Dragula vs FilePond
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 small JavaScript library for drag and drop between lists and containers.
Open source · MIT
A JavaScript library for drag-and-drop file uploads, with optional image resizing and cropping.
The short answer
Choose Dragula if you need…
- Front-end developers who want drag-and-drop without a large framework
- Developers building sortable lists or kanban-style boards in plain JavaScript
- Projects that want a small, dependency-light drag-and-drop option
Choose FilePond if you need…
- 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
Side-by-side
| Dragula | FilePond | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 22.1k | 16.4k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Intermediate |
| How you get it | See the README | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Last code update | 2 years ago | 9 days ago |
What each one is
Dragula
Dragula is a JavaScript library that lets web developers add drag-and-drop behavior to page elements, such as moving items between lists. The project describes itself as simple, and it is listed under the front-end and vanilla JavaScript topics. The README provided here was truncated and empty, so details beyond the basic description are limited.
FilePond
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.
Best for
Dragula
- Front-end developers who want drag-and-drop without a large framework
- Developers building sortable lists or kanban-style boards in plain JavaScript
- Projects that want a small, dependency-light drag-and-drop option
FilePond
- 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
Strengths
Dragula
- Described by its author as simple to use
- Written in plain JavaScript, per its topics
- Released under the permissive MIT license
FilePond
- 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
Not ideal for
Dragula
- Non-developers, since it requires writing JavaScript to use
- Projects that need drag-and-drop features the README does not describe, because the README provided was empty and features could not be verified
FilePond
- 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
Trade-offs
Dragula
- The README provided was empty, so documentation quality could not be verified here
- No published release is listed, so version stability is unclear
- Last code push was June 2024, so recent maintenance activity is uncertain
FilePond
- 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
Getting started
Dragula
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/bevacqua/dragulaFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Dragula and FilePond?
Dragula: A small JavaScript library for drag and drop between lists and containers. FilePond: A JavaScript library for drag-and-drop file uploads, with optional image resizing and cropping. Dragula suits front-end developers who want drag-and-drop without a large framework, while FilePond suits web developers who need a polished upload widget in a site or app.
Are Dragula and FilePond free?
Dragula: Free and open source. FilePond: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, Dragula or FilePond?
Dragula is easier to get started with (rated beginner); FilePond is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is Dragula or FilePond more popular?
Dragula has more GitHub stars (22.1k) than FilePond (16.4k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Dragula and FilePond?
Other options people compare them with include Sortable, interact.js, Vue.Draggable, Lenis, Uppy.
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.