react-content-loader vs SkeletonView
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 React component that draws grey placeholder shapes while content loads.
Open source · MIT
A loading placeholder library for iOS that shows grey skeleton shapes where content will appear.
The short answer
Choose react-content-loader if you need…
- React developers who want loading placeholders for cards, lists, or profiles
- Teams that want a small dependency for skeleton screens on the web
- React Native developers who need placeholder loaders using react-native-svg
- Developers who want to build custom placeholder layouts with the online tool
Choose SkeletonView if you need…
- iOS developers building apps that load data from the network
- Teams using UITableView or UICollectionView lists that need loading placeholders
- Developers who want a loading state without writing custom animation code
Side-by-side
| react-content-loader | SkeletonView | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 14k | 12.9k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Beginner |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | TypeScript | Swift |
| Last code update | 10 months ago | 5 months ago |
What each one is
react-content-loader
react-content-loader is a React component library that shows animated placeholder shapes, often called skeleton screens, while a page or card is still loading. It draws the placeholders as SVG, so you can use ready-made presets or define your own shapes with rectangles and circles. It also has a React Native version with the same API.
SkeletonView
SkeletonView is a Swift library for iOS apps. While data loads, it covers views with animated or solid placeholder shapes so users can see roughly what content is coming. You mark which views should become placeholders, then call one of four show methods on a view or its container.
Best for
react-content-loader
- React developers who want loading placeholders for cards, lists, or profiles
- Teams that want a small dependency for skeleton screens on the web
- React Native developers who need placeholder loaders using react-native-svg
- Developers who want to build custom placeholder layouts with the online tool
SkeletonView
- iOS developers building apps that load data from the network
- Teams using UITableView or UICollectionView lists that need loading placeholders
- Developers who want a loading state without writing custom animation code
Strengths
react-content-loader
- The README says it is lightweight, under 2kB with zero dependencies for the web version
- Presets such as Facebook-style loaders make a quick start possible
- Works on both React DOM and React Native with the same import style
SkeletonView
- Setup is three steps: import, mark views as skeletonable, show the skeleton
- Supports Swift Package Manager, CocoaPods, and Carthage
- Works with both code and Interface Builder or Storyboards
Not ideal for
react-content-loader
- Projects not using React, since the package is a React component
- Apps that need heavy custom animation beyond the built-in shimmer options, as the README only documents speed, colors, and opacity controls
- Projects that cannot add the react-native-svg dependency on React Native, since the README says it is needed for custom shapes
SkeletonView
- Developers who need Android, web, or cross-platform support, since the README only covers iOS
- Projects that want a simple spinner and do not need placeholders matching the layout
- Apps with very old iOS targets, since the README does not list minimum supported versions
Trade-offs
react-content-loader
- React Native custom mode needs react-native-svg or the built-in Rect and Circle exports, which adds setup
- Several options, such as gradientRatio and style, are listed as React DOM only
- The README is truncated in this source, so some details may be missing
SkeletonView
- The README is truncated, so details beyond the table view and collection view sections are unclear from this source
- Table and collection support needs extra data source protocol methods to be implemented
- Support for newer iOS or Swift versions is not stated in the README excerpt
Getting started
react-content-loader
Install with npm
npm i react-content-loader --saveInstall with yarn
yarn add react-content-loaderSkeletonView
Swift Package Manager (add to Package.swift dependencies)
.package(url: "https://github.com/Juanpe/SkeletonView.git", from: "1.7.0")CocoaPods (Podfile)
pod 'SkeletonView'Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between react-content-loader and SkeletonView?
react-content-loader: A React component that draws grey placeholder shapes while content loads. SkeletonView: A loading placeholder library for iOS that shows grey skeleton shapes where content will appear. react-content-loader suits react developers who want loading placeholders for cards, lists, or profiles, while SkeletonView suits ios developers building apps that load data from the network.
Are react-content-loader and SkeletonView free?
react-content-loader: Free and open source. SkeletonView: Free and open source.
Is react-content-loader or SkeletonView more popular?
react-content-loader has more GitHub stars (14k) than SkeletonView (12.9k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to react-content-loader and SkeletonView?
Other options people compare them with include react-loadable, React Native Elements, React Native for Web, NativeBase, Tamagui.
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.