dnd-kit 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 toolkit for building drag and drop interfaces on the web, with adapters for several frameworks.
Open source · MIT
A small JavaScript library for drag-and-drop reordering of lists, with no framework required.
The short answer
Choose dnd-kit if you need…
- Developers building sortable lists or grids in a React, Vue, Svelte, or Solid app
- Teams that want keyboard and screen reader support built into drag and drop
- Developers who need to customize sensors, collision detection, or animations
- Projects that want a lightweight, MIT-licensed drag and drop dependency
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
| dnd-kit | Sortable | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 17.8k | 31.2k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Beginner |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Last code update | 6 days ago | 8 months ago |
What each one is
dnd-kit
dnd-kit is a set of JavaScript packages that let developers add drag and drop to web pages and apps. It has a framework-agnostic core and a DOM layer, plus thin adapters for React, Vue, Svelte, and SolidJS, with plain JavaScript also supported. It is used to build things like sortable lists, grids, and multi-container layouts.
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
dnd-kit
- Developers building sortable lists or grids in a React, Vue, Svelte, or Solid app
- Teams that want keyboard and screen reader support built into drag and drop
- Developers who need to customize sensors, collision detection, or animations
- Projects that want a lightweight, MIT-licensed drag and drop dependency
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
dnd-kit
- Supports pointer, mouse, touch, and keyboard input out of the box
- Framework-agnostic core with adapters for several popular frameworks
- Ships with default ARIA attributes and customizable screen reader instructions
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
dnd-kit
- Non-programmers looking for a ready-made tool; it is a code library that must be integrated into a project
- Projects that only need simple file upload drop zones, since the README focuses on element dragging and does not cover that case
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
dnd-kit
- As a toolkit, it requires writing code and understanding its layered package structure
- The README is truncated and points to external docs for full API details, so this entry relies on limited information
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
dnd-kit
Clone the repository (contributors)
git clone https://github.com/clauderic/dnd-kitInstall dependencies (monorepo, from README)
bun installSortable
Install with NPM
npm install sortablejs --saveInstall with Bower
bower install --save sortablejsFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between dnd-kit and Sortable?
dnd-kit: A toolkit for building drag and drop interfaces on the web, with adapters for several frameworks. Sortable: A small JavaScript library for drag-and-drop reordering of lists, with no framework required. dnd-kit suits developers building sortable lists or grids in a react, vue, svelte, or solid app, while Sortable suits web developers adding reorderable lists to a site or app.
Are dnd-kit and Sortable free?
dnd-kit: Free and open source. Sortable: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, dnd-kit or Sortable?
Sortable is easier to get started with (rated beginner); dnd-kit is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is dnd-kit or Sortable more popular?
Sortable has more GitHub stars (31.2k) than dnd-kit (17.8k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to dnd-kit and Sortable?
Other options people compare them with include React DnD, interact.js, Muuri, React-Grid-Layout, Puck.
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.