FilePond
A JavaScript library for drag-and-drop file uploads, with optional image resizing and cropping.
- Stars
- 16.4k
- Forks
- 851
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- JavaScript
- Last update
- 9 days ago
- Type
- Library
What it is
FilePond is a JavaScript library that adds a file upload box to a web page. Users can drop, select, or paste files into it, and it can preview them and optimize images before they are sent to a server. The README says it is accessible, works on mobile and desktop, and has adapters for React, Vue, Angular, Svelte, and jQuery.
- Add a multi-file upload area to a sign-up or profile form
- Resize and crop user photos in the browser before they are uploaded
- Send files as base64 data along with a normal form post
- Accept files from remote URLs or pasted content
Great for
- Web developers who need a polished upload widget in a site or app
- Teams using React, Vue, Angular, Svelte, or jQuery who want an official adapter
- Projects that need image resizing, cropping, or EXIF orientation fixes before upload
- Apps that need chunked uploads for large files
Not ideal for
- People who only need a plain HTML file input and nothing more, since FilePond adds a library and styling to do that
- Non-developers looking for a ready-made app, because it is a code library that needs integration
- Projects that need a server-side upload handler from this repo alone, since backend examples are separate projects listed in the README
How to get it
- 1
Install with a package manager
You'll need: Node.js and npm, if installing from npm
Install using npm
npm install filepond - 2
Run it
- Install the package with npm install filepond.
- Import FilePond and call FilePond.create with your options.
- Append pond.element to the page's DOM.
- Or load the CDN files from unpkg and call FilePond.parse on the document.
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Add plugins from the README list, such as image preview, image resize, or file size validation, for extra behavior.
- Use a framework adapter like React or Vue if your project already uses one.
- Load a locale file from the locale folder with FilePond.setOptions to translate the interface.
- Check the Pintura product mentioned in the README if you need built-in image editing.
Downloads
Strengths
- The README lists many features, including chunk uploads, keyboard navigation, and EXIF orientation fixes
- Large plugin and adapter ecosystem documented in the README
- MIT licensed with a large star count and recent activity
Trade-offs
- Test coverage is around 65%, according to the README
- Many useful features, such as image editing and PDF preview, are in separate plugins or in the paid Pintura product
- The README is truncated here, so detailed configuration and version differences are not covered in this entry
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| filepond (this) | 16.4k | Library | intermediate | 9 days ago | Web developers who need a polished upload widget in a site or app |
| uppy | 31.1k | Library | intermediate | 4 days ago | Web developers who need a ready-made file upload interface in their app |
| dragula | 22.1k | Library | beginner | 2.4 years ago | Front-end developers who want drag-and-drop without a large framework |
| interact.js | 12.9k | Library | intermediate | 3 months ago | Web developers building drag-and-drop interfaces |
| react-dropzone | 11k | Library | intermediate | 5 days ago | React developers adding file upload to a web app |
| Sortable | 31.2k | Library | beginner | 8 months ago | Web developers adding reorderable lists to a site or app |
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.