image-size vs sharp vs jimp vs pica
Image Processing Libraries Comparison
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What's Image Processing Libraries?

Image processing libraries are essential tools in web development for manipulating and optimizing images. They provide functionalities such as resizing, cropping, and format conversion, which are crucial for improving website performance and user experience. These libraries enable developers to handle images efficiently, ensuring that they are appropriately sized and formatted for various devices and platforms, thus enhancing load times and visual quality.

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image-size12,882,1842,115378 kB339 days agoMIT
sharp11,179,63630,215522 kB1164 days agoApache-2.0
jimp1,486,075-4.03 MB-7 months agoMIT
pica108,9513,887216 kB163 years agoMIT
Feature Comparison: image-size vs sharp vs jimp vs pica

Image Manipulation Capabilities

  • image-size:

    image-size specializes in extracting image dimensions and metadata without altering the image, making it a lightweight choice for simple tasks.

  • sharp:

    sharp excels in performance and offers a rich set of features for image processing, including resizing, format conversion, and compositing, making it suitable for complex image workflows.

  • jimp:

    jimp provides a wide range of image manipulation functions, including resizing, cropping, and applying filters, making it versatile for various image processing needs.

  • pica:

    pica focuses on high-quality image resizing, utilizing advanced algorithms to ensure minimal quality loss during the resizing process, which is crucial for maintaining visual fidelity.

Performance

  • image-size:

    image-size is highly efficient for its purpose, as it only reads image metadata without processing the image itself, ensuring quick execution.

  • sharp:

    sharp is known for its exceptional performance, leveraging native libraries to handle large images quickly and efficiently, making it ideal for server-side processing.

  • jimp:

    jimp is slower compared to others due to its pure JavaScript implementation, which may not be suitable for high-performance requirements or large-scale applications.

  • pica:

    pica is optimized for speed and quality, making it an excellent choice for client-side applications where performance is critical, especially for resizing images in real-time.

Ease of Use

  • image-size:

    image-size has a simple API that is easy to use, making it accessible for developers who need quick access to image dimensions without complex setups.

  • sharp:

    sharp has a more complex API due to its extensive feature set, which may have a steeper learning curve, but it offers powerful capabilities for those willing to invest time.

  • jimp:

    jimp offers a straightforward API that is beginner-friendly, allowing developers to perform image manipulations with minimal effort and setup.

  • pica:

    pica provides a simple interface for resizing images, but it may require additional understanding of its quality settings to achieve optimal results.

Supported Formats

  • image-size:

    image-size supports a variety of image formats, including JPEG, PNG, and GIF, but does not modify them.

  • sharp:

    sharp supports a wide range of image formats, including JPEG, PNG, WebP, and AVIF, and allows for format conversion, making it highly flexible.

  • jimp:

    jimp supports multiple image formats for both input and output, including JPEG, PNG, BMP, and TIFF, making it versatile for different use cases.

  • pica:

    pica supports common formats like JPEG and PNG for resizing, focusing on quality rather than format conversion.

Use Cases

  • image-size:

    image-size is best suited for applications where image metadata is needed without any processing, such as galleries or image upload validations.

  • sharp:

    sharp is designed for server-side applications that require high-performance image processing, such as image optimization services or batch processing tasks.

  • jimp:

    jimp is ideal for web applications that require on-the-fly image manipulations, such as social media platforms or content management systems.

  • pica:

    pica is perfect for client-side applications that need to resize images quickly while maintaining quality, such as image upload previews.

How to Choose: image-size vs sharp vs jimp vs pica
  • image-size:

    Choose image-size if you need a lightweight solution specifically for obtaining image dimensions without modifying the image itself. It is ideal for scenarios where you only require metadata about images.

  • sharp:

    Use sharp for high-performance image processing, especially when dealing with large images or batch processing. It offers advanced features like format conversion and is optimized for speed, making it ideal for server-side applications.

  • jimp:

    Select jimp for a comprehensive image manipulation library that supports various operations like resizing, cropping, and filtering. It is suitable for projects that require extensive image processing capabilities in a straightforward manner.

  • pica:

    Opt for pica if your primary focus is on high-quality image resizing with minimal loss of quality. It is particularly effective for client-side resizing in web applications where performance and quality are paramount.

Similar Npm Packages to image-size

image-size is a popular npm package used for determining the dimensions of images in various formats. It can be particularly useful for developers who need to handle image processing, validation, or optimization in their applications. The library supports a wide range of image formats, including JPEG, PNG, GIF, and more, making it a versatile tool for image handling tasks. By extracting image dimensions, developers can efficiently manage layouts, optimize loading times, and ensure responsive designs.

