i18next vs react-i18next vs react-intl | Internationalization (i18n) in JavaScript Applications Comparison

Package	Downloads	Stars	Size	Issues	Publish	License

i18next	8,498,754	8,245	546 kB	9	5 days ago	MIT
react-i18next	5,492,755	9,681	332 kB	4	a month ago	MIT
react-intl	1,744,001	14,558	237 kB	33	4 months ago	BSD-3-Clause

Core Functionality

i18next:
i18next is a full-featured internationalization framework for JavaScript that supports translation management, pluralization, interpolation, and context-based translations. It is highly configurable and can be used with any front-end or back-end framework.
react-i18next:
react-i18next is a React-specific binding for i18next that provides components and hooks for managing translations within React applications. It allows for easy integration of i18next features into React components, including support for context and hooks.
react-intl:
react-intl is a library for internationalizing React applications that provides components and APIs for formatting dates, numbers, and strings according to the user's locale. It focuses on providing a rich set of formatting capabilities and supports message translation with ICU syntax.

Integration with React

i18next:
i18next can be integrated into React applications, but it requires manual setup of context providers and hooks. It is framework-agnostic and can be used with any JavaScript framework or library.
react-i18next:
react-i18next is designed specifically for React and provides a seamless integration with React's component model. It offers hooks like useTranslation and HOCs like withTranslation for easy access to translations within React components.
react-intl:
react-intl is also built for React and provides a set of components (e.g., FormattedMessage, FormattedDate) and APIs for handling internationalization. It focuses on providing rich formatting capabilities and supports message translation.

Localization Support

i18next:
i18next supports localization through its flexible translation management system. It allows for loading translations from various sources, including JSON files, databases, and APIs. It also supports dynamic language switching and context-based localization.
react-i18next:
react-i18next inherits all localization features from i18next and adds React-specific capabilities. It allows for dynamic language switching within React components and provides context-aware translation management.
react-intl:
react-intl supports localization by leveraging the ECMAScript Internationalization API for formatting dates, numbers, and strings. It provides a structured way to manage translations and supports ICU message formatting for complex translations.

Performance

i18next:
i18next is designed for performance and can handle large translation files and dynamic content efficiently. It supports lazy loading of translations, which helps reduce initial load times.
react-i18next:
react-i18next is optimized for React applications and minimizes re-renders by using context and memoization. It allows for fine-grained control over when components re-render based on translation changes.
react-intl:
react-intl is performant for rendering formatted messages and supports lazy loading of locale data. However, the performance may vary depending on the complexity of the ICU messages and the size of the translation data.

Ease of Use: Code Examples

i18next:

Basic usage of i18next

import i18next from 'i18next';

i18next.init({
  lng: 'en', // default language
  resources: {
    en: {
      translation: {
        key: 'Hello, World!',
      },
    },
    fr: {
      translation: {
        key: 'Bonjour, le monde!',
      },
    },
  },
});

console.log(i18next.t('key')); // Output: Hello, World!

// Change language

i18next.changeLanguage('fr');
console.log(i18next.t('key')); // Output: Bonjour, le monde!

react-i18next:

Basic usage of react-i18next

import React from 'react';
import { I18nextProvider, useTranslation } from 'react-i18next';
import i18next from 'i18next';

// Initialize i18next

const App = () => {
  const { t } = useTranslation();

  return <h1>{t('key')}</h1>;
};

const Root = () => (
  <I18nextProvider i18n={i18next}>  <App />
  </I18nextProvider>
);

export default Root;

react-intl:

Basic usage of react-intl

import React from 'react';
import { IntlProvider, FormattedMessage } from 'react-intl';

const messages = {
  en: { greeting: 'Hello, World!' },
  fr: { greeting: 'Bonjour, le monde!' },
};

const App = ({ locale }) => (
  <IntlProvider locale={locale} messages={messages[locale]}>
    <FormattedMessage id="greeting" />
  </IntlProvider>
);

export default App;

Core Functionality

Integration with React

Localization Support

Performance

Ease of Use: Code Examples

i18next: learn once - translate everywhere

Documentation

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