JavaScript continues to dominate the web development landscape in 2025, and free libraries remain essential tools for developers. From UI components to data visualization and utility helpers, the right JavaScript libraries can help you ship faster, maintain cleaner code, and enhance user experience. Below is a curated list of the best free JavaScript libraries every web developer should know about in 2025, complete with download links, CDN integration, and working examples.
1. jQuery
Even though modern JavaScript has reduced the need for jQuery, it still powers millions of websites and remains a useful library for quick DOM manipulation, AJAX calls, and animations.
Example Usage
<