head to head · open source
three.js vs Pumpkin
three.js has 115,666 GitHub stars, 36,556 forks, 386 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Pumpkin has 11,292 stars, 813 forks, 452 open issues and last shipped yesterday. three.js leads on adoption by 924% (115,666 vs 11,292 stars). three.js is written in JavaScript under MIT; Pumpkin is written in Rust under GPL-3.0. three.js has attracted 32% as many forks as stars, Pumpkin 7%. Pumpkin was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| three.js | Pumpkin | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 116K | ★ 11K |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | JavaScript | Rust |
| Last push | 2026-09-19 | 2026-09-19 |
| Forks | ⑂ 37K | ⑂ 813 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick three.js if
- You weight community size — 116K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Pumpkin if
- You want the Pumpkin feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Rust
- You evaluated both and Pumpkin fits your workflow better
About three.js
three.js is an MIT licensed JavaScript 3D library that provides an easy to use, lightweight, cross browser, general purpose layer for rendering interactive 3D graphics in the browser, aimed at JavaScript developers who need 3D scenes on the web without writing raw GPU code.
read the full three.js overview →
About Pumpkin
Pumpkin is a Minecraft server implementation written entirely in Rust that aims to let anyone host fast and efficient Java and Bedrock Edition servers, and it is built for server operators and plugin developers who want vanilla compatible gameplay without the official Java server.
read the full Pumpkin overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is three.js or Pumpkin more popular?
three.js has 115,666 GitHub stars and Pumpkin has 11,292. three.js has the larger community by that measure.
Are three.js and Pumpkin free?
Both are open source. three.js is licensed under MIT and Pumpkin under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between three.js and Pumpkin?
three.js is written in JavaScript and Pumpkin in Rust. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, three.js or Pumpkin?
Choose three.js if you want the larger community (115,666 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose Pumpkin if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.