Preact vs Svelte

Side-by-side NPM package comparison

preact

Extremely Popular

Version 10.28.4

85
Excellent

Fast 3kb React-compatible Virtual DOM library.

Weekly Downloads
13.7M
33%
Bundle (gzip)
4.6 KB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
100
Popularity
100
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70

svelte

Very Popular

Version 5.53.6

85
Excellent

Cybernetically enhanced web apps

Weekly Downloads
3.0M
34%
Bundle (gzip)
9.6 KB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
100
Popularity
100
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70

Choosing between Preact and Svelte? Here's a data-driven comparison based on real npm data — downloads, bundle size, health scores, and more — to help you decide which package fits your project best.

Downloads & Popularity

Preact leads with 13.7M weekly downloads — roughly 4.6x more. Svelte has 3.0M weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.

Bundle Size

Preact has the smallest gzipped bundle at 4.6 KB. Svelte comes in at 9.6 KB. A smaller bundle size means faster page loads, which improves user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.

Health Score Comparison

Preact has an overall health score of 85/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. Svelte has an overall health score of 85/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. Health scores are calculated from maintenance activity, code quality, security posture, popularity, and stability metrics.

When to Choose Each

Choose Preact if you value massive community and ecosystem, minimal bundle footprint, actively maintained, strong security track record. Choose Svelte if you value large community support, actively maintained, strong security track record.

Our Verdict

Both Preact and Svelte are solid choices for JavaScript development. Preact has the edge in overall health score (85/100), while each package brings unique strengths to the table. Evaluate them based on your project's priorities — whether that's community size, bundle efficiency, or maintenance activity — and choose the one that aligns best with your requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is preact better than svelte?
It depends on your needs. Preact has a health score of 85/100 while Svelte scores 85/100. Preact has more weekly downloads (13.7M), suggesting broader adoption. Consider your specific requirements — bundle size, community support, and feature set — to decide which is the better fit.
Which has a smaller bundle size, preact or svelte?
Preact has the smaller gzipped bundle at 4.6 KB. A smaller bundle means faster load times for your users, which can positively impact SEO and user experience.
How many developers use preact vs svelte?
Based on npm download statistics, Preact has approximately 13.7M weekly downloads and Svelte has approximately 3.0M weekly downloads. These numbers reflect package installations, not unique developers, but they indicate relative adoption levels.
Which is better maintained, preact or svelte?
Preact currently has the higher overall health score at 85/100. Preact has a maintenance score of 100/100 and Svelte scores 100/100 on maintenance.

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