind of thing you'd think runs on a potato. They're built with Three.js, which is the standard library for drawing 3D graphics in a web page. I was testing them on my iPhone and the phone got genuinely hot. Hot to hold. And here's the part that bugged me: I wasn't even doing anything. I was just sitting... - Source: dev.to / 19 days ago
  • Fable Built a 3D Model of Aristotelian-Thomistic Cognitive Architecture
    This looks like the usual https://threejs.org animation built by LLMs. I'm more interested in the source of the data and if it was reviewed for correctedness. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
  • Building LoreKeeper: An Immersive 3D Library to Bridge EPUBs and AI
    Frontend: Three.js for the 3D engine, Vite for a lightning-fast build. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • How to Create 360 Panoramas with GPT Image 2 and View Them Interactively
    When a 360 viewer loads this image, it wraps it onto the inside of a sphere using Three.js and places the camera at the center. You drag to rotate, scroll to zoom, and the flat image becomes an immersive scene. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • JavaScript Awesome Package
    Threejs - 3D animations on the browser, using WebGL in an intuitive way. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
View more

Processing mentions (345)

  • Generative Art over the Years
    Reading this makes me want to fire up Processing [1] again. I remember spending hours and days with it in my early twenties. The immediacy of writing a few simple commands, hitting "Run" and seeing graphical output is still unsurpassed and created an almost addictive creative feedback loop that I haven't seen anywhere else yet. [1] https://processing.org. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • I got paid minimum wage to solve an impossible problem.
    I built a visual editor in Processing (a Java tool for people who like making things look cool), so I could easily map out the store and export the resulting graph. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • The Little Book of Linear Algebra
    As an autodidact who never learned this stuff at school/uni, his lectures are what made linear algebra really click for me. I can only recommend them to anyone who wants to get a visual intuition on the fundamentals of LA. What also helped me as a visual learner was to program/setup tiny experiments in Processing[1] and GeoGebra Classic[2]. - [1] https://processing.org. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • DevLog 20250611: Audio API Design for Divooka Glaze!
    Glaze! Is an interactive media framework in Divooka that features a Processing-like interface. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • What is a modern successor to HyperCard?
    I have been following HyperCard clones for years. It would take me some time to gather what I found, but the short answer is to download a Mac OS 9 emulator (it works) and load up HyperCard 2.4.1 and have fun. Emulators page with links to versions for MacOS and Windows. https://mendelson.org/emulators.html Hypercard 2.4.1 is available at the Macintosh Repository... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Three.js and Processing, 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.

OpenFrameworks - openFrameworks

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

Scratch - Scratch is the programming language & online community where young people create stories, games, & animations.

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.