Eureka vs SVProgressHUD
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 Swift library for building iOS settings-style forms with less boilerplate.
Open source · MIT
A simple progress and status overlay for iOS and tvOS apps, written in Objective-C.
The short answer
Choose Eureka if you need…
- iOS developers building form-heavy screens in Swift
- Teams migrating an XLForm-based Objective-C or Swift app to Swift
- Developers who want built-in row types for text, dates, phone numbers and similar inputs
- Apps that need row validation and show/hide logic for fields
Choose SVProgressHUD if you need…
- iOS developers who need a quick loading indicator for a blocking task
- Developers maintaining Objective-C codebases that want a drop-in HUD
- Apps that show brief success or error messages after an action
- Teams that want to customize the HUD's colors, fonts, and timing app-wide
Side-by-side
| Eureka | SVProgressHUD | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 11.8k | 12.4k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Beginner |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | Swift | Objective-C |
| Last code update | 2 years ago | 8 months ago |
What each one is
Eureka
Eureka is a Swift library for iOS that helps developers build forms, such as settings or data-entry screens, on top of UITableView. Instead of wiring up each table cell by hand, you describe sections and rows in code using short operators or a result-builder syntax. It is a Swift re-creation of the older XLForm library.
SVProgressHUD
SVProgressHUD is a library that adds a small on-screen overlay to an iOS or tvOS app to show that a task is running, how far along it is, or whether it succeeded or failed. Developers call a few simple methods such as show, dismiss, or showSuccessWithStatus, and the library handles the display. It is meant for short waits where the user needs to wait before moving on.
Best for
Eureka
- iOS developers building form-heavy screens in Swift
- Teams migrating an XLForm-based Objective-C or Swift app to Swift
- Developers who want built-in row types for text, dates, phone numbers and similar inputs
- Apps that need row validation and show/hide logic for fields
SVProgressHUD
- iOS developers who need a quick loading indicator for a blocking task
- Developers maintaining Objective-C codebases that want a drop-in HUD
- Apps that show brief success or error messages after an action
- Teams that want to customize the HUD's colors, fonts, and timing app-wide
Strengths
Eureka
- Concise syntax for defining sections and rows, including operators and result builders
- Includes a catalog of built-in row types and supports custom rows
- Documented with an example project and a blog post, under the MIT license
SVProgressHUD
- Simple API: show and dismiss calls cover most common uses
- Supports Swift Package Manager, CocoaPods, Carthage, and manual install
- Customizable through UI_APPEARANCE_SELECTOR, with light, dark, and automatic styles
Not ideal for
Eureka
- Developers working on SwiftUI-only projects, since the README describes a UITableView-based approach
- Non-iOS platforms, since the README lists iOS as the platform
- Teams needing a library with recent maintenance, since the last push shown is 2024-09-12 and the latest release is 5.5.0
SVProgressHUD
- Background refreshes like pull-to-refresh or infinite scrolling, which the README specifically says not to use it for
- Developers who need a non-Apple platform, since the README covers only iOS and tvOS
- Projects that want a fully SwiftUI-native indicator, as the README describes UIKit-style customization and does not mention SwiftUI
Trade-offs
Eureka
- Requires Xcode 11+ and Swift 5.0+, and the README shows no newer requirements
- Metadata shows no binary release, so you install it from source or a package manager
- The README is truncated, so details on some features and row types are not confirmed here
SVProgressHUD
- The README is truncated and does not list every property, so the API docs in SVProgressHUD.h are needed for details
- Haptic feedback is only available on iPhone 7 and newer, per the README
- Written in Objective-C; the README says it works in Swift but adds bridging steps for manual installs
Getting started
Eureka
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/xmartlabs/EurekaSVProgressHUD
Add to a CocoaPods Podfile, then install
pod installClone the repository
git clone https://github.com/SVProgressHUD/SVProgressHUD.gitFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Eureka and SVProgressHUD?
Eureka: A Swift library for building iOS settings-style forms with less boilerplate. SVProgressHUD: A simple progress and status overlay for iOS and tvOS apps, written in Objective-C. Eureka suits ios developers building form-heavy screens in swift, while SVProgressHUD suits ios developers who need a quick loading indicator for a blocking task.
Are Eureka and SVProgressHUD free?
Eureka: Free and open source. SVProgressHUD: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, Eureka or SVProgressHUD?
SVProgressHUD is easier to get started with (rated beginner); Eureka is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is Eureka or SVProgressHUD more popular?
SVProgressHUD has more GitHub stars (12.4k) than Eureka (11.8k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Eureka and SVProgressHUD?
Other options people compare them with include NVActivityIndicatorView, SwifterSwift, FSCalendar, SwiftyJSON, SkeletonView.
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.