While image-size is a robust choice for obtaining image dimensions, there are alternatives available that may suit different needs:

  • imageinfo is another npm package that provides information about images, including dimensions, format, and other metadata. It is designed to be simple and straightforward, allowing developers to quickly access essential information about an image file. If you require not only the dimensions but also additional metadata about the image, such as color depth or EXIF data, imageinfo can be a suitable alternative.

For a detailed comparison of these packages, you can visit: Comparing image-size vs imageinfo.

Similar Npm Packages to sharp

sharp is a high-performance image processing library for Node.js, designed to handle large images efficiently. It allows developers to resize, convert, and manipulate images in various formats with minimal memory usage and high speed. Sharp is particularly well-suited for server-side image processing tasks, making it a popular choice for web applications that require dynamic image manipulation.

While sharp is a powerful tool for image processing, there are several alternatives in the Node.js ecosystem that offer similar functionalities. Here are a few notable alternatives:

  • canvas is a Node.js library that provides a Canvas API similar to the HTML5 Canvas. It allows developers to create and manipulate images using a familiar API, making it suitable for tasks such as drawing graphics, text, and images. Canvas is particularly useful for applications that require custom graphics generation or manipulation, but it may not be as optimized for bulk image processing as sharp.
  • gm (GraphicsMagick) is a Node.js wrapper for the GraphicsMagick image processing library. It provides a comprehensive set of image manipulation features, including resizing, cropping, and format conversion. While gm offers a wide range of functionalities, it may not be as performant as sharp for large-scale image processing tasks, as it relies on the underlying GraphicsMagick library.
  • image-size is a lightweight library specifically designed to retrieve the dimensions of images without fully decoding them. It is useful for quickly obtaining image metadata, such as width and height, without the overhead of processing the entire image. While it does not offer extensive image manipulation capabilities like sharp, it can be a handy tool for applications that need to handle image uploads or previews.
  • jimp is a pure JavaScript image processing library that allows developers to manipulate images in a straightforward manner. It provides features such as resizing, cropping, and filtering, making it suitable for basic image processing tasks. However, jimp may not be as performant as sharp, especially when dealing with large images or high-volume processing.

To explore how sharp compares with canvas, gm, image-size, and jimp, check out the comparison: Comparing canvas vs gm vs image-size vs jimp vs sharp.

Similar Npm Packages to jimp

jimp is a popular image processing library for Node.js that allows developers to manipulate images with ease. It provides a simple and intuitive API for performing various image operations such as resizing, cropping, rotating, and applying filters. Jimp is particularly useful for projects that require server-side image processing without the need for complex dependencies or external libraries. Its pure JavaScript implementation makes it easy to integrate into any Node.js application.

However, there are several alternatives to Jimp that offer different features and capabilities:

  • canvas is a powerful library that provides a Node.js implementation of the HTML5 Canvas API. It allows for advanced image manipulation and rendering, making it suitable for projects that require more complex graphics and drawing capabilities. With canvas, developers can create and manipulate images, draw shapes, and even render text, making it a versatile choice for applications that need extensive image processing features.

  • gm (GraphicsMagick) is a Node.js wrapper for the GraphicsMagick image processing library. It provides a comprehensive set of features for image manipulation, including resizing, cropping, and format conversion. GM is known for its speed and efficiency, making it a great choice for applications that need to process large volumes of images quickly. Its extensive feature set and performance make it suitable for both simple and complex image processing tasks.

  • sharp is another high-performance image processing library for Node.js. It is built on the libvips library, which is known for its speed and efficiency. Sharp supports a wide range of image formats and provides features such as resizing, cropping, and image transformations. It is particularly well-suited for applications that require fast image processing and can handle large images with ease. Sharp's performance and versatility make it a popular choice among developers working with images.

To see how Jimp compares with canvas, gm, and sharp, check out the comparison: Comparing canvas vs gm vs jimp vs sharp.

Similar Npm Packages to pica

pica is a high-quality image resizing library for JavaScript, designed to be fast and efficient. It is particularly useful for web applications where you need to resize images on the client side without sacrificing quality. Pica utilizes advanced algorithms to ensure that the resized images maintain their sharpness and clarity, making it an excellent choice for developers looking to optimize image handling in their applications.

While pica is a robust option for image resizing, there are several alternatives available that cater to different needs:

  • image-size is a simple library that allows you to get the dimensions of an image without loading the entire image into memory. It supports various image formats and is particularly useful when you need to quickly determine the size of an image file before processing it further. If your primary requirement is to extract image dimensions rather than resizing, image-size is a lightweight and efficient choice.

  • jimp is a versatile image processing library for Node.js that provides a wide range of image manipulation capabilities, including resizing, cropping, and filtering. It is designed to be easy to use and works well for both server-side and client-side applications. If you need a more comprehensive image processing solution that goes beyond just resizing, jimp offers a rich set of features to meet your needs.

