Processing vs p5.js

Developers should learn Processing when working on projects involving generative art, data visualization, interactive installations, or educational tools for programming and design meets developers should learn p5. Here's our take.

Processing

Nice Pick

Developers should learn Processing when working on projects involving generative art, data visualization, interactive installations, or educational tools for programming and design

Pros

• It is particularly useful for quickly sketching visual ideas, creating interactive prototypes, or teaching programming concepts in a visual context
• Related to: java, creative-coding

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

p5.js

Developers should learn p5

Pros

• js when creating interactive art, data visualizations, educational tools, or prototypes that require graphical output in web browsers
• Related to: javascript, html5-canvas

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. Processing is a framework while p5.js is a library. We picked Processing based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

Processing wins

Based on overall popularity. Processing is more widely used, but p5.js excels in its own space.