SVProgressHUD vs SwifterSwift
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 simple progress and status overlay for iOS and tvOS apps, written in Objective-C.
Open source · MIT
A library of over 500 ready-made Swift extensions that add handy helper methods to common types.
The short answer
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
Choose SwifterSwift if you need…
- Swift developers building iOS or macOS apps who want common helper methods ready to use
- Teams that want to pick only the extension groups they need, such as UIKit or CoreLocation
- Developers who prefer Swift Package Manager, CocoaPods, or Carthage for dependencies
Side-by-side
| SVProgressHUD | SwifterSwift | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 12.4k | 15.3k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Beginner |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | Objective-C | Swift |
| Last code update | 8 months ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
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.
SwifterSwift
SwifterSwift is a collection of more than 500 Swift extensions, which are small added methods for built-in types like strings, arrays, and UIKit or Cocoa classes. It is meant to save developers from writing the same helper code again and again across iOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS, Linux, and Android projects.
Best for
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
SwifterSwift
- Swift developers building iOS or macOS apps who want common helper methods ready to use
- Teams that want to pick only the extension groups they need, such as UIKit or CoreLocation
- Developers who prefer Swift Package Manager, CocoaPods, or Carthage for dependencies
Strengths
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
SwifterSwift
- Covers a large range of types, with more than 500 extensions organized by module
- Supports several dependency managers, including Swift Package Manager, CocoaPods, Carthage, and Accio
- Licensed under MIT, which allows free use in commercial projects
Not ideal for
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
SwifterSwift
- Beginners still learning Swift basics, since the library assumes you can read and call extensions yourself
- Projects that must support Swift versions older than the ones listed in the requirements, because the README points to older tagged releases instead
- Anyone who wants a full app or framework rather than a set of helper methods
Trade-offs
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
SwifterSwift
- Helper methods add to your dependency footprint, and you should check each one fits your needs
- Requirements are fairly recent, such as iOS 15.0+ and Swift 6.0+, so older projects may not be able to upgrade easily
- The README is truncated here, so details of individual extensions and the latest release notes were not verified
Getting started
SVProgressHUD
Add to a CocoaPods Podfile, then install
pod installClone the repository
git clone https://github.com/SVProgressHUD/SVProgressHUD.gitSwifterSwift
CocoaPods: add to Podfile (all extensions)
pod 'SwifterSwift'Carthage: add to Cartfile
github "SwifterSwift/SwifterSwift" ~> 6.0Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between SVProgressHUD and SwifterSwift?
SVProgressHUD: A simple progress and status overlay for iOS and tvOS apps, written in Objective-C. SwifterSwift: A library of over 500 ready-made Swift extensions that add handy helper methods to common types. SVProgressHUD suits ios developers who need a quick loading indicator for a blocking task, while SwifterSwift suits swift developers building ios or macos apps who want common helper methods ready to use.
Are SVProgressHUD and SwifterSwift free?
SVProgressHUD: Free and open source. SwifterSwift: Free and open source.
Is SVProgressHUD or SwifterSwift more popular?
SwifterSwift has more GitHub stars (15.3k) than SVProgressHUD (12.4k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to SVProgressHUD and SwifterSwift?
Other options people compare them with include MBProgressHUD, FSCalendar, Eureka, SDWebImage, SwiftyJSON.
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.