react-select vs react-autosuggest vs react-bootstrap-typeahead
React Autocomplete Libraries Comparison
1 Year
react-selectreact-autosuggestreact-bootstrap-typeaheadSimilar Packages:
What's React Autocomplete Libraries?

React autocomplete libraries provide developers with tools to implement user-friendly input fields that suggest options as users type. These libraries enhance the user experience by offering real-time feedback and reducing the likelihood of input errors. They are particularly useful in forms where users need to select from a large set of options, making data entry faster and more efficient. Each library has its unique features and design philosophies, catering to different use cases and preferences in the React ecosystem.

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react-select5,287,17027,850724 kB452a month agoMIT
react-autosuggest314,5045,968-2614 years agoMIT
react-bootstrap-typeahead160,4631,012907 kB149 days agoMIT
Feature Comparison: react-select vs react-autosuggest vs react-bootstrap-typeahead

Customization

  • react-select:

    react-select is highly customizable, offering a variety of props to control the appearance and behavior of the select input. You can customize styles, create custom option components, and even manage complex interactions like async loading of options.

  • react-autosuggest:

    react-autosuggest offers a high degree of customization, allowing developers to define how suggestions are rendered and styled. You can easily integrate it with your own UI components, making it suitable for applications that require a unique look and feel.

  • react-bootstrap-typeahead:

    react-bootstrap-typeahead provides a set of Bootstrap-styled components that can be customized through props. While it is less flexible than react-autosuggest in terms of rendering, it still allows for some customization through Bootstrap's utility classes and props.

Integration with UI Frameworks

  • react-select:

    react-select does not depend on any specific UI framework, but it can be styled to fit well with various design systems, making it flexible for different UI approaches.

  • react-autosuggest:

    react-autosuggest is framework-agnostic and can be integrated into any React application without dependency on specific UI libraries, making it versatile for various design systems.

  • react-bootstrap-typeahead:

    react-bootstrap-typeahead is designed specifically for Bootstrap, ensuring that it integrates seamlessly with Bootstrap's grid system and components, making it ideal for Bootstrap-based projects.

Performance

  • react-select:

    react-select is designed for performance with features like virtualization for large lists, which helps maintain responsiveness even with many options. It also supports async loading, making it suitable for dynamic data.

  • react-autosuggest:

    react-autosuggest is lightweight and optimized for performance, especially with large datasets. It uses efficient algorithms to filter suggestions and can handle large lists without significant lag.

  • react-bootstrap-typeahead:

    react-bootstrap-typeahead is optimized for performance and can handle large datasets effectively. It leverages Bootstrap's styling for fast rendering, but performance may vary based on the complexity of the options provided.

User Experience

  • react-select:

    react-select delivers a polished user experience with features like multi-select, search functionality, and clear indicators for selected options, making it user-friendly for complex selection scenarios.

  • react-autosuggest:

    react-autosuggest provides a smooth user experience with features like keyboard navigation and customizable suggestion lists, enhancing accessibility and usability.

  • react-bootstrap-typeahead:

    react-bootstrap-typeahead offers a familiar Bootstrap-styled interface that users may already be comfortable with, providing a consistent user experience across Bootstrap applications.

Learning Curve

  • react-select:

    react-select has a steeper learning curve due to its extensive features and customization options. However, it provides comprehensive documentation that aids in understanding its capabilities.

  • react-autosuggest:

    react-autosuggest has a moderate learning curve, especially for developers looking to customize the component extensively. However, its API is straightforward for basic usage.

  • react-bootstrap-typeahead:

    react-bootstrap-typeahead is easy to learn for developers familiar with Bootstrap, as it follows Bootstrap's conventions and patterns, making it accessible for quick implementation.

How to Choose: react-select vs react-autosuggest vs react-bootstrap-typeahead
  • react-select:

    Select react-select if you require a powerful and feature-rich dropdown component that supports multi-select, async loading of options, and extensive customization options. It is well-suited for applications that need advanced selection capabilities and a polished user interface.

  • react-autosuggest:

    Choose react-autosuggest if you need a highly customizable and lightweight solution for implementing autocomplete functionality. It allows for extensive customization of the rendering of suggestions and is ideal for applications where you want to control the look and feel of the suggestions.

