PixiJS
A JavaScript library for fast 2D graphics, animation and interactive content in the browser.
- Stars
- 48.6k
- Forks
- 5.1k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- TypeScript
- Last update
- 6 days ago
- Type
- Library
What it is
PixiJS is an open-source JavaScript and TypeScript library for drawing 2D graphics, sprites, text and interactive content in a web browser. It uses WebGL and WebGPU so the browser's graphics hardware does the heavy work, which is why it is often used for browser games, animations and interactive visuals.
- Render an animated sprite that rotates each frame using the ticker
- Load image assets and display them on a canvas in a web page
- Build interactive graphics that respond to mouse and multi-touch input
- Apply filters and blend modes to visual elements
- Create text and SVG-based drawings inside a web page
Great for
- Web developers building interactive 2D graphics or animations
- Developers making browser-based 2D games
- Teams that need sprite, text, masking and filter effects on the web
- Developers who want a library with a large community and active releases
Not ideal for
- People who want a finished app or game with no coding, since it is a library you write code against
- Projects needing 3D rendering, since the README describes it as a 2D renderer
- Anyone who needs a guaranteed WebGPU experience across every browser, as the README notes WebGPU support depends on the TypeScript setup and environment
How to get it
- 1
Install with a package manager
You'll need: Node.js (version not stated in the README)
Create a new project with the PixiJS CLI
npm create pixi.js@latestAdd PixiJS to an existing project
npm install pixi.js - 2
Run it
- Run the create command or install command in your project folder
- Copy the usage example from the README into your code
- Load the page in a browser to see the rotating bunny sprite
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Use the TypeScript setup in the README with @types/web if you are on TypeScript 6 or 7
- Explore the official guides, tutorials and examples linked from the README
- Use the asset loader to load textures before creating sprites
- Use the ticker with deltaTime for frame-independent animation, as shown in the README example
Downloads
Strengths
- Supports both WebGL and WebGPU renderers, per the README
- Large, active community with a MIT license and about 48,000 GitHub stars
- Includes a built-in asset loader, touch support and a documented setup CLI
Trade-offs
- Requires JavaScript or TypeScript knowledge to use, so it is not a no-code tool
- The README's TypeScript section describes version-dependent setup steps for WebGPU types
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| pixijs (this) | 48.6k | Library | intermediate | 6 days ago | Web developers building interactive 2D graphics or animations |
| phaser | 40.6k | Library | intermediate | 3 months ago | Developers who already know JavaScript or TypeScript and want to make 2D browser games |
| three.js | 117k | Library | intermediate | 4 days ago | Web developers adding interactive 3D graphics to a website |
| gpu.js | 15.5k | Library | intermediate | 6 days ago | Developers who need to speed up large numeric computations in the browser |
| G2 | 12.7k | Library | intermediate | 8 days ago | Front-end developers adding charts to a web dashboard |
| Craft | 11.1k | App | intermediate | 2.6 years ago | Developers who want to read a compact, real example of a voxel game in C |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.