three vs @react-three/drei vs react-three-fiber
3D Graphics Libraries for React Comparison
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What's 3D Graphics Libraries for React?

These libraries facilitate the integration of 3D graphics into React applications, leveraging the capabilities of WebGL through Three.js. They simplify the process of creating, managing, and rendering 3D scenes, making it more accessible for developers familiar with React. Each library serves a unique purpose, from providing essential building blocks to enhancing the development experience with pre-built components and abstractions.

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three1,774,011104,65128.7 MB5604 days agoMIT
@react-three/drei329,6978,7241.74 MB1115 days agoMIT
react-three-fiber36,41428,288-674 years agoMIT
Feature Comparison: three vs @react-three/drei vs react-three-fiber

Abstraction Level

  • three:

    three is a low-level library that provides direct access to WebGL capabilities. It requires a deeper understanding of 3D concepts and more boilerplate code for creating and managing scenes, lights, cameras, and geometries.

  • @react-three/drei:

    @react-three/drei provides a higher level of abstraction with pre-built components like OrbitControls, Html, and others that streamline common tasks in 3D development, allowing developers to focus on scene composition rather than boilerplate code.

  • react-three-fiber:

    react-three-fiber offers a mid-level abstraction that allows developers to write Three.js code in a React-friendly way. It translates React components into Three.js objects, enabling the use of React's state management and lifecycle methods within 3D scenes.

Ease of Use

  • three:

    three has a steeper learning curve due to its low-level nature. Developers need to have a solid understanding of 3D graphics principles and WebGL to effectively utilize the library, which can be challenging for beginners.

  • @react-three/drei:

    @react-three/drei is designed for ease of use, making it beginner-friendly. It includes many utility functions and components that reduce the complexity of setting up 3D scenes, making it ideal for rapid prototyping and development.

  • react-three-fiber:

    react-three-fiber balances ease of use with flexibility. While it allows for a more React-like approach to 3D development, it still requires some understanding of Three.js concepts, which may present a learning curve for newcomers.

Community and Ecosystem

  • three:

    three has a large and established community with extensive documentation, examples, and third-party resources. It is widely used in the industry, making it a reliable choice for complex 3D projects.

  • @react-three/drei:

    @react-three/drei benefits from the growing React community, with many contributors and users sharing examples, tutorials, and components. This makes it easier to find resources and support for common tasks in 3D development.

  • react-three-fiber:

    react-three-fiber has a vibrant community that actively contributes to its development and provides resources. It integrates well with the broader React ecosystem, allowing developers to leverage existing React libraries and tools alongside 3D graphics.

Performance

  • three:

    three offers the highest level of performance control, allowing developers to optimize rendering and resource management directly. However, achieving optimal performance requires a deeper understanding of WebGL and 3D rendering techniques.

  • @react-three/drei:

    @react-three/drei is optimized for performance by providing efficient abstractions and components that minimize overhead. However, performance still largely depends on how developers use it within their scenes.

  • react-three-fiber:

    react-three-fiber optimizes performance by leveraging React's reconciliation process, allowing for efficient updates and rendering of 3D scenes. Developers can manage performance through React's state and props effectively.

Integration with React

  • three:

    three does not integrate directly with React, requiring developers to manage the interaction between Three.js and React manually. This can lead to more complex code and a less seamless development experience.

  • @react-three/drei:

    @react-three/drei is built specifically for use with react-three-fiber, enhancing its capabilities and providing additional tools that integrate seamlessly into React applications.

  • react-three-fiber:

    react-three-fiber is designed to integrate Three.js with React, allowing developers to write 3D scenes using React components, making it intuitive for those familiar with React's component-based architecture.

How to Choose: three vs @react-three/drei vs react-three-fiber
  • three:

    Choose three if you require the core library for 3D rendering and want full control over your 3D graphics. It provides the foundational tools and features for creating complex 3D scenes but requires more boilerplate and manual setup compared to the other two libraries.

