DEV Community

Cover image for Svelte Data Tables for 2024: A Comprehensive Feature Comparison
Olga T.
Olga T.

Posted on • Updated on

Svelte Data Tables for 2024: A Comprehensive Feature Comparison

If you're using Svelte for your web project and need to add a data table, you have two main options. One is to build it yourself, which can be a respectable and flexible approach. However, as with many tasks that seem simple at first glance, it may take more time and effort than expected. The second option is to use a pre-built UI component that offers the necessary functionality but may require some adjustments to fit your specific needs.

In this article, we’ll review and compare available Svelte data tables, including both open-source and paid options. This will help you evaluate each based on features, price, and flexibility, so you can choose the solution that best fits your project.

Open Source Basic Data Tables

We’ll start with basic data tables that provide straightforward tabular data display. All of these options are part of a broader Svelte UI library, making them ideal if you want a consistent UI across your project.

Flowbite Svelte Table is a Svelte component that helps you display text, images, links, and other elements inside an elegantly-designed data table. The entire Flowbite Svelte library is built using Tailwind CSS, which is a plus if Tailwind is your styling framework of choice.
GitHub: 2.1k ⭐
License: MIT

Svelte Material UI Data Table offers an easy way to implement a simple data table that follows the Material Design specifications and is styled using Sass.
GitHub: 3.3k ⭐
License: Apache 2.0

Carbon Components Table is likely the most feature-packed among these basic Svelte data tables. While it might not be the most aesthetically pleasing, it’s functional and can fit well in technical applications.
GitHub: 2.7k ⭐
License: Apache 2.0

Key Features Comparison Table

Features Flowbite Svelte Svelte Material UI Carbon Components
Striped rows - - ✔️
RTL support - - -
Select rows with checkbox ✔️ ✔️ ✔️
Quick search ✔️ - ✔️
Sorting ✔️ ✔️ ✔️
Header caption (for screen readers) ✔️ - ✔️
Expandable rows ✔️ - ✔️
Loading progress indicator - ✔️ ✔️
Sticky header - ✔️ ✔️
Built-in pagination - ✔️ ✔️

Advanced Svelte Data Grids

Now, let's consider more advanced data grids that allow you not only display tabular data but add some complex functionality like in-cell editing, filtering, flexible column layout and behavior, data selection, and more.

SVAR Svelte DataGrid is the only one in our list written 100% in Svelte and which can be integrated in your Svelte app without any wrappers. This data grid offers advanced features such as pinned and collapsible columns, tree data, flexible column sizing, and export to CSV. It boasts a responsive design and handles large datasets efficiently.
License: MIT

Ag-Grid is probably the most popular JavaScript datagrid out there with the big community and powerful feature set, including animation, pivot grid, advanced filtering, tree data and master rows. However, many of the complex features are available only in the Enterprise Edition. There is an unofficial Svelte wrapper that you can use to add Ag-Grid to your app.
GitHub: 12.6k ⭐
License: Community Edition - MIT, Enterprise Edition - $999 per developer.

Revogrid is a framework-agnostic data grid built on top of StencilJS, a compiler that generates Web Components. The grid comes with the Svelte adapter that simplifies the integration. Revogrid supports lots of robust features but some of them are available only in PRO version, e.g. Excel-like complex formulas, master rows, pagination, advanced filtering options, and more.
GitHub: 2.7k ⭐
License: MIT, paid PRO version with additional features.

