head to head · open source
three.js vs pixijs
three.js has 117,586 GitHub stars, 36,869 forks, 386 open issues and last shipped yesterday. pixijs has 48,623 stars, 5,138 forks, 344 open issues and last shipped yesterday. three.js leads on adoption by 142% (117,586 vs 48,623 stars). three.js is written in JavaScript under MIT; pixijs is written in TypeScript under MIT. three.js has attracted 31% as many forks as stars, pixijs 11%. three.js was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (canvas, javascript), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
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 | pixijs | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 118K | ★ 49K |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Written in | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-04 | 2026-11-04 |
| Forks | ⑂ 37K | ⑂ 5.1K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick three.js if
- You weight community size — 118K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick pixijs if
- You want the pixijs feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and pixijs fits your workflow better
About three.js
three.js [![NPM Package][npm]][npm url] [![Build Size][build size]][build size url] [![NPM Downloads][npm downloads]][npmtrends url] [![jsDelivr Downloads][jsdelivr downloads]][jsdelivr url] [![Discord][discord]][discord url] JavaScript 3D library The aim of the project is to create an easy to use, lightweight, cross browser, general purpose 3D library. The current builds only include WebGL and WebGPU renderers but SVG and CSS3D renderers are also available as addons. Examples — Docs — Manual — Wiki — Migrating — Questions — Forum — Discord Usage This code creates a…
read the full three.js overview →
About pixijs
Guides Tutorials Examples API Docs Discord Bluesky 𝕏 PixiJS ⚡️ Next Generation, Fastest HTML5 Creation Engine for the Web 🚀 WebGL & WebGPU Renderers ⚡️ Unmatched Performance & Speed 🎨 Easy to use, yet powerful API 📦 Asset Loader ✋ Full Mouse & Multi touch Support ✍️ Flexible Text Rendering 📐 Versatile Primitive and SVG Drawing 🖼️ Dynamic Textures 🎭 Masking 🪄 Powerful Filters 🌈 Advanced Blend Modes PixiJS is the fastest, most lightweight 2D library available for the web, working across all devices and allowing you to create rich, interactive graphics and cross platform applications using WebGL and…
read the full pixijs overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is three.js or pixijs more popular?
three.js has 117,586 GitHub stars and pixijs has 48,623. three.js has the larger community by that measure.
Are three.js and pixijs free?
Both are open source. three.js is licensed under MIT and pixijs under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between three.js and pixijs?
three.js is written in JavaScript and pixijs in TypeScript. 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 pixijs?
Choose three.js if you want the larger community (117,586 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose pixijs if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.