Muuri vs Sortable
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 JavaScript library for building responsive grid layouts that can be sorted, filtered, and dragged.
Open source · MIT
A small JavaScript library for drag-and-drop reordering of lists, with no framework required.
The short answer
Choose Muuri if you need…
- Front-end developers building card or photo grids that need drag and drop or filtering
- Developers who want custom layouts beyond what CSS alone can do
- Projects that want layout, animation, and interaction in a single library
Choose Sortable if you need…
- Web developers adding reorderable lists to a site or app
- Teams using React, Vue, Angular, or similar frameworks who want a framework-specific wrapper
- Projects that need drag handles, multi-drag, or moving items between lists
- Developers who want a library with a simple options-based API
Side-by-side
| Muuri | Sortable | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 10.9k | 31.2k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Beginner |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Last code update | 2 years ago | 8 months ago |
What each one is
Muuri
Muuri is a JavaScript layout engine that arranges items in custom grid layouts that resize with the screen. It also adds animation, filtering, sorting, and drag and drop on top of the layout, so developers do not need to combine several separate libraries. The README describes it as a mix of Packery, Masonry, Isotope, and Sortable.
Sortable
Sortable is a JavaScript library that lets people reorder list items by dragging them, either within one list or between lists. It works with touch devices and modern browsers, and does not need jQuery or a specific UI framework. Developers add it to a page to make lists sortable without writing their own drag logic.
Best for
Muuri
- Front-end developers building card or photo grids that need drag and drop or filtering
- Developers who want custom layouts beyond what CSS alone can do
- Projects that want layout, animation, and interaction in a single library
Sortable
- Web developers adding reorderable lists to a site or app
- Teams using React, Vue, Angular, or similar frameworks who want a framework-specific wrapper
- Projects that need drag handles, multi-drag, or moving items between lists
- Developers who want a library with a simple options-based API
Strengths
Muuri
- Bundles layout, animation, sorting, filtering, and drag and drop in one library
- Supports asynchronous layout calculation in web workers and nested grids
- Installable via npm or a CDN link, with a minimal starting configuration
Sortable
- Works on touch devices and modern browsers, per the README
- Simple API with many documented options and callbacks such as onEnd and onAdd
- Has framework wrappers listed in the README for several popular frameworks
Not ideal for
Muuri
- Simple layouts that CSS grid or flexbox can handle, since the README says CSS is often enough and Muuri adds complexity
- People without JavaScript experience, because setup requires writing code and CSS rules
Sortable
- Non-developers who want a finished app; this is a code library that must be added to a project
- Projects needing drag-and-drop for non-list layouts, since the README focuses on lists
- Anyone needing guaranteed support for very old browsers beyond what the README states (it mentions IE9)
Trade-offs
Muuri
- Requires specific CSS rules, such as absolute positioning on items and no overflow auto or scroll on the grid element
- Browsers without Web Animations support need an extra polyfill
Sortable
- Requires writing JavaScript and HTML integration; not a drop-in tool for non-coders
- Some advanced behavior depends on plugins that must be mounted separately
- The README is truncated, so full API details must be checked in the project's documentation
Getting started
Sortable
Install with NPM
npm install sortablejs --saveInstall with Bower
bower install --save sortablejsFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Muuri and Sortable?
Muuri: A JavaScript library for building responsive grid layouts that can be sorted, filtered, and dragged. Sortable: A small JavaScript library for drag-and-drop reordering of lists, with no framework required. Muuri suits front-end developers building card or photo grids that need drag and drop or filtering, while Sortable suits web developers adding reorderable lists to a site or app.
Are Muuri and Sortable free?
Muuri: Free and open source. Sortable: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, Muuri or Sortable?
Sortable is easier to get started with (rated beginner); Muuri is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is Muuri or Sortable more popular?
Sortable has more GitHub stars (31.2k) than Muuri (10.9k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Muuri and Sortable?
Other options people compare them with include Masonry, dnd-kit, React-Grid-Layout, Moveable, SnapKit.
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.