drei vs three.js
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 JavaScript library for drawing and animating 3D scenes in web browsers.
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 three.js if you need…
- Web developers adding interactive 3D graphics to a website
- Developers building browser-based visualizations or simple 3D animations
- People who already know JavaScript and want to start with 3D on the web
Side-by-side
| drei | three.js | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 10.1k | 117k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Last code update | 16 days ago | 4 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.
three.js
Three.js is a JavaScript library that lets developers create 3D scenes, cameras, and objects and display them in a web page. The README describes its aim as an easy-to-use, lightweight, cross-browser, general-purpose 3D library. It currently includes WebGL and WebGPU renderers, with SVG and CSS3D renderers available as addons.
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
three.js
- Web developers adding interactive 3D graphics to a website
- Developers building browser-based visualizations or simple 3D animations
- People who already know JavaScript and want to start with 3D on the web
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
three.js
- The README presents it as a general-purpose, cross-browser 3D library
- Includes a documented usage example that creates a scene, camera, mesh, and renderer
- Has extensive official resources listed, including examples, docs, and a manual
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
three.js
- People who only need 2D graphics, since the library is focused on 3D scenes
- Anyone looking for a finished app rather than a code library to build with
- Beginners with no JavaScript experience, as the README code assumes familiarity with modules and the browser
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
three.js
- The full git history is about 2 GB, so a shallow clone is recommended for most users
- The README does not describe install steps beyond the import example, so setup details must come from the docs
- Working in 3D requires understanding concepts like cameras, geometry, and materials
Getting started
three.js
Shallow clone of the repository
git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/mrdoob/three.js.gitFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between drei and three.js?
drei: A library of ready-made helper components and hooks for building 3D scenes with react-three-fiber. three.js: A JavaScript library for drawing and animating 3D scenes in web browsers. drei suits react developers who are building 3d scenes for the web with react-three-fiber, while three.js suits web developers adding interactive 3d graphics to a website.
Are drei and three.js free?
drei: Free and open source. three.js: Free and open source.
Is drei or three.js more popular?
three.js has more GitHub stars (117k) 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 three.js?
Other options people compare them with include react-three-fiber, 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.