Tabulator is an open source JavaScript library for creating interactive tables and data grids. It provides a ton of complex features and customizing options out of the box, including filtering, grouping, rich editing, columns calculation features as well as accessibility support. While not originally built for Svelte, it offers a Svelte adapter that makes integration seamless.
GitHub: 6.6k ⭐
License: MIT

Grid.js is an open source table component written in TypeScript. It's very lightweight, provides the most basic functionality, fast performance and has the Svelte wrapper if you need to use it with Svelte.
GitHub: 4.4k ⭐
License: MIT

Columns Related Features

Features SVAR DataGrid Ag-Grid Revogrid Tabulator Grid.js
Flexible column width ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️
Resizable columns ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️
Column reordering - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ -
Pinned columns ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ -
Hide/show columns ✔️ ✔️ - ✔️ ✔️
Collapsible columns ✔️ ✔️ - ✔️ -
Columns grouping ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️
Column span - ✔️ - - -

Rows Related Features

Features SVAR DataGrid Ag-Grid Revogrid Tabulator Grid.js
Sorting ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️
Tree structure ✔️ Enterprise - ✔️ -
Expandable rows - Enterprise - ✔️ -
Multiple rows selection ✔️ ✔️ PRO ✔️ With plugin
Pinned rows - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ -
Rows reordering - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ -
Master rows - Enterprise PRO ✔️ -
Rows grouping - Enterprise - ✔️ -
Rows span - ✔️ ✔️ - -

Other Advanced Features

Features SVAR DataGrid Ag-Grid Revogrid Tabulator Grid.js
Search - ✔️ - ✔️ ✔️
Advanced filtering - Enterprise ✔️ ✔️ -
Pagination ✔️ Enterprise PRO ✔️ ✔️
In-cell editing ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ -
Data validation - ✔️ PRO ✔️ -
Cell formatting and HTML content ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️
Support for CRUD operations ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ -
Virtual scrolling ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ -
Clipboard support - Enterprise ✔️ ✔️ -
Accessibility - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ -
Keyboard navigation ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ -
Data export Excel, CSV CSV, Excel (Enterprise) CSV, Excel (PRO) Excel, CSV -

Headless Data Tables

We didn't review the headless solutions in this comparison but I think I would mention these options too. These headless tables provide a different approach, offering functions, state management, utilities, and event listeners that allow you to build your own custom table markup from scratch. All of them are open source and free to use under MIT license:

TanStack Table offers a rich feature set (filtering, column and row pinning, grouping, row expanding) and a Svelte adapter, which is a wrapper around the core table logic.
GitHub: 25k ⭐

Svelte Table is a simple headless Svelte table that allows sorting, filtering and expandable rows.
GitHub: 520 ⭐

Svelte Headless Table provides TypeScript support, multi-orting, column reordering, row grouping and aggregation, filtering, row expansion, and more. It is also used in shadcn-svelte as a data table component.
GitHub: 474 ⭐

Svelte Simple DataTables is another headless solution that supports TypeScript, filtering, paging, sorting, row selection, and CRUD operations.
GitHub: 413 ⭐

Final Thoughts

As we've explored in this comprehensive review of data table components for Svelte, developers have a range of options to choose from, each with its own strengths and trade-offs.

For those seeking simplicity and seamless integration with Svelte, open-source UI libraries like Flowbite Svelte, Svelte Material UI, Carbon Components offer basic table solutions. These are good choices for projects with straightforward data display.

For more complex requirements, there are advanced data grids available under open source or paid licenses. If you're looking for a native Svelte integration, SVAR Svelte DataGrid offers a high-performance solution with features like virtual scrolling and tree data support. If you're ready to use JavaScript data grids with Svelte wrappers, Ag-Grid, Revogrid or Tabulator provide robust alternatives with extensive feature set and larger community.

Of course, the "best" option depends on your unique project requirements. Whether you prioritize simplicity, advanced features, customization options, technical support or cost-effectiveness, there's likely a Svelte-compatible data table solution that fits your needs.

Top comments (3)

Collapse
 
webjose profile image
José Pablo Ramírez Vargas

How does mine compare? @wjfe/dataview

Collapse
 
olga_tash profile image
Olga T.

Your Svelte datagrid looks really promising! It has some powerful features already. A little UI polishing could take it to the next level, but you're definitely on the right track.

Collapse
 
webjose profile image
José Pablo Ramírez Vargas

Thanks, but it is not a grid as it does not satisfy the accessibility requirements of a grid. This is a table component only. I might work on a grid, but because these are far more complex, I don't think it would be for free.