FSCalendar 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 customizable calendar view control for iOS apps, usable from Objective-C or Swift.
Open source · MIT
A simple progress and status overlay for iOS and tvOS apps, written in Objective-C.
The short answer
Choose FSCalendar if you need…
- iOS developers who need a calendar or date-picker view in their app
- Teams with existing Objective-C code that also want Swift support
- Developers who want to customize the calendar's look and cell content
- Developers who use Interface Builder and want the calendar set up visually
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
| FSCalendar | SVProgressHUD | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 10.6k | 12.4k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Beginner |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | Objective-C | Objective-C |
| Last code update | 2 years ago | 8 months ago |
What each one is
FSCalendar
FSCalendar is a library that lets iOS app developers add a calendar widget to their apps. It can be styled and customized, and it works with both Objective-C and Swift projects. Developers use it when they want users to view or pick dates inside an app instead of building a calendar from scratch.
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
FSCalendar
- iOS developers who need a calendar or date-picker view in their app
- Teams with existing Objective-C code that also want Swift support
- Developers who want to customize the calendar's look and cell content
- Developers who use Interface Builder and want the calendar set up visually
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
FSCalendar
- Widely used according to the README badges (over 10,000 apps and over 500,000 downloads, as stated there)
- Supports several install routes: CocoaPods, Carthage, Swift Package Manager, and manual file copy
- Includes example projects in both Swift and Objective-C to learn from
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
FSCalendar
- Non-developers, since this is a code library rather than an app (it has no end-user interface of its own)
- Android or web projects, since the README only describes iOS usage
- Projects that need the calendar to resize itself automatically without extra code, because the README says the calendar does not update its frame by itself and the app must handle height changes
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
FSCalendar
- The README says the calendar does not resize itself; the developer must update its height in a delegate method
- The latest release listed is 2.8.3 and the README mentions a newer SPM version (2.8.4), so version details should be checked directly
- Some README build and CI badges link to Travis CI, which may not reflect current testing status
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
FSCalendar
Add to a CocoaPods Podfile
pod 'FSCalendar'Add as a Swift Package dependency
.package(url: "https://github.com/WenchaoD/FSCalendar.git", from: "2.8.4")SVProgressHUD
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 FSCalendar and SVProgressHUD?
FSCalendar: A customizable calendar view control for iOS apps, usable from Objective-C or Swift. SVProgressHUD: A simple progress and status overlay for iOS and tvOS apps, written in Objective-C. FSCalendar suits ios developers who need a calendar or date-picker view in their app, while SVProgressHUD suits ios developers who need a quick loading indicator for a blocking task.
Are FSCalendar and SVProgressHUD free?
FSCalendar: Free and open source. SVProgressHUD: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, FSCalendar or SVProgressHUD?
SVProgressHUD is easier to get started with (rated beginner); FSCalendar is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is FSCalendar or SVProgressHUD more popular?
SVProgressHUD has more GitHub stars (12.4k) than FSCalendar (10.6k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to FSCalendar and SVProgressHUD?
Other options people compare them with include SwifterSwift, Eureka, SDWebImage, SwiftyJSON, NVActivityIndicatorView.
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.