bowser vs ua-parser-js vs detect-browser vs useragent
Browser Detection Libraries Comparison
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What's Browser Detection Libraries?

Browser detection libraries are tools that help developers identify the user's browser and its capabilities. This is crucial for delivering tailored experiences, ensuring compatibility, and optimizing performance across different environments. These libraries parse the User-Agent string sent by the browser to determine the browser type, version, and platform, allowing developers to implement conditional logic based on the detected environment. Each library has its unique features, performance characteristics, and ease of use, making the choice of library dependent on specific project requirements and developer preferences.

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bowser14,999,3465,534-944 years agoMIT
ua-parser-js14,910,4709,4661.2 MB189 days agoAGPL-3.0-or-later
detect-browser1,254,93569227 kB433 years agoMIT
useragent630,901897-747 years agoMIT
Feature Comparison: bowser vs ua-parser-js vs detect-browser vs useragent

Lightweight Design

  • bowser:

    Bowser is designed to be lightweight, with a small footprint that makes it ideal for performance-sensitive applications. It focuses solely on browser detection without additional features, which keeps the library size minimal.

  • ua-parser-js:

    ua-parser-js is more comprehensive and slightly heavier than Bowser and detect-browser. It provides detailed information about the browser, engine, OS, and device type, making it a good choice for applications that need in-depth analysis.

  • detect-browser:

    Detect-browser is also lightweight but offers a slightly larger footprint than Bowser. It provides a simple API for detecting browser types and versions, making it suitable for projects that require basic detection without extra overhead.

  • useragent:

    useragent is designed for server-side detection and is heavier than the others. It provides extensive parsing capabilities and is suitable for applications that require detailed user-agent information.

Feature Detection

  • bowser:

    Bowser focuses primarily on browser detection rather than feature detection. It can identify the browser and version but does not provide extensive capabilities for checking specific features or capabilities of the browser.

  • ua-parser-js:

    ua-parser-js excels in both browser detection and feature detection. It can identify specific features and capabilities of the browser, making it a versatile choice for applications that need to adapt based on browser capabilities.

  • detect-browser:

    detect-browser is similar to Bowser in that it primarily detects the browser type and version, but it lacks advanced feature detection capabilities. It is best used for basic browser identification.

  • useragent:

    useragent provides extensive user-agent parsing, allowing for detailed feature detection. It is particularly useful for server-side applications where understanding the client's capabilities is crucial.

Ease of Use

  • bowser:

    Bowser has a straightforward API that is easy to use, making it suitable for developers who want quick and simple browser detection without a steep learning curve.

  • ua-parser-js:

    ua-parser-js has a slightly more complex API due to its comprehensive features, but it is still manageable for developers familiar with JavaScript. It may require a bit more time to understand its full capabilities.

  • detect-browser:

    detect-browser offers a simple API as well, making it easy to implement. It's user-friendly for developers looking for basic browser detection functionality.

  • useragent:

    useragent has a more complex setup and API, making it less beginner-friendly. It is best suited for developers who need detailed user-agent parsing and are comfortable with more intricate implementations.

Browser Compatibility

  • bowser:

    Bowser supports a wide range of browsers, including modern and legacy versions, making it a reliable choice for applications that need to cater to diverse user bases.

  • ua-parser-js:

    ua-parser-js has extensive support for different browsers and platforms, making it a robust choice for applications that require detailed compatibility checks.

  • detect-browser:

    detect-browser also supports various browsers but may not cover as many legacy versions as Bowser. It is suitable for most modern web applications.

  • useragent:

    useragent is designed for server-side applications and supports a wide range of browsers, but its primary focus is on detailed user-agent information rather than broad compatibility.

Community and Maintenance

  • bowser:

    Bowser has an active community and is regularly maintained, ensuring that it stays up-to-date with the latest browser changes and improvements.

  • ua-parser-js:

    ua-parser-js has a strong community and is well-maintained, with frequent updates to keep up with new browser versions and features.

  • detect-browser:

    detect-browser is also actively maintained, but its community is smaller compared to Bowser. It receives updates but may not be as frequently maintained as Bowser.

  • useragent:

    useragent has a dedicated user base but may not receive updates as frequently as the others. It is essential to check the maintenance status before choosing it for long-term projects.

How to Choose: bowser vs ua-parser-js vs detect-browser vs useragent
  • bowser:

    Choose Bowser if you need a lightweight library with a simple API for detecting browsers and their versions, and if you want to avoid the overhead of a larger library. Bowser is particularly useful for projects that require minimal footprint and straightforward browser detection.

