drei vs react-three-fiber
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 library of ready-made helper components and hooks for building 3D scenes with react-three-fiber.
Open source · MIT
A React renderer that lets you build Three.js 3D scenes as React components.
The short answer
Choose drei if you need…
- React developers who are building 3D scenes for the web with react-three-fiber
- Developers who want ready-made camera controls, text, or loaders instead of writing them from scratch
- Teams already using Three.js who want a React-friendly way to structure their scene code
Choose react-three-fiber if you need…
- React developers who want to add 3D scenes to a web app
- Developers who already know Three.js and want a component-based structure
- Projects that need 3D objects to respond to clicks, hover, or state changes
- Teams that want to use React's ecosystem alongside Three.js
Side-by-side
| drei | react-three-fiber | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 10.1k | 33.4k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 16 days ago | 15 days ago |
What each one is
drei
drei is a collection of pre-built components and hooks for react-three-fiber, a way to write Three.js 3D graphics using React. Instead of writing low-level code for common needs like camera controls, text, loaders, or materials, you can import a ready-made piece from the package. The README describes it as a growing set of useful helpers and ready-made abstractions.
react-three-fiber
react-three-fiber (@react-three/fiber) is a React renderer for Three.js, the JavaScript library for 3D graphics in the browser. Instead of writing imperative Three.js code, you describe a scene with JSX elements such as mesh and ambientLight, and the components can hold state and react to user input. According to the README, Three.js classes map directly onto JSX elements, so new Three.js features are usable without waiting for an update to this library.
Best for
drei
- React developers who are building 3D scenes for the web with react-three-fiber
- Developers who want ready-made camera controls, text, or loaders instead of writing them from scratch
- Teams already using Three.js who want a React-friendly way to structure their scene code
react-three-fiber
- React developers who want to add 3D scenes to a web app
- Developers who already know Three.js and want a component-based structure
- Projects that need 3D objects to respond to clicks, hover, or state changes
- Teams that want to use React's ecosystem alongside Three.js
Strengths
drei
- Saves time by providing many common 3D helpers in one package
- Built to work with react-three-fiber, so it fits naturally into React code
- MIT licensed with documentation and a Storybook for browsing examples
react-three-fiber
- Declarative JSX syntax keeps 3D scenes readable and composable as React components
- Full access to Three.js: the README says all Three.js exports are available through the renderer
- Works with TypeScript and has a documented React Native path
Not ideal for
drei
- People who are new to both React and Three.js, since the library assumes familiarity with both (reason: it builds on react-three-fiber and does not explain those basics)
- Projects that do not use React, because the components only work inside react-three-fiber
- Anyone needing a standalone 3D editor or finished app rather than code helpers
react-three-fiber
- People new to both React and Three.js, since the README says you should be versed in both first (learning both at once is harder)
- Projects not using React, because this is a React renderer and needs React to run
- Projects that need to pin to a specific React version without checking pairing: v8 pairs with react@18 and v9 pairs with react@19
Trade-offs
drei
- Depends on react-three-fiber and Three.js, so you must learn those to use it well
- The React Native route omits Html and Loader, so some features are web-only
- README is truncated here, so the full list of components and their options is only visible in the external docs
react-three-fiber
- Requires solid knowledge of both React and Three.js; the README explicitly warns beginners
- Major versions must match the React major version, which adds upkeep when upgrading React
- The README's claims of no overhead and no limitations are the maintainers' own statements and are not independently verified here
Getting started
react-three-fiber
Install three, its types, and react-three-fiber
npm install three @types/three @react-three/fiberFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between drei and react-three-fiber?
drei: A library of ready-made helper components and hooks for building 3D scenes with react-three-fiber. react-three-fiber: A React renderer that lets you build Three.js 3D scenes as React components. drei suits react developers who are building 3d scenes for the web with react-three-fiber, while react-three-fiber suits react developers who want to add 3d scenes to a web app.
Are drei and react-three-fiber free?
drei: Free and open source. react-three-fiber: Free and open source.
Is drei or react-three-fiber more popular?
react-three-fiber has more GitHub stars (33.4k) than drei (10.1k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to drei and react-three-fiber?
Other options people compare them with include three.js, Zustand, TanStack Query, SWR, Mantine.
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.