interact.js vs Muuri
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
JavaScript library for drag, drop, resize and multi-touch gestures in web pages.
Open source · MIT
A JavaScript library for building responsive grid layouts that can be sorted, filtered, and dragged.
The short answer
Choose interact.js if you need…
- Web developers building drag-and-drop interfaces
- Developers who need touch and mouse gesture support in one library
- Projects that must support older browsers such as Internet Explorer 9+
- Developers building interactive SVG or canvas-based tools
Choose Muuri if you need…
- Front-end developers building card or photo grids that need drag and drop or filtering
- Developers who want custom layouts beyond what CSS alone can do
- Projects that want layout, animation, and interaction in a single library
Side-by-side
| interact.js | Muuri | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 12.9k | 10.9k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Last code update | 3 months ago | 2 years ago |
What each one is
interact.js
interact.js is a JavaScript library that lets web developers make page elements draggable, resizable, and responsive to multi-touch gestures. It supports inertia (continued motion after release) and snapping to targets such as a grid. It is described as standalone and does not change the page structure beyond the cursor unless configured otherwise.
Muuri
Muuri is a JavaScript layout engine that arranges items in custom grid layouts that resize with the screen. It also adds animation, filtering, sorting, and drag and drop on top of the layout, so developers do not need to combine several separate libraries. The README describes it as a mix of Packery, Masonry, Isotope, and Sortable.
Best for
interact.js
- Web developers building drag-and-drop interfaces
- Developers who need touch and mouse gesture support in one library
- Projects that must support older browsers such as Internet Explorer 9+
- Developers building interactive SVG or canvas-based tools
Muuri
- Front-end developers building card or photo grids that need drag and drop or filtering
- Developers who want custom layouts beyond what CSS alone can do
- Projects that want layout, animation, and interaction in a single library
Strengths
interact.js
- Supports both desktop and mobile browsers, including Internet Explorer 9+ per the README
- Includes inertia and snapping features out of the box
- Written in TypeScript with type definitions shipped in the npm package
Muuri
- Bundles layout, animation, sorting, filtering, and drag and drop in one library
- Supports asynchronous layout calculation in web workers and nested grids
- Installable via npm or a CDN link, with a minimal starting configuration
Not ideal for
interact.js
- Non-programmers, since it requires writing JavaScript code to use
- Projects needing a ready-made UI component with no custom code, because it is a low-level library
- Teams that need a React or Vue-specific wrapper, since the README does not describe one
Muuri
- Simple layouts that CSS grid or flexbox can handle, since the README says CSS is often enough and Muuri adds complexity
- People without JavaScript experience, because setup requires writing code and CSS rules
Trade-offs
interact.js
- Requires JavaScript coding knowledge to use and configure
- The README is truncated here, so detailed API behavior must be checked in the external documentation
Muuri
- Requires specific CSS rules, such as absolute positioning on items and no overflow auto or scroll on the grid element
- Browsers without Web Animations support need an extra polyfill
Getting started
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between interact.js and Muuri?
interact.js: JavaScript library for drag, drop, resize and multi-touch gestures in web pages. Muuri: A JavaScript library for building responsive grid layouts that can be sorted, filtered, and dragged. interact.js suits web developers building drag-and-drop interfaces, while Muuri suits front-end developers building card or photo grids that need drag and drop or filtering.
Are interact.js and Muuri free?
interact.js: Free and open source. Muuri: Free and open source.
Is interact.js or Muuri more popular?
interact.js has more GitHub stars (12.9k) than Muuri (10.9k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to interact.js and Muuri?
Other options people compare them with include Lenis, Swiper, Sortable, Dragula, FilePond.
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.