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Raphaël

A JavaScript library for drawing vector graphics in web browsers.DmitryBaranovskiy/raphael

GitHub Download v2.3.0
Stars
11.3k
Forks
1.6k
Licence
MIT
Language
JavaScript
Last update
2.8 years ago
Type
Library

No commits in over a year — check for forks or alternatives before adopting.

What it is

Raphaël is a JavaScript library that lets web pages draw shapes, lines, and other vector graphics, such as charts or diagrams, using code. It aims to work consistently across different web browsers. It is loaded into a page as a script, and its README describes it as a UMD-compliant file set.

  • Draw shapes and paths on a web page with JavaScript
  • Build interactive vector graphics inside a browser page
  • Load the library via a script tag or AMD module loader

Great for

  • Developers adding custom drawings or simple charts to a website
  • Front-end developers who want browser-based vector graphics without a plugin
  • Maintainers of existing projects that already use Raphaël

Not ideal for

  • People who need a ready-made chart product with no coding, since this is a code library
  • Projects needing new features or fast fixes, because the README says PR acceptance can take a while
  • Anyone needing automated tests, since the README says testing is manual right now
Step-by-step guide: how to use RaphaëlInstall, first run, examples, tips and FAQs
Fabric.js vs Raphaël

How to get it

  1. 1

    Clone and build from source

    You'll need: NPM · Yarn

    Clone the repository

    git clone https://github.com/DmitryBaranovskiy/raphael.git

    Install dependencies

    yarn install --frozen-lockfile

    Build all distributable files

    yarn build-all
  2. 2

    Run it

    • Build the library using the commands above
    • Load raphael.min.js (or another distributable) in an HTML page with a script tag
    • Or load it through AMD with define(["path/to/raphael"], ...)
    • Try the examples linked from the Raphael-boilerplate project
  3. 3

    Get the most out of it

    • Use the no-deps build if eve is already loaded on your page
    • Check the Raphael-boilerplate repository for loading examples
    • Use dev/raphaelTest.html with a local server to experiment, after running npm run start
    • Read the library website linked in the README for the API

Downloads

Source code (.zip)master branch · straight from GitHubRelease v2.3.0Release notes and sourceOfficial website & docsdmitrybaranovskiy.github.io/raphael/

Strengths

  • MIT licensed, so it can be used in commercial and personal projects
  • Ships as several UMD builds, with or without its eve dependency
  • Has a long history and a community of related projects listed in the README

Trade-offs

  • The README says the project is aimed at cross-browser support, but the last push shown is from January 2024 and the latest release is v2.3.0, so activity may be slow
  • Testing is manual, with no automated test process described
  • Depends on the eve library unless you use the no-deps build

How it compares

ProjectStarsTypeLevelUpdatedBest for
raphael (this)11.3kLibraryintermediate2.8 years agoDevelopers adding custom drawings or simple charts to a website
fabric.js31.5kLibraryintermediate4 days agoWeb developers building interactive canvas editors or drawing tools

Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.