MBProgressHUD vs SVProgressHUD
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 drop-in iOS progress indicator (HUD) library for showing loading status over an app's screen.
Open source · MIT
A simple progress and status overlay for iOS and tvOS apps, written in Objective-C.
The short answer
Choose MBProgressHUD if you need…
- iOS developers who need a simple loading indicator
- Apps written in Objective-C
- Developers who want a ready-made progress overlay they can customize
Choose SVProgressHUD if you need…
- iOS developers who need a quick loading indicator for a blocking task
- Developers maintaining Objective-C codebases that want a drop-in HUD
- Apps that show brief success or error messages after an action
- Teams that want to customize the HUD's colors, fonts, and timing app-wide
Side-by-side
| MBProgressHUD | SVProgressHUD | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 15.9k | 12.4k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Beginner |
| How you get it | Clone and build from source | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | Objective-C | Objective-C |
| Last code update | 2 years ago | 8 months ago |
What each one is
MBProgressHUD
MBProgressHUD is an Objective-C library for iOS apps that shows a small translucent overlay with a spinner or progress bar while work is running. Developers use it to tell users that something is loading or saving without building that interface from scratch. The README provided here was empty, so details beyond the repository description are limited.
SVProgressHUD
SVProgressHUD is a library that adds a small on-screen overlay to an iOS or tvOS app to show that a task is running, how far along it is, or whether it succeeded or failed. Developers call a few simple methods such as show, dismiss, or showSuccessWithStatus, and the library handles the display. It is meant for short waits where the user needs to wait before moving on.
Best for
MBProgressHUD
- iOS developers who need a simple loading indicator
- Apps written in Objective-C
- Developers who want a ready-made progress overlay they can customize
SVProgressHUD
- iOS developers who need a quick loading indicator for a blocking task
- Developers maintaining Objective-C codebases that want a drop-in HUD
- Apps that show brief success or error messages after an action
- Teams that want to customize the HUD's colors, fonts, and timing app-wide
Strengths
MBProgressHUD
- Widely starred open-source project with 15,898 stars on GitHub
- Released under the permissive MIT license
- Description indicates it is a customized version of an established HUD component
SVProgressHUD
- Simple API: show and dismiss calls cover most common uses
- Supports Swift Package Manager, CocoaPods, Carthage, and manual install
- Customizable through UI_APPEARANCE_SELECTOR, with light, dark, and automatic styles
Not ideal for
MBProgressHUD
- Developers building with Swift-only or SwiftUI projects, since this is an Objective-C library and the README provided here does not describe SwiftUI usage
- Projects that need Android or web support, since the metadata lists only Objective-C for iOS
SVProgressHUD
- Background refreshes like pull-to-refresh or infinite scrolling, which the README specifically says not to use it for
- Developers who need a non-Apple platform, since the README covers only iOS and tvOS
- Projects that want a fully SwiftUI-native indicator, as the README describes UIKit-style customization and does not mention SwiftUI
Trade-offs
MBProgressHUD
- The README was not available for review, so setup and API details could not be verified
- No releases are listed, so version stability is hard to judge from the metadata
- Objective-C focus may feel dated to teams working mainly in Swift
SVProgressHUD
- The README is truncated and does not list every property, so the API docs in SVProgressHUD.h are needed for details
- Haptic feedback is only available on iPhone 7 and newer, per the README
- Written in Objective-C; the README says it works in Swift but adds bridging steps for manual installs
Getting started
MBProgressHUD
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/jdg/MBProgressHUDSVProgressHUD
Add to a CocoaPods Podfile, then install
pod installClone the repository
git clone https://github.com/SVProgressHUD/SVProgressHUD.gitFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between MBProgressHUD and SVProgressHUD?
MBProgressHUD: A drop-in iOS progress indicator (HUD) library for showing loading status over an app's screen. SVProgressHUD: A simple progress and status overlay for iOS and tvOS apps, written in Objective-C. MBProgressHUD suits ios developers who need a simple loading indicator, while SVProgressHUD suits ios developers who need a quick loading indicator for a blocking task.
Are MBProgressHUD and SVProgressHUD free?
MBProgressHUD: Free and open source. SVProgressHUD: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, MBProgressHUD or SVProgressHUD?
SVProgressHUD is easier to get started with (rated beginner); MBProgressHUD is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is MBProgressHUD or SVProgressHUD more popular?
MBProgressHUD has more GitHub stars (15.9k) than SVProgressHUD (12.4k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to MBProgressHUD and SVProgressHUD?
Other options people compare them with include SwifterSwift, FSCalendar, Eureka, SDWebImage, SwiftyJSON.
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.