better-scroll vs VUX
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 that adds smooth, touch-friendly scrolling to mobile web pages.
The short answer
Choose better-scroll if you need…
- Front-end developers building mobile web lists or scrollable panels
- Teams migrating from iscroll who want a compatible API with extra features
- Developers using Vue or other MVVM frameworks who need custom scroll containers
Choose VUX if you need…
- Developers building mobile web pages with Vue 2
- Teams making WeChat-style or WeUI-style mobile interfaces
- Projects that use webpack and want a starter template
Side-by-side
| better-scroll | VUX | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 16.4k | 17.4k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Clone and build from source |
| Main language | TypeScript | Vue |
| Last code update | 2 years ago | 4 months ago |
What each one is
better-scroll
BetterScroll is a dependency-free JavaScript plugin for handling scrolling in mobile web pages, with PC support also mentioned. It is based on the iscroll library and its APIs are described as largely compatible with iscroll, with added features and performance work. Developers use it when a fixed-height container needs to scroll its content, such as long lists.
VUX
Vux is a set of ready-made user interface components for building mobile web pages with Vue. It is built on WeUI, a design system that mimics the look of WeChat. Developers use it to add common mobile interface pieces without designing every component from scratch.
Best for
better-scroll
- Front-end developers building mobile web lists or scrollable panels
- Teams migrating from iscroll who want a compatible API with extra features
- Developers using Vue or other MVVM frameworks who need custom scroll containers
VUX
- Developers building mobile web pages with Vue 2
- Teams making WeChat-style or WeUI-style mobile interfaces
- Projects that use webpack and want a starter template
Strengths
better-scroll
- Dependency-free plain JavaScript, according to the README
- API designed to be compatible with iscroll
- Modular design: a core package plus optional plugins
VUX
- Ready-made mobile components that follow the WeUI look
- Chinese documentation is available at vux.li
- Released under the permissive MIT license
Not ideal for
better-scroll
- Projects that only need native browser scrolling, since the browser already handles basic scroll bars (the README's explanation implies this)
- Non-developers, because it requires writing JavaScript and HTML structure
- Anyone needing version 1.x, which the README says is no longer maintained
VUX
- Projects on Vue 3, since the README only lists Vue@^2.3.0 as a requirement
- Desktop-first applications, because the components target mobile web
- Teams that need English-language docs, since the README says English docs are still in progress
Trade-offs
better-scroll
- Requires a fixed-height wrapper with the scrolling content as its first child, which is a common source of confusion
- Documentation for many options is referenced externally rather than in the README
- The README is truncated and the last push date is June 2024, so current maintenance status is unclear
VUX
- The README targets Vue 2 and webpack 2, which are older versions
- English documentation is marked as working in the README
- The README does not show a full component list or a current version compatibility matrix
Getting started
better-scroll
Install full-featured version (2.x)
npm install better-scroll -SInstall core only
npm install @better-scroll/coreVUX
Install the template generator
npm install vue-cli -gCreate a project from the vux2 template
vue init airyland/vux2 projectPathFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between better-scroll and VUX?
better-scroll: A JavaScript library that adds smooth, touch-friendly scrolling to mobile web pages. VUX: Mobile UI component library for Vue 2, built on WeUI styles. better-scroll suits front-end developers building mobile web lists or scrollable panels, while VUX suits developers building mobile web pages with vue 2.
Are better-scroll and VUX free?
better-scroll: Free and open source. VUX: Free and open source.
Is better-scroll or VUX more popular?
VUX has more GitHub stars (17.4k) than better-scroll (16.4k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to better-scroll and VUX?
Other options people compare them with include Swiper, Vant, Element, ColorUI, Mint UI.
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.