Avatar library comparison
DiceBear is an open source avatar library with 35+ styles, a free HTTP API, and libraries for six languages. Each style has a deep set of options: you can recolor the avatar, swap individual features, control the background, and weight how likely each variant is, so two avatars from the same style can look completely different. This page compares it with the avatar libraries developers most often weigh against it, to help you choose the right one for your project. All of them are good at what they do, and the best choice depends on your stack and the look you are after.
| Feature | DiceBear | Boring Avatars | Avvvatars | Multiavatar | Jdenticon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub Stars | 8.8k+ | 6.2k+ | 1.9k+ | 1.9k+ | 1.7k+ |
| Avatar Styles | 37 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Customizable Options | Extensive | Extensive | Limited | Limited | Limited |
| Weighted Variants | |||||
| HTTP API | Free | Paid | |||
| CLI | |||||
| Languages | JS/TS, PHP, Python, Rust, Go, Dart | JS | JS/TS | JS, PHP, Python | JS, C#, PHP |
| Dependencies | – | React | React | – | – |
| Output Formats | SVG, PNG, JPEG, WebP, AVIF | SVG | SVG | SVG | SVG, PNG |
| Design License | Varies | MIT | MIT | Custom | MIT |
| Open Source | |||||
| Deterministic |
This comparison is based on publicly available information and may not reflect the latest updates. Each tool has its own strengths, so choose what works best for your project.
DiceBear vs. Boring Avatars
Boring Avatars is a polished React component with a handful of clean, gradient-based styles. It installs in seconds and the gradients look great, which makes it a strong pick for a React app that wants that exact style. The hosted API is a separate, paid product.
DiceBear comes at it differently: more styles from different artists, no framework dependency, and a free HTTP API. As a Boring Avatars alternative DiceBear fits when you want a wider range of looks or you build outside React.
DiceBear vs. Avvvatars
Avvvatars is a small, tidy React component with two looks: an initials avatar and a geometric shape. It is light and quick to add, and when those two styles are all you need it does the job nicely.
DiceBear aims at a different spot, with many more styles, server-side rendering, and support beyond JavaScript.
DiceBear vs. Multiavatar
Multiavatar has real charm: one illustrated, multicultural character style, available in JavaScript, PHP, and Python. If that single look is what you want, it is a solid choice.
DiceBear covers the same languages and adds Rust, Go, and Dart, plus a larger set of styles and more output formats. It is the better fit for variety, while Multiavatar is the one to reach for when you love that specific character look.
DiceBear vs. Jdenticon
Jdenticon is a focused, dependency-free library that does geometric identicons really well. It runs in JavaScript, C#, and PHP, exports SVG and PNG, and is an excellent fit for .NET projects that just need identicons.
DiceBear also has an Identicon style if that is the look you want, along with many other styles and the HTTP API. When identicons are all you will ever need, Jdenticon is hard to beat, especially on .NET.
Which avatar library should you choose?
- Choose DiceBear for a range of art styles, deep customization, more than one language, several output formats, or self-hosting.
- Choose Boring Avatars for its gradient styles in a React app.
- Choose Avvvatars for a tiny two-style placeholder in React.
- Choose Multiavatar for its illustrated multicultural character look.
- Choose Jdenticon for geometric identicons, especially on .NET.
You can try any DiceBear style in the playground, or start with the JavaScript, PHP, Python, Rust, Go, or Dart library.