  • sharp is a high-performance image processing library that is built on the libvips library. It is known for its speed and efficiency, making it ideal for applications that require processing large numbers of images quickly. Sharp supports a wide range of image formats and provides various image manipulation functions, including resizing, cropping, and format conversion. If performance is a critical factor for your application, sharp is a strong contender.

For a detailed comparison of these packages, check out the following link: Comparing image-size vs jimp vs pica vs sharp.

README for image-size

image-size

Build Status Package Version Downloads

Fast, lightweight NodeJS package to get dimensions of any image file or buffer.

Key Features

  • Zero dependencies
  • Supports all major image formats
  • Works with both files and buffers
  • Minimal memory footprint - reads only image headers
  • ESM and CommonJS support
  • TypeScript types included

Supported formats

  • BMP
  • CUR
  • DDS
  • GIF
  • HEIC (HEIF, AVCI, AVIF)
  • ICNS
  • ICO
  • J2C
  • JPEG-2000 (JP2)
  • JPEG
  • JPEG-XL
  • KTX (1 and 2)
  • PNG
  • PNM (PAM, PBM, PFM, PGM, PPM)
  • PSD
  • SVG
  • TGA
  • TIFF
  • WebP

Installation

npm install image-size
# or
yarn add image-size
# or
pnpm add image-size

Usage

Passing in a Buffer/Uint8Array

Best for streams, network requests, or when you already have the image data in memory.

import { imageSize } from 'image-size'
// or
const { imageSize } = require('image-size')

const dimensions = imageSize(buffer)
console.log(dimensions.width, dimensions.height)

Reading from a file

Best for local files. Returns a promise.

import { imageSizeFromFile } from 'image-size/fromFile'
// or
const { imageSizeFromFile } = require('image-size/fromFile')

const dimensions = await imageSizeFromFile('photos/image.jpg')
console.log(dimensions.width, dimensions.height)

Note: Reading from files has a default concurrency limit of 100 To change this limit, you can call the setConcurrency function like this:

import { setConcurrency } from 'image-size/fromFile'
// or
const { setConcurrency } = require('image-size/fromFile')
setConcurrency(123456)

Reading from a file Syncronously (not recommended) ⚠️

v1.x of this library had a sync API, that internally used sync file reads.

This isn't recommended because this blocks the node.js main thread, which reduces the performance, and prevents this library from being used concurrently.

However if you still need to use this package syncronously, you can read the file syncronously into a buffer, and then pass the buffer to this library.

import { readFileSync } from 'node:fs'
import { imageSize } from 'image-size'

const buffer = readFileSync('photos/image.jpg')
const dimensions = imageSize(buffer)
console.log(dimensions.width, dimensions.height)

3. Command Line

Useful for quick checks.

npx image-size image1.jpg image2.png

Multi-size

If the target file/buffer is an HEIF, an ICO, or a CUR file, the width and height will be the ones of the largest image in the set.

An additional images array is available and returns the dimensions of all the available images

import { imageSizeFromFile } from 'image-size/fromFile'
// or
const { imageSizeFromFile } = require('image-size/fromFile')

const { images } = await imageSizeFromFile('images/multi-size.ico')
for (const dimensions of images) {
  console.log(dimensions.width, dimensions.height)
}

Using a URL

import url from 'node:url'
import http from 'node:http'
import { imageSize } from 'image-size'

const imgUrl = 'http://my-amazing-website.com/image.jpeg'
const options = url.parse(imgUrl)

http.get(options, function (response) {
  const chunks = []
  response
    .on('data', function (chunk) {
      chunks.push(chunk)
    })
    .on('end', function () {
      const buffer = Buffer.concat(chunks)
      console.log(imageSize(buffer))
    })
})

Disabling certain image types

import { disableTypes } from 'image-size'
// or
const { disableTypes } = require('image-size')

disableTypes(['tiff', 'ico'])

JPEG image orientation

If the orientation is present in the JPEG EXIF metadata, it will be returned by the function. The orientation value is a number between 1 and 8 representing a type of orientation.

import { imageSizeFromFile } from 'image-size/fromFile'
// or
const { imageSizeFromFile } = require('image-size/fromFile')

const { width, height, orientation } = await imageSizeFromFile('images/photo.jpeg')
console.log(width, height, orientation)

Limitations

  1. Partial File Reading

    • Only reads image headers, not full files
    • Some corrupted images might still report dimensions

  2. SVG Limitations

    • Only supports pixel dimensions and viewBox
    • Percentage values not supported

  3. File Access

    • Reading from files has a default concurrency limit of 100
    • Can be adjusted using setConcurrency()

  4. Buffer Requirements

    • Some formats (like TIFF) require the full header in buffer
    • Streaming partial buffers may not work for all formats

License

MIT

Credits

not a direct port, but an attempt to have something like dabble's imagesize as a node module.

Contributors

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