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Puck vs react-dropzone

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.

Puck

Open source · MIT

A visual drag-and-drop page editor you embed in your own React app.

Full review Website
react-dropzone

Open source · MIT

A React hook for building drag-and-drop file upload zones in web pages.

Full review Website

The short answer

Choose Puck if you need…

  • React developers adding a page builder to an existing app
  • Teams that want content editors to arrange pre-approved components visually
  • Projects using Next.js or React Router, which the README mentions as supported recipes
  • Companies that need a self-hosted, MIT-licensed editor

Choose react-dropzone if you need…

  • React developers adding file upload to a web app
  • Projects that need a drop area with a click-to-select fallback
  • Teams that want control over how the drop area looks, since it supplies behavior rather than styling
  • TypeScript users who want bundled type definitions

Side-by-side

Puckreact-dropzone
TypeLibraryLibrary
PriceFree and open sourceFree and open source
LicenceMITMIT
GitHub stars13.6k11k
Setup difficultyIntermediateIntermediate
How you get itInstall with a package managerInstall with a package manager
Main languageTypeScriptTypeScript
Last code update8 days ago5 days ago

What each one is

Puck

Puck is an open-source React component that gives your app a visual editor, so people can build pages by dragging and arranging components you define. You control the components, the data is yours to store, and the README says there is no vendor lock-in. It is released under the MIT license.

react-dropzone

react-dropzone is a small React library that lets a web page accept files dragged in from the computer, or chosen through a normal file picker when the area is clicked. It provides a hook (useDropzone) and a wrapper component that supply the props needed to turn any element into a drop area. It is installed from npm and ships with TypeScript types.

Best for

Puck

  • React developers adding a page builder to an existing app
  • Teams that want content editors to arrange pre-approved components visually
  • Projects using Next.js or React Router, which the README mentions as supported recipes
  • Companies that need a self-hosted, MIT-licensed editor

react-dropzone

  • React developers adding file upload to a web app
  • Projects that need a drop area with a click-to-select fallback
  • Teams that want control over how the drop area looks, since it supplies behavior rather than styling
  • TypeScript users who want bundled type definitions

Strengths

Puck

  • MIT license, which the README says suits internal and commercial use
  • Built on React, so it works with your existing components
  • You own the data and can store it wherever you like

react-dropzone

  • Simple API built around a hook and two props-getter functions
  • Ships with ESM, CommonJS and TypeScript types, and works with common bundlers as the README describes
  • Well-known project with an MIT license and documentation site

Not ideal for

Puck

  • People who want a ready-made website builder with hosting and no coding, since Puck is a library you integrate into your own code
  • Non-React projects, because Puck is described as a React component
  • Those who need the README-documented support beyond community channels, which is limited to GitHub issues, Discord, or a paid consultancy call

react-dropzone

  • People who are not building with React, since the library is written for React components and hooks
  • Projects needing a finished upload widget with progress bars and resumable uploads, since the README describes only the drop zone and file handling
  • Non-developers looking for a ready-made app

Trade-offs

Puck

  • Requires React and coding to set up; it is not a finished no-code tool
  • The README is truncated and does not detail every feature or limit
  • Community support is described mainly through Discord and GitHub issues

react-dropzone

  • Only handles selecting and receiving files; uploading them to a server is left to your code, as the README does not describe an upload feature
  • Relies on careful use of getRootProps and getInputProps; the README warns that misuse can break file dialogs or override props
  • Some advanced use, like Material UI v4 refs, depends on older library versions

Getting started

Puck

Install the package

npm i @puckeditor/core --save

Or create a pre-configured app

npx create-puck-app my-app
Step-by-step guide: how to use Puck

react-dropzone

Install with npm

npm install react-dropzone

Or install with yarn

yarn add react-dropzone
Step-by-step guide: how to use react-dropzone

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Puck and react-dropzone?

Puck: A visual drag-and-drop page editor you embed in your own React app. react-dropzone: A React hook for building drag-and-drop file upload zones in web pages. Puck suits react developers adding a page builder to an existing app, while react-dropzone suits react developers adding file upload to a web app.

Are Puck and react-dropzone free?

Puck: Free and open source. react-dropzone: Free and open source.

Is Puck or react-dropzone more popular?

Puck has more GitHub stars (13.6k) than react-dropzone (11k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.

What are other alternatives to Puck and react-dropzone?

Other options people compare them with include React-Grid-Layout, dnd-kit, React DnD, Filament, FilePond.

Keep comparing

Puck alternativesreact-dropzone alternativesPuck vs React-Grid-Layoutdnd-kit vs PuckFilePond vs react-dropzonereact-dropzone vs React-Grid-Layoutdnd-kit vs react-dropzone

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.