Masonry vs SnapKit
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 lightweight Objective-C wrapper that makes Auto Layout constraints shorter and easier to read.
Open source · MIT
A Swift library that makes writing iOS and macOS Auto Layout constraints shorter and easier to read.
The short answer
Choose Masonry if you need…
- iOS or macOS developers writing Objective-C projects that use Auto Layout in code
- Teams maintaining existing Masonry-based code
- Developers who want shorter constraint code without Visual Format Language strings
Choose SnapKit if you need…
- Swift developers building UIKit or AppKit interfaces in code rather than Interface Builder
- Teams who want more readable Auto Layout code
- Developers maintaining an existing project that already uses SnapKit
Side-by-side
| Masonry | SnapKit | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 18.1k | 20.3k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | Objective-C | Swift |
| Last code update | 4 years ago | 4 months ago |
What each one is
Masonry
Masonry is a layout library for iOS and macOS apps. Auto Layout normally requires long, repetitive code to position views, and Masonry wraps it in a chainable syntax such as make.edges.equalTo(superview). The README says it produces more concise and readable layout code than raw NSLayoutConstraint calls, and that it adds constraints to the right view and turns off translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints for you.
SnapKit
SnapKit is a Swift library for building app screen layouts with Apple's Auto Layout system. Instead of writing long, verbose constraint code, you describe positions and sizes in a short, chained syntax. It is aimed at developers building iOS, macOS, or tvOS apps.
Best for
Masonry
- iOS or macOS developers writing Objective-C projects that use Auto Layout in code
- Teams maintaining existing Masonry-based code
- Developers who want shorter constraint code without Visual Format Language strings
SnapKit
- Swift developers building UIKit or AppKit interfaces in code rather than Interface Builder
- Teams who want more readable Auto Layout code
- Developers maintaining an existing project that already uses SnapKit
Strengths
Masonry
- Constraint code is considerably shorter than the equivalent NSLayoutConstraint code, per the README's examples
- Automatically adds constraints to the appropriate view and sets translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints
- Supports iOS and macOS Auto Layout with a mix of view attributes, numbers, structs and arrays
SnapKit
- Short, chainable syntax compared with raw Auto Layout constraint code
- Released under the permissive MIT license
- Includes an online documentation site and FAQ linked from the README
Not ideal for
Masonry
- Swift-only projects: the README recommends SnapKit instead for better type safety and a simpler API
- People who build layouts in Interface Builder or storyboards, since the library is aimed at code-based constraints
- Non-developers, because the code examples assume familiarity with Objective-C and Auto Layout
SnapKit
- Developers who build their interfaces visually in Storyboards or SwiftUI, since the README only covers code-based Auto Layout
- Projects that must run on older OS or Xcode versions than the README's stated requirements, because it requires iOS 14.0+, macOS 12.0+, tvOS 14.0+, Xcode 26.0+ and Swift 6.0+
Trade-offs
Masonry
- The README recommends SnapKit for new Swift projects, so this is best suited to Objective-C codebases
- Latest release is v1.1.0 and the last push shown is from April 2023, so update activity may be limited
- The README describes the project as still maintained, but the README excerpt does not spell out a support timeline
SnapKit
- Requires recent toolchains (Xcode 26.0+, Swift 6.0+), which may not suit older projects
- The README is brief and focuses on installation and one example, so advanced usage must be learned from the external docs
- Only supports Apple platforms
Getting started
Masonry
Run CocoaPods install for the examples project
pod installSnapKit
Add SnapKit to Package.swift dependencies
.package(url: "https://github.com/SnapKit/SnapKit.git", .upToNextMajor(from: "6.0.0"))Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Masonry and SnapKit?
Masonry: A lightweight Objective-C wrapper that makes Auto Layout constraints shorter and easier to read. SnapKit: A Swift library that makes writing iOS and macOS Auto Layout constraints shorter and easier to read. Masonry suits ios or macos developers writing objective-c projects that use auto layout in code, while SnapKit suits swift developers building uikit or appkit interfaces in code rather than interface builder.
Are Masonry and SnapKit free?
Masonry: Free and open source. SnapKit: Free and open source.
Is Masonry or SnapKit more popular?
SnapKit has more GitHub stars (20.3k) than Masonry (18.1k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Masonry and SnapKit?
Other options people compare them with include SwifterSwift, Muuri.
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.