swiper vs slick-carousel vs @glidejs/glide | JavaScript Carousel Libraries

Package	Downloads	Stars	Size	Issues	Publish	License

swiper	3,107,266	41,597	3.34 MB	246	a month ago	MIT
slick-carousel	1,077,579	28,620	-	1,348	8 years ago	MIT
@glidejs/glide	105,240	7,674	450 kB	247	a year ago	MIT

Package

Downloads

Stars

Size

Issues

Publish

License

swiper

3,107,266

41,597

3.34 MB

246

a month ago

MIT

slick-carousel

1,077,579

28,620

1,348

8 years ago

MIT

@glidejs/glide

105,240

7,674

450 kB

247

a year ago

MIT

Size and Performance

swiper:
swiper is optimized for performance, especially on mobile devices. While it is larger than some lightweight libraries, its modular architecture allows developers to include only the features they need, helping to manage bundle size.
slick-carousel:
slick-carousel is larger in size (approximately 30KB minified), but it offers a comprehensive set of features. The trade-off in size is justified for projects that need its extensive functionality and flexibility.
@glidejs/glide:
@glidejs/glide is a lightweight carousel library with a small footprint (around 23KB minified). It is designed for performance, making it a great choice for projects where load time and resource usage are critical.

Customization

swiper:
swiper is highly customizable, with support for a wide range of features such as pagination, navigation, lazy loading, and more. It also supports custom themes and styles, allowing for deep customization to match the design requirements.
slick-carousel:
slick-carousel provides extensive customization options, including multiple slides per view, variable widths, and custom navigation elements. It is highly configurable, making it suitable for complex layouts and designs.
@glidejs/glide:
@glidejs/glide offers a simple and intuitive API for customization. It allows developers to easily style and configure the carousel while keeping the code clean and maintainable. Its modular design makes it easy to extend and customize.

Touch and Mobile Support

swiper:
swiper excels in touch and mobile support, offering advanced gestures, momentum scrolling, and hardware-accelerated transitions. It is one of the best choices for mobile-first projects and applications that require smooth and responsive touch interactions.
slick-carousel:
slick-carousel supports touch and swipe gestures, providing a good user experience on mobile devices. It is designed to be responsive and works well across different screen sizes.
@glidejs/glide:
@glidejs/glide includes basic touch support, making it suitable for mobile devices. Its lightweight nature ensures smooth performance on both desktop and mobile platforms.

Ease of Use: Code Examples

swiper:
swiper offers a user-friendly API and detailed documentation. Its modular design allows developers to start with basic sliders and gradually incorporate more advanced features as needed.
slick-carousel:
slick-carousel has a straightforward setup process, but its extensive features may require more time to fully understand and utilize. The documentation is comprehensive, providing examples for various use cases.
@glidejs/glide:
@glidejs/glide is easy to set up and use, with clear documentation and examples. Its simple API makes it quick to implement basic carousels while allowing for more advanced configurations as needed.

Example Code

swiper:

Example code for swiper:

<div class="swiper-container">
  <div class="swiper-wrapper">
    <div class="swiper-slide">Slide 1</div>
    <div class="swiper-slide">Slide 2</div>
    <div class="swiper-slide">Slide 3</div>
  </div>
  <div class="swiper-pagination"></div>
  <div class="swiper-button-next"></div>
  <div class="swiper-button-prev"></div>
</div>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://unpkg.com/swiper/swiper-bundle.min.css" />
<script src="https://unpkg.com/swiper/swiper-bundle.min.js"></script>
<script>
  const swiper = new Swiper('.swiper-container', {
    pagination: {
      el: '.swiper-pagination',
    },
    navigation: {
      nextEl: '.swiper-button-next',
      prevEl: '.swiper-button-prev',
    },
  });
</script>

slick-carousel:

Example code for slick-carousel:

<div class="slick-slider">
  <div>Slide 1</div>
  <div>Slide 2</div>
  <div>Slide 3</div>
</div>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/slick-carousel/slick/slick.css" />
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/jquery"></script>
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/slick-carousel/slick/slick.min.js"></script>
<script>
  $('.slick-slider').slick();
</script>

@glidejs/glide:

Example code for @glidejs/glide:

<div class="glide">
  <div class="glide__track" data-glide-el="track">
    <ul class="glide__slides">
      <li class="glide__slide">Slide 1</li>
      <li class="glide__slide">Slide 2</li>
      <li class="glide__slide">Slide 3</li>
    </ul>
  </div>
</div>
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/@glidejs/glide"></script>
<script>
  new Glide('.glide').mount();
</script>

Swiper

Swiper - is the free and most modern mobile touch slider with hardware accelerated transitions and amazing native behavior. It is intended to be used in mobile websites, mobile web apps, and mobile native/hybrid apps.

Swiper is not compatible with all platforms, it is a modern touch slider which is focused only on modern apps/platforms to bring the best experience and simplicity.