Similar Npm Packages to bowser

bowser is a lightweight JavaScript library that helps developers detect the browser and platform information of users. It provides a simple API to identify the user's browser, version, and operating system, making it easier to tailor web applications for different environments. This can be particularly useful for optimizing user experiences and handling browser-specific quirks.

While bowser is a popular choice for browser detection, there are alternatives available that also serve similar purposes. Here are a couple of noteworthy alternatives:

  • platform is a JavaScript library that provides a simple way to detect the user's platform, including the browser, operating system, and device type. It offers a straightforward API and is designed to work seamlessly across various environments. If you need a lightweight solution for platform detection without the additional features that bowser provides, platform is a solid choice. It is especially useful for applications that require basic platform information without the overhead of a more comprehensive library.

  • ua-parser-js is another powerful library for parsing user agent strings. It provides detailed information about the browser, engine, OS, CPU, and device type. ua-parser-js is particularly useful for applications that require in-depth analysis of user agent strings and need to extract detailed information about the user's environment. If your project demands a more granular level of detail regarding user agents, ua-parser-js is an excellent alternative.

To see how bowser compares with platform and ua-parser-js, check out the comparison: Comparing bowser vs platform vs ua-parser-js.

Similar Npm Packages to ua-parser-js

ua-parser-js is a lightweight JavaScript library that helps developers parse user agent strings to extract useful information about the user's device, browser, and operating system. This library is particularly useful for web applications that need to tailor their content or functionality based on the user's environment. By providing a straightforward API, ua-parser-js allows developers to easily identify the characteristics of the client's device, enabling better user experiences.

While ua-parser-js is a popular choice for user agent parsing, there are several alternatives that developers can consider:

  • device-detector-js is a powerful library that provides detailed information about the user's device, including its type, brand, model, and operating system. It is designed to be fast and efficient, making it suitable for applications that require real-time device detection. device-detector-js is particularly useful for applications that need to provide tailored experiences based on device characteristics, such as responsive design or feature availability.

  • express-useragent is a middleware for Express.js that parses the user agent string and provides an easy-to-use interface for accessing device information. It integrates seamlessly with Express applications, allowing developers to access user agent data directly from the request object. If you are building an Express application and need a simple way to handle user agent parsing, express-useragent is an excellent choice.

To compare these libraries and see how they stack up against each other, check out the following link: Comparing device-detector-js vs express-useragent vs ua-parser-js.

Similar Npm Packages to detect-browser

detect-browser is a lightweight JavaScript library that allows developers to easily detect the user's browser and its version. This can be particularly useful for tailoring user experiences based on the browser being used, enabling developers to implement browser-specific features or fixes. While detect-browser is a solid choice for browser detection, there are several alternatives available that offer similar functionalities. Here are a few noteworthy options:

  • bowser is a powerful and feature-rich browser detection library that provides detailed information about the user's browser, including its name, version, and platform. Bowser is known for its accuracy and comprehensive detection capabilities, making it a popular choice among developers who need to support a wide range of browsers and devices. It can also parse user agent strings and provide insights into the browser's capabilities, which can be beneficial for feature detection and compatibility checks.

  • ua-parser-js is another popular library for parsing user agent strings and extracting information about the browser, engine, OS, and device. It is designed to be lightweight and fast, making it suitable for performance-sensitive applications. ua-parser-js offers a straightforward API and can be used in both client-side and server-side environments. If you need a comprehensive solution for user agent parsing with a focus on performance, ua-parser-js is an excellent choice.

  • useragent is a library that provides a simple interface for parsing user agent strings. It is designed to be easy to use and offers a range of features for detecting browsers, operating systems, and devices. While it may not be as feature-rich as some other options, useragent is a solid choice for developers looking for a straightforward solution for user agent parsing without the overhead of more complex libraries.

To see how detect-browser compares with bowser, ua-parser-js, and useragent, check out the comparison: Comparing bowser vs detect-browser vs ua-parser-js vs useragent.

Similar Npm Packages to useragent

useragent is a Node.js library that helps developers parse user agent strings to extract useful information about the client's device, operating system, and browser. This can be particularly useful for tailoring experiences based on the user's environment. While useragent provides a robust solution for user agent parsing, there are several alternatives in the ecosystem that offer similar functionalities. Here are a few noteworthy options:

  • express-useragent is a middleware for Express.js that provides an easy way to parse user agent strings. It integrates seamlessly with Express applications, allowing developers to access user agent information directly from the request object. If you're building an Express-based application and need a straightforward way to handle user agent data, express-useragent is an excellent choice that simplifies the process without adding unnecessary complexity.