  • react-bootstrap-typeahead:

    Opt for react-bootstrap-typeahead if you are already using Bootstrap in your project and want a seamless integration with Bootstrap styles. This package provides a simple and elegant way to implement typeahead functionality with built-in support for Bootstrap's styling and components, making it a great choice for Bootstrap-based applications.

README for react-select

NPM CircleCI Coverage Status Supported by Thinkmill

React-Select

The Select control for React. Initially built for use in KeystoneJS.

See react-select.com for live demos and comprehensive docs.

React Select is funded by Thinkmill and Atlassian. It represents a whole new approach to developing powerful React.js components that just work out of the box, while being extremely customisable.

For the story behind this component, watch Jed's talk at React Conf 2019 - building React Select

Features include:

  • Flexible approach to data, with customisable functions
  • Extensible styling API with emotion
  • Component Injection API for complete control over the UI behaviour
  • Controllable state props and modular architecture
  • Long-requested features like option groups, portal support, animation, and more

Using an older version?

Installation and usage

The easiest way to use react-select is to install it from npm and build it into your app with Webpack.

yarn add react-select

Then use it in your app:

With React Component

import React from 'react';
import Select from 'react-select';

const options = [
  { value: 'chocolate', label: 'Chocolate' },
  { value: 'strawberry', label: 'Strawberry' },
  { value: 'vanilla', label: 'Vanilla' },
];

class App extends React.Component {
  state = {
    selectedOption: null,
  };
  handleChange = (selectedOption) => {
    this.setState({ selectedOption }, () =>
      console.log(`Option selected:`, this.state.selectedOption)
    );
  };
  render() {
    const { selectedOption } = this.state;

    return (
      <Select
        value={selectedOption}
        onChange={this.handleChange}
        options={options}
      />
    );
  }
}

With React Hooks

import React, { useState } from 'react';
import Select from 'react-select';

const options = [
  { value: 'chocolate', label: 'Chocolate' },
  { value: 'strawberry', label: 'Strawberry' },
  { value: 'vanilla', label: 'Vanilla' },
];

export default function App() {
  const [selectedOption, setSelectedOption] = useState(null);

  return (
    <div className="App">
      <Select
        defaultValue={selectedOption}
        onChange={setSelectedOption}
        options={options}
      />
    </div>
  );
}

Props

Common props you may want to specify include:

  • autoFocus - focus the control when it mounts
  • className - apply a className to the control
  • classNamePrefix - apply classNames to inner elements with the given prefix
  • isDisabled - disable the control
  • isMulti - allow the user to select multiple values
  • isSearchable - allow the user to search for matching options
  • name - generate an HTML input with this name, containing the current value
  • onChange - subscribe to change events
  • options - specify the options the user can select from
  • placeholder - change the text displayed when no option is selected
  • noOptionsMessage - ({ inputValue: string }) => string | null - Text to display when there are no options
  • value - control the current value

See the props documentation for complete documentation on the props react-select supports.

Controllable Props

You can control the following props by providing values for them. If you don't, react-select will manage them for you.

  • value / onChange - specify the current value of the control
  • menuIsOpen / onMenuOpen / onMenuClose - control whether the menu is open
  • inputValue / onInputChange - control the value of the search input (changing this will update the available options)

If you don't provide these props, you can set the initial value of the state they control:

  • defaultValue - set the initial value of the control
  • defaultMenuIsOpen - set the initial open value of the menu
  • defaultInputValue - set the initial value of the search input

Methods

React-select exposes two public methods:

  • focus() - focus the control programmatically
  • blur() - blur the control programmatically

Customisation

Check the docs for more information on:

TypeScript

The v5 release represents a rewrite from JavaScript to TypeScript. The types for v4 and earlier releases are available at @types. See the TypeScript guide for how to use the types starting with v5.

Thanks

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this project. It's been a wild ride.

If you like React Select, you should follow me on twitter!

Shout out to Joss Mackison, Charles Lee, Ben Conolly, Tom Walker, Nathan Bierema, Eric Bonow, Emma Hamilton, Dave Brotherstone, Brian Vaughn, and the Atlassian Design System team who along with many other contributors have made this possible ❤️

License

MIT Licensed. Copyright (c) Jed Watson 2022.