interact.js vs Lenis
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
JavaScript library for drag, drop, resize and multi-touch gestures in web pages.
Open source · MIT
A small JavaScript library that makes page scrolling smooth on websites.
The short answer
Choose interact.js if you need…
- Web developers building drag-and-drop interfaces
- Developers who need touch and mouse gesture support in one library
- Projects that must support older browsers such as Internet Explorer 9+
- Developers building interactive SVG or canvas-based tools
Choose Lenis if you need…
- Web developers adding smooth scrolling to a marketing or portfolio site
- Developers syncing animations like GSAP ScrollTrigger or WebGL scenes to scroll position
- Teams using React, Vue, or Framer who want a ready-made adapter
- Sites that need smooth anchor links and nested scroll areas
Side-by-side
| interact.js | Lenis | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 12.9k | 17k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Beginner |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 3 months ago | 7 days ago |
What each one is
interact.js
interact.js is a JavaScript library that lets web developers make page elements draggable, resizable, and responsive to multi-touch gestures. It supports inertia (continued motion after release) and snapping to targets such as a grid. It is described as standalone and does not change the page structure beyond the cursor unless configured otherwise.
Lenis
Lenis is a lightweight JavaScript library that replaces the browser's default scrolling with a smoother, eased motion. It wraps the browser's own scroll, so features like sticky elements and anchor links keep working. People use it to add polished scroll effects such as WebGL scroll syncing and parallax to websites.
Best for
interact.js
- Web developers building drag-and-drop interfaces
- Developers who need touch and mouse gesture support in one library
- Projects that must support older browsers such as Internet Explorer 9+
- Developers building interactive SVG or canvas-based tools
Lenis
- Web developers adding smooth scrolling to a marketing or portfolio site
- Developers syncing animations like GSAP ScrollTrigger or WebGL scenes to scroll position
- Teams using React, Vue, or Framer who want a ready-made adapter
- Sites that need smooth anchor links and nested scroll areas
Strengths
interact.js
- Supports both desktop and mobile browsers, including Internet Explorer 9+ per the README
- Includes inertia and snapping features out of the box
- Written in TypeScript with type definitions shipped in the npm package
Lenis
- Lightweight with zero runtime dependencies, according to the README
- Works with the browser's native scroll, keeping sticky positioning and accessibility intact
- Offers framework packages for React, Vue, and Framer plus a snap plugin
Not ideal for
interact.js
- Non-programmers, since it requires writing JavaScript code to use
- Projects needing a ready-made UI component with no custom code, because it is a low-level library
- Teams that need a React or Vue-specific wrapper, since the README does not describe one
Lenis
- Simple static pages where native scrolling is already sufficient, since the library adds motion and code to maintain
- Projects that cannot load a JavaScript library, because it depends on JavaScript to run
- Non-developers who want a no-code tool; the no-code option still requires editing HTML
Trade-offs
interact.js
- Requires JavaScript coding knowledge to use and configure
- The README is truncated here, so detailed API behavior must be checked in the external documentation
Lenis
- Scrolling behavior changes from the browser default, so it needs testing with your own content and users
- Nested scroll handling via allowNestedScroll can hurt performance, as the README notes, and the prevent option is the alternative
- Requires some setup for animation loops (autoRaf or a custom requestAnimationFrame loop) that beginners may find confusing
Getting started
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between interact.js and Lenis?
interact.js: JavaScript library for drag, drop, resize and multi-touch gestures in web pages. Lenis: A small JavaScript library that makes page scrolling smooth on websites. interact.js suits web developers building drag-and-drop interfaces, while Lenis suits web developers adding smooth scrolling to a marketing or portfolio site.
Are interact.js and Lenis free?
interact.js: Free and open source. Lenis: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, interact.js or Lenis?
Lenis is easier to get started with (rated beginner); interact.js is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is interact.js or Lenis more popular?
Lenis has more GitHub stars (17k) than interact.js (12.9k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to interact.js and Lenis?
Other options people compare them with include Muuri, Swiper, Sortable, Dragula, FilePond.
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.