Fabric.js vs Raphaël
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 JavaScript library for drawing, editing and exporting interactive objects on HTML canvas.
Open source · MIT
A JavaScript library for drawing vector graphics in web browsers.
The short answer
Choose Fabric.js if you need…
- Web developers building interactive canvas editors or drawing tools
- Teams that need selectable, movable and resizable objects on a canvas without writing that logic from scratch
- Developers who want to load or export SVG and JSON canvas content
- Node.js developers who need to render canvas images on the server
Choose Raphaël if you need…
- 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
Side-by-side
| Fabric.js | Raphaël | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 31.5k | 11.3k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Clone and build from source |
| Main language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 3 years ago |
What each one is
Fabric.js
Fabric.js is a JavaScript library that makes it easier to work with the HTML canvas element. It gives you ready-made shapes, text, images, filters, gradients and brushes, plus built-in mouse interactions such as move, scale, rotate and skew. It can also read and write SVG, JSON, PNG and JPG data, and it can run in Node.js with the node-canvas package.
Raphaël
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.
Best for
Fabric.js
- Web developers building interactive canvas editors or drawing tools
- Teams that need selectable, movable and resizable objects on a canvas without writing that logic from scratch
- Developers who want to load or export SVG and JSON canvas content
- Node.js developers who need to render canvas images on the server
Raphaël
- 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
Strengths
Fabric.js
- Covers many built-in features: shapes, controls, animations, image filters, gradients, patterns and brushes
- Supports SVG and JSON import and export along with JPG and PNG output
- Typed and modular, with MIT license and a large community (about 31.5k stars)
Raphaël
- 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
Not ideal for
Fabric.js
- People who only need a simple static chart or image; a lighter drawing API may be enough
- Projects that must support Internet Explorer 11 or legacy Edge, since the README marks both as unsupported
- Non-developers looking for a finished app; this is a library to build with
Raphaël
- 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
Trade-offs
Fabric.js
- Node.js use depends on node-canvas and jsdom, which the README notes can have their own limitations and bugs
- The package names have changed; the README recommends new packages (@fabricjs/browser, @fabricjs/node) while keeping the legacy fabric package, which can confuse newcomers
- Browser support is limited to recent versions as listed in the README table
Raphaël
- 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
Getting started
Fabric.js
Install for browser applications
npm install @fabricjs/browserInstall for Node.js applications
npm install @fabricjs/nodeRaphaël
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/DmitryBaranovskiy/raphael.gitInstall dependencies
yarn install --frozen-lockfileFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Fabric.js and Raphaël?
Fabric.js: A JavaScript library for drawing, editing and exporting interactive objects on HTML canvas. Raphaël: A JavaScript library for drawing vector graphics in web browsers. Fabric.js suits web developers building interactive canvas editors or drawing tools, while Raphaël suits developers adding custom drawings or simple charts to a website.
Are Fabric.js and Raphaël free?
Fabric.js: Free and open source. Raphaël: Free and open source.
Is Fabric.js or Raphaël more popular?
Fabric.js has more GitHub stars (31.5k) than Raphaël (11.3k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Fabric.js and Raphaël?
Other options people compare them with include PixiJS, Excalidraw.
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.