Vue Drag-and-Drop Libraries: vue-draggable-plus vs vuedraggable

Both vue-draggable-plus and vuedraggable solve the same core problem — making lists sortable in Vue applications using SortableJS. However, they differ in how they handle Vue 3 reactivity, TypeScript definitions, and maintenance focus. Let's look at the technical differences that impact daily development.

📦 Installation and Setup

vue-draggable-plus is installed as a modern Vue 3 package. It exports the component directly for use in <script setup>.

// vue-draggable-plus
import { VueDraggable } from 'vue-draggable-plus'

// Usage in template
// <VueDraggable v-model="items" ... />

vuedraggable requires ensuring you are on version 4+ for Vue 3 support. It uses a default export for the component.

// vuedraggable
import draggable from 'vuedraggable'

// Usage in template
// <draggable v-model="items" ... />

🎯 Component Structure and Slots

Both libraries use the v-model directive to sync the list state. However, how you render items inside the draggable area differs slightly in recommended patterns.

vue-draggable-plus encourages using the item slot for clarity and better Vue 3 integration.

<!-- vue-draggable-plus -->
<template>
  <VueDraggable v-model="tasks" item-key="id">
    <template #item="{ element }">
      <div>{{ element.title }}</div>
    </template>
  </VueDraggable>
</template>

vuedraggable supports the item slot in Vue 3 versions, but older patterns often used v-for directly on the component (which is discouraged in Vue 3).

<!-- vuedraggable -->
<template>
  <draggable v-model="tasks" item-key="id">
    <template #item="{ element }">
      <div>{{ element.title }}</div>
    </template>
  </draggable>
</template>

🛡️ TypeScript Support

Type safety is a major differentiator. Modern Vue projects rely heavily on TypeScript, and the quality of type definitions affects developer speed.

vue-draggable-plus ships with built-in TypeScript definitions. You get autocomplete for props like group, sort, and disabled without extra setup.

// vue-draggable-plus
// Types are inferred automatically
const handleEnd = (evt: any) => {
  console.log(evt.oldIndex, evt.newIndex)
}

vuedraggable has community-maintained types or requires manual declaration in some setups. You might need to augment types or cast props to avoid errors.

// vuedraggable
// May require manual type extension
interface DraggableProps {
  modelValue: any[]
  itemKey: string
}

⚡ Reactivity and Vue 3.6+ Compatibility

Vue 3.6+ introduced changes to how reactivity handles arrays and proxies. This broke some older wrappers.

vue-draggable-plus was built after these changes. It handles array mutations correctly without triggering excessive re-renders or losing state.

// vue-draggable-plus
// Handles splice/move events cleanly
const items = ref([{ id: 1 }, { id: 2 }])
// Dragging updates 'items' without warning logs

vuedraggable (early Vue 3 versions) had issues with reactivity warnings when moving items. While patched in later v4 releases, some edge cases still require workarounds.

// vuedraggable
// Older versions might log warnings on move
// Ensure using v4.1.0+ for best stability
const items = ref([{ id: 1 }, { id: 2 }])

📡 Event Handling

Both libraries expose SortableJS events via Vue props. The naming convention is consistent, but type safety varies.

vue-draggable-plus provides typed event handlers. You know exactly what data evt contains.

<!-- vue-draggable-plus -->
<VueDraggable 
  v-model="list" 
  @end="onEnd"
/>

<script setup lang="ts">
const onEnd = (evt: any) => {
  // Fully typed event object
}
</script>

vuedraggable uses the same event names but may lack strict typing for the event payload in some IDEs.

<!-- vuedraggable -->
<draggable 
  v-model="list" 
  @end="onEnd"
/>

<script setup>
const onEnd = (evt) => {
  // evt structure depends on runtime
}
</script>

🔧 Advanced Configuration: Groups

Connecting two lists together requires the group prop. Both handle this similarly, but syntax consistency matters.

vue-draggable-plus ensures the group object is reactive and typed.

<!-- vue-draggable-plus -->
<VueDraggable 
  v-model="listA" 
  :group="{ name: 'shared', pull: true, put: true }" 
/>

vuedraggable supports the same object structure. However, reactivity issues in older versions sometimes required wrapping the group object in toRef.

<!-- vuedraggable -->
<draggable 
  v-model="listA" 
  :group="{ name: 'shared', pull: true, put: true }" 
/>

🧩 Similarities: Shared Capabilities

Despite the differences, both libraries share the same underlying engine and core features.

1. Underlying Engine

• Both use SortableJS for the heavy lifting.
• Support touch devices, animations, and fallback classes.

// Both support standard SortableJS options
const options = {
  animation: 150,
  ghostClass: 'ghost'
}

2. Two-Way Binding

• Both use v-model to sync the array.
• Changes in the UI update the data, and data changes update the UI.

<!-- Both -->
<component v-model="myList" />

3. Custom Drag Handles

• Both allow restricting drag to specific elements using handle.

<!-- Both -->
<component v-model="list" handle=".handle" />
<div class="handle">::</div>

4. Transition Support

• Both work with Vue's <TransitionGroup> for move animations.

<!-- Both -->
<TransitionGroup name="list">
  <component v-model="list" />
</TransitionGroup>

5. Disabled State

• Both support disabling drag via a boolean prop.

<!-- Both -->
<component v-model="list" :disabled="isReadOnly" />

📊 Summary: Key Differences

💡 The Big Picture

vue-draggable-plus is the modern choice for greenfield Vue 3 projects. It removes friction for TypeScript users and avoids known reactivity pitfalls. It feels like a native part of the Vue 3 ecosystem.

vuedraggable remains a solid option for teams maintaining Vue 2 apps or those who need a single solution for mixed Vue 2/3 repositories. It is stable but requires more care when configuring strict TypeScript environments.

Final Thought: If you are starting fresh with Vue 3 and TypeScript, vue-draggable-plus saves time on type definitions and debugging. If you are migrating an existing app using vuedraggable, staying on it is reasonable unless you hit specific reactivity bugs.