Anime.js vs G2
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A JavaScript library for animating CSS properties, SVG, DOM attributes and plain objects.
Open source · MIT
A JavaScript library for building charts from data using a declarative, layered grammar.
The short answer
Choose Anime.js if you need…
- Front-end developers adding motion to websites or web apps
- Developers animating SVG graphics or DOM elements
- Projects that want a small, JavaScript-only animation dependency
- Developers who prefer ES module imports
Choose G2 if you need…
- Front-end developers adding charts to a web dashboard
- Data analysts comfortable writing a little JavaScript
- Teams that want to customize chart behavior beyond preset chart types
- Projects that need interactive or animated charts
Side-by-side
| Anime.js | G2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 74.2k | 12.7k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 3 months ago | 8 days ago |
What each one is
Anime.js
Anime.js is a JavaScript animation library that moves, rotates, fades and otherwise changes things on a web page over time. It works with CSS properties, SVG, DOM attributes and JavaScript objects, using one API for all of them. Developers use it to add motion to interfaces without writing the timing math by hand.
G2
G2 is a TypeScript library for drawing charts and other data visualizations in web pages. You describe the data and how its fields map to visual properties like position and color, and G2 works out the rest. It can render with Canvas, SVG or WebGL, and supports animation and interaction. It is aimed at dashboards, data exploration and storytelling.
Best for
Anime.js
- Front-end developers adding motion to websites or web apps
- Developers animating SVG graphics or DOM elements
- Projects that want a small, JavaScript-only animation dependency
- Developers who prefer ES module imports
G2
- Front-end developers adding charts to a web dashboard
- Data analysts comfortable writing a little JavaScript
- Teams that want to customize chart behavior beyond preset chart types
- Projects that need interactive or animated charts
Strengths
Anime.js
- Single API covers CSS, SVG, DOM attributes and JavaScript objects
- Described in the README as lightweight, with ES module, UMD, CJS and IIFE builds available
- Widely used, with 74k+ GitHub stars and MIT license
G2
- The README shows a short example that produces a working bar chart
- Supports Canvas, SVG and WebGL rendering
- Released under the MIT license with official documentation, examples and tutorials
Not ideal for
Anime.js
- People who want no-code animation tools; the README describes a code API only
- Projects that must stay on v3 without migration work, since the README points to a separate v3-to-v4 migration guide
- Anyone who needs a full 3D or game engine; the README does not cover those uses
G2
- People who want a chart with no coding, since G2 is a code library and needs a web page to run in
- Users who only need a few standard charts and prefer a ready-made tool, because the setup is more involved than a template
- Projects that cannot use JavaScript or TypeScript
Trade-offs
Anime.js
- The README is truncated and gives little detail beyond the usage example; full details live on an external documentation site
- v4 changed the API, so older tutorials and code may need migration
- Learning the full API depends on the external documentation
G2
- Its grammar-based API has a learning curve compared with simple chart presets
- The README does not detail every browser or version requirement
- Larger ecosystem extensions such as 3D are separate projects
Getting started
G2
Install with npm
npm install @antv/g2Install with Yarn
yarn add @antv/g2Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Anime.js and G2?
Anime.js: A JavaScript library for animating CSS properties, SVG, DOM attributes and plain objects. G2: A JavaScript library for building charts from data using a declarative, layered grammar. Anime.js suits front-end developers adding motion to websites or web apps, while G2 suits front-end developers adding charts to a web dashboard.
Are Anime.js and G2 free?
Anime.js: Free and open source. G2: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, Anime.js or G2?
Anime.js is easier to get started with (rated beginner); G2 is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is Anime.js or G2 more popular?
Anime.js has more GitHub stars (74.2k) than G2 (12.7k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Anime.js and G2?
Other options people compare them with include Rough.js, mo · js, flag-icons, three.js, nivo.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.