  • @react-three/drei:

    Choose @react-three/drei if you need a collection of useful helpers and abstractions that simplify the creation of 3D scenes in React. It offers pre-built components and utilities that can speed up development and reduce boilerplate code.

  • react-three-fiber:

    Choose react-three-fiber if you want to use Three.js within React's declarative paradigm. It allows you to build 3D scenes using React components, making it easier to manage state and lifecycle methods in a familiar way for React developers.

Similar Npm Packages to three

three is a popular JavaScript library used for creating and displaying 3D graphics in a web browser. It leverages WebGL to render high-performance graphics and provides a simple API to work with 3D objects, scenes, cameras, lights, and animations. With its extensive features and a large community, three.js has become a go-to choice for developers looking to create interactive 3D experiences, games, and visualizations on the web.

One notable alternative to three.js is babylonjs. Babylon.js is another powerful 3D engine that allows developers to create stunning graphics and immersive experiences in the browser. It is designed to be user-friendly and provides a comprehensive set of features, including physics, animations, and a rich material system. Babylon.js also supports WebXR, making it a strong candidate for developing virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) applications. If you are looking for a robust engine with advanced features and a focus on VR/AR, Babylon.js might be the right choice for your project.

To see how three.js compares with Babylon.js, check out the comparison: Comparing three vs babylonjs.

Similar Npm Packages to @react-three/drei

@react-three/drei is a collection of useful helpers and abstractions for building 3D applications using React Three Fiber, which is a React renderer for Three.js. The library provides a set of pre-built components and utilities that simplify the process of creating complex 3D scenes, making it easier for developers to focus on the creative aspects of their projects. With features like simplified geometry, lighting, and controls, @react-three/drei enhances the development experience for React developers working with 3D graphics.

While @react-three/drei is a powerful tool for React Three Fiber users, there are other libraries in the 3D ecosystem that serve different purposes. Here are a few alternatives:

  • react-three-fiber is the core library that allows developers to use Three.js in React applications. It provides a declarative way to create and manage 3D scenes, leveraging React's component-based architecture. With react-three-fiber, you can create complex 3D visualizations and interactions using familiar React patterns. If you are looking to build 3D applications with React, react-three-fiber is essential, as it serves as the foundation upon which @react-three/drei builds its abstractions.
  • three is the underlying JavaScript library for creating 3D graphics in the browser. It provides a comprehensive set of features for rendering 3D objects, managing scenes, and handling animations. While three.js is not specifically designed for React, it is the core technology that powers 3D rendering in many applications, including those built with react-three-fiber. If you need low-level control over your 3D graphics or are working outside of the React ecosystem, three.js is the go-to library for 3D rendering.

For a detailed comparison of these packages, check out: Comparing @react-three/drei vs react-three-fiber vs three.

README for three

three.js

NPM Package Build Size NPM Downloads DeepScan Discord

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 scene, a camera, and a geometric cube, and it adds the cube to the scene. It then creates a WebGL renderer for the scene and camera, and it adds that viewport to the document.body element. Finally, it animates the cube within the scene for the camera.

import * as THREE from 'three';

const width = window.innerWidth, height = window.innerHeight;

// init

const camera = new THREE.PerspectiveCamera( 70, width / height, 0.01, 10 );
camera.position.z = 1;

const scene = new THREE.Scene();

const geometry = new THREE.BoxGeometry( 0.2, 0.2, 0.2 );
const material = new THREE.MeshNormalMaterial();

const mesh = new THREE.Mesh( geometry, material );
scene.add( mesh );

const renderer = new THREE.WebGLRenderer( { antialias: true } );
renderer.setSize( width, height );
renderer.setAnimationLoop( animate );
document.body.appendChild( renderer.domElement );

// animation

function animate( time ) {

	mesh.rotation.x = time / 2000;
	mesh.rotation.y = time / 1000;

	renderer.render( scene, camera );

}

If everything goes well, you should see this.

Cloning this repository

Cloning the repo with all its history results in a ~2 GB download. If you don't need the whole history you can use the depth parameter to significantly reduce download size.

git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/mrdoob/three.js.git

Change log

Releases

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