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Updated April 2025  ·  5 Libraries

Pagiflow vs Swiper vs Slick
vs Splide vs Glide vs Owl Carousel

An honest, detailed comparison of six popular JavaScript slider and carousel libraries in 2025. We cover features, bundle size, dependencies, accessibility, performance, and which one to pick for your project.

5 libraries compared 40+ feature rows Bundle size analysis Honest pros & cons
// On this page
TL;DR — Quick verdict Bundle size comparison Full feature table (40+ rows) Library profiles & scores Which should you use? FAQ (6 questions)
01Quick Verdict

TL;DR — The answer upfront.

If you just want the answer: Pagiflow for most modern projects, Swiper.js if you need niche effects like 3D cube or virtual slides, Splide if accessibility is the top priority. Avoid Slick for new projects — it requires jQuery and is effectively unmaintained since 2019.

Best Overall
Pagiflow
Zero dependencies, simple API, 40KB, full feature set. Best for most projects that don't need Swiper's niche modules.
Most Features
Swiper.js
The feature king. 3D, virtual slides, parallax, hash navigation. Large bundle but worth it if you need these extras.
Best Accessibility
Splide
WCAG 2.1 compliant out of the box. Strong ARIA support. Great if accessibility compliance is non-negotiable.
Lightweight Choice
Glide.js
Super lightweight and dependency-free. Clean API, smooth performance, and great for simple sliders without heavy features.
Legacy Only
Owl Carousel 2
Requires jQuery. Last updated 2019. Built-in video support is a genuine strength, but avoid for new projects.
Avoid
Slick Carousel
jQuery required, abandoned since 2019, known unresolved bugs. Only use when maintaining legacy codebases.
02Bundle Size

How much does each
library weigh?

Bundle size directly impacts Core Web Vitals. Every kilobyte of JavaScript is parsed, compiled, and executed by the browser. Here's how the libraries compare (minified, without gzip):

Pagiflow
~40 KB
Glide.js
~42 KB
Splide
~43 KB
Owl Carousel 2
~43 KB
Slick
~52 KB
Swiper.js
~140 KB

Note: The jQuery tax: Slick and Owl Carousel both require jQuery (~87 KB), making their real page cost ~139–130 KB respectively — comparable to Swiper's full bundle, but without Swiper's features. Swiper can be reduced to ~50–60 KB if you use only core modules. Pagiflow's full feature set still weighs less than Swiper's core-only bundle.

03Feature Table

Full feature
comparison.

The most comprehensive side-by-side feature comparison of the top JavaScript slider libraries.

Built-in Not supported Partial = Pagiflow column highlighted
Feature Pagiflow Swiper.js Slick Splide Glide.js Owl Carousel 2
Setup & Dependencies
Dependencies 0 (none) 0 (none) jQuery 0 (none) 0 (none) jQuery
Separate CSS file needed No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Minified JS size ~12 KB ~140 KB ~52 KB ~43 KB ~23 KB ~43 KB
jQuery cost included n/a (none) n/a (none) +87 KB n/a (none) n/a (none) +87 KB
NPM package
Last active maintenance 2025 2025 2019 2024 2023 2019
Official React/Vue wrappers
License MIT MIT MIT MIT MIT MIT
Core Navigation
Infinite loop
Touch & mouse swipe
Swipe momentum / velocity Basic
Prev / Next buttons
Custom external nav buttons Manual
Dot pagination
Numbered pagination
Keyboard navigation Basic
Vertical direction
Mouse wheel support (module)
Layout & Display
Multiple items per slide
Grid layout (rows × columns) rows & cols rows only
Fade transition
Center mode
RTL (right-to-left)
3D / Cube / Flip / Coverflow all four
Parallax effects
Animate.css integration
Advanced Features
Auto-scroll (marquee mode) built-in plugin ext.
Thumbnail strip (built-in)
Slider sync ext.
Autoplay + pause on hover
Lazy image loading Manual
Video support (YouTube/Vimeo) Manual built-in
Virtual slides (1000+ items)
Hash / deep-link navigation
Pull drag (desktop)
API & Customization
Responsive breakpoints
Runtime option updates Limited Limited
Slide change callback
Chainable API native via jQuery
Dynamic HTML content update Manual Limited Limited Limited
Destroy & reinit
Plugin / extension system
Accessibility
ARIA roles & labels Basic WCAG 2.1 Basic Basic
inert on hidden slides
Keyboard trap prevention
Reduced motion support
Our bias disclosure: We built Pagiflow. We've tried to be as accurate as possible — if you spot an error, please open a GitHub issue. Swiper.js has genuinely more features in the 3D/parallax space that Pagiflow does not try to replicate.
04Library Profiles

Deep dive into each
library.

A closer look at the strengths, weaknesses, and overall scores for each library.