  • react-device-detect is a React-specific library that allows developers to detect the device type (mobile, tablet, desktop) and browser information directly within React components. It provides a set of utility functions and components that make it easy to conditionally render UI based on the detected device. If you're working within a React application and need to tailor your components based on the user's device, react-device-detect offers a convenient solution.

  • ua-parser-js is a lightweight JavaScript library that can parse user agent strings in both browser and Node.js environments. It provides a comprehensive API for extracting information about the browser, engine, OS, CPU, and device. If you need a versatile and powerful library for user agent parsing that can be used in various environments, ua-parser-js is a solid option that offers detailed insights.

To see how useragent compares with express-useragent, react-device-detect, and ua-parser-js, check out the comparison: Comparing express-useragent vs react-device-detect vs ua-parser-js vs useragent.

README for bowser

Bowser

A small, fast and rich-API browser/platform/engine detector for both browser and node.

  • Small. Use plain ES5-version which is ~4.8kB gzipped.
  • Optimized. Use only those parsers you need — it doesn't do useless work.
  • Multi-platform. It's browser- and node-ready, so you can use it in any environment.

Don't hesitate to support the project on Github or OpenCollective if you like it ❤️ Also, contributors are always welcome!

Financial Contributors on Open Collective Build Status Greenkeeper badge Coverage Status Downloads

Contents

Overview

The library is made to help to detect what browser your user has and gives you a convenient API to filter the users somehow depending on their browsers. Check it out on this page: https://bowser-js.github.io/bowser-online/.

⚠️ Version 2.0 breaking changes ⚠️

Version 2.0 has drastically changed the API. All available methods are on the docs page.

For legacy code, check out the 1.x branch and install it through npm install bowser@1.9.4.

Use cases

First of all, require the library. This is a UMD Module, so it will work for AMD, TypeScript, ES6, and CommonJS module systems.

const Bowser = require("bowser"); // CommonJS

import * as Bowser from "bowser"; // TypeScript

import Bowser from "bowser"; // ES6 (and TypeScript with --esModuleInterop enabled)

By default, the exported version is the ES5 transpiled version, which do not include any polyfills.

In case you don't use your own babel-polyfill you may need to have pre-built bundle with all needed polyfills. So, for you it's suitable to require bowser like this: require('bowser/bundled'). As the result, you get a ES5 version of bowser with babel-polyfill bundled together.

You may need to use the source files, so they will be available in the package as well.

Browser props detection

Often we need to pick users' browser properties such as the name, the version, the rendering engine and so on. Here is an example how to do it with Bowser:

const browser = Bowser.getParser(window.navigator.userAgent);

console.log(`The current browser name is "${browser.getBrowserName()}"`);
// The current browser name is "Internet Explorer"

or

const browser = Bowser.getParser(window.navigator.userAgent);
console.log(browser.getBrowser());

// outputs
{
  name: "Internet Explorer"
  version: "11.0"
}

or

console.log(Bowser.parse(window.navigator.userAgent));

// outputs
{
  browser: {
    name: "Internet Explorer"
    version: "11.0"
  },
  os: {
    name: "Windows"
    version: "NT 6.3"
    versionName: "8.1"
  },
  platform: {
    type: "desktop"
  },
  engine: {
    name: "Trident"
    version: "7.0"
  }
}

Filtering browsers

You could want to filter some particular browsers to provide any special support for them or make any workarounds. It could look like this:

const browser = Bowser.getParser(window.navigator.userAgent);
const isValidBrowser = browser.satisfies({
  // declare browsers per OS
  windows: {
    "internet explorer": ">10",
  },
  macos: {
    safari: ">10.1"
  },

  // per platform (mobile, desktop or tablet)
  mobile: {
    safari: '>=9',
    'android browser': '>3.10'
  },

  // or in general
  chrome: "~20.1.1432",
  firefox: ">31",
  opera: ">=22",

  // also supports equality operator
  chrome: "=20.1.1432", // will match particular build only

  // and loose-equality operator
  chrome: "~20",        // will match any 20.* sub-version
  chrome: "~20.1"       // will match any 20.1.* sub-version (20.1.19 as well as 20.1.12.42-alpha.1)
});

Settings for any particular OS or platform has more priority and redefines settings of standalone browsers. Thus, you can define OS or platform specific rules and they will have more priority in the end.

More of API and possibilities you will find in the docs folder.

Browser names for .satisfies()

By default you are supposed to use the full browser name for .satisfies. But, there's a short way to define a browser using short aliases. The full list of aliases can be found in the file.

Similar Projects

  • Kong - A C# port of Bowser.

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License

Licensed as MIT. All rights not explicitly granted in the MIT license are reserved. See the included LICENSE file for more details.

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