Pagiflow
// zero-dependency, full-featured
Pros
  • Zero dependencies — works anywhere
  • No separate CSS file needed
  • Smallest footprint with most features
  • Built-in grid & thumbnails
  • Chainable API
  • inert on hidden slides
  • Auto-scroll marquee built-in
Cons
  • No 3D / cube effects
  • No parallax built-in
  • No virtual slides
  • Newer, smaller community
Overall: 5/5 for typical projects
Swiper.js
// the feature king
Pros
  • Most features of any slider
  • 3D cube, flip, coverflow
  • Parallax built-in
  • Virtual slides for huge lists
  • Official React/Vue components
Cons
  • Large bundle (140KB+)
  • Separate CSS required
  • Complex API
  • No grid layout
  • No built-in thumbnails
Overall: 4/5 when you need the extras
Slick Carousel
// the old guard, effectively dead
Pros
  • Large existing codebase
  • jQuery ecosystem fit
  • Slider sync built-in
Cons
  • jQuery required (+87KB)
  • Last updated 2019
  • No vertical mode
  • Poor accessibility
  • Unresolved bugs
Overall: 2/5 — avoid for new projects
Splide
// accessibility-first slider
Pros
  • Best WCAG 2.1 compliance
  • Zero dependencies
  • Official React/Vue components
  • Vertical mode supported
Cons
  • No grid layout
  • No built-in thumbnails
  • No center mode
  • Extensions needed for extras
Overall: 4/5 for accessibility-critical projects
Glide.js
// minimalist, modular
Pros
  • Small and fast (~23KB)
  • Modular architecture — strip to minimum
  • Clean, readable codebase
Cons
  • No infinite loop
  • No fade mode, no vertical mode
  • No auto-scroll or center mode
  • Limited maintenance since 2023
Overall: 3/5 — good but feature-limited
Owl Carousel 2
// jQuery-based, video-friendly
Pros
  • Best native video support
  • Animate.css integration
  • Fade transition built-in
  • Center mode supported
  • Responsive breakpoints
  • Decent plugin ecosystem
Cons
  • jQuery required (+87 KB)
  • Abandoned since 2019
  • No vertical mode
  • No grid layout
  • Poor accessibility
  • No virtual slides
  • No marquee/auto-scroll
Overall: 3/5 — good but feature-limited
05Recommendation

Which should
you choose?

Pagiflow
// best for most
Choose Pagiflow if you want a modern, zero-dependency slider that covers every common use case — infinite loop, autoplay, fade, grid, thumbnails, auto-scroll, RTL, sync — without importing jQuery or a large CSS file. It's the best choice for landing pages, portfolios, e-commerce carousels, and any project where bundle size and simplicity matter.
Swiper.js
// max features
Choose Swiper.js if you specifically need 3D effects (cube, flip, coverflow), parallax scrolling inside slides, virtual slides for very long lists (1000+ items), or native React/Vue/Angular packages from the maintainers.
Splide
// accessibility
Choose Splide if accessibility compliance (WCAG 2.1, Section 508) is a hard requirement, such as for government sites, enterprise intranets, or applications serving users who rely on screen readers. Splide has the most thorough ARIA implementation of any slider library.
Glide.js
// ultra-minimal
Choose Glide.js if you only need a simple single-item carousel with no loop, and file size is an extreme constraint. Its modular architecture means you can strip it down to bare minimum. However its feature set is significantly limited.
Slick
// avoid
Avoid Slick Carousel for new projects. It requires jQuery as a peer dependency, adding ~87KB to your page. The library has had no meaningful updates since 2019, has known bugs that will never be fixed, and does not support vertical mode. Use it only if you're maintaining an existing project that already depends on jQuery and cannot be migrated.
Owl Carousel 2
// legacy + video
Choose Owl Carousel 2 only if you're maintaining an existing project that already depends on jQuery, and you specifically need its built-in YouTube/Vimeo video handling or Animate.css transitions. Its plugin ecosystem (from its active years) is relatively mature. Do not use it for new projects — it's been unmaintained since 2019, has known bugs, and adds jQuery as a mandatory dependency.
FAQ

Common questions.

Pagiflow is a zero-dependency vanilla JavaScript slider and carousel library. It supports horizontal and vertical sliding, infinite loop, fade transitions, grid layout, thumbnail strips, auto-scroll marquee mode, center mode, slider sync, RTL, keyboard navigation, lazy image loading, and responsive breakpoints. It works in all modern browsers without jQuery or any other framework.
No. Pagiflow has absolutely zero dependencies. It is written in pure vanilla JavaScript (ES5-compatible) and can be used in any project — plain HTML sites, WordPress themes, React apps, Vue projects, or any other environment — without installing anything else.
Yes. Pagiflow is released under the MIT license, which allows free use, modification, and distribution in both personal and commercial projects. No attribution required, no royalties, no restrictions.
Set loop: true in your options. Pagiflow uses the DOM clone technique — it silently prepends and appends copies of your slides, creating seamless infinite scrolling without any visual jump. It works with all other options: multiple items per view, autoplay, touch swipe, and fade.
Yes. Pagiflow covers the most common Swiper use cases — infinite loop, touch swipe, autoplay, pagination, responsive breakpoints, fade mode — with zero dependencies and no separate CSS the better fit. See our detailed comparison for a full breakdown.
Set itemsPerSlide to the number of visible slides you want. Combined with gap for spacing and responsive for breakpoints, you can build fully responsive carousels that show 1 slide on mobile, 2 on tablet, and 3+ on desktop. Example: Pagiflow('#s', { itemsPerSlide: 3, gap: 16, responsive: { 0: { itemsPerSlide: 1 }, 768: { itemsPerSlide: 2 } } })

Ready to try Pagiflow?

Zero dependencies. 40KB. 30+ options. MIT license. Up and running in 3 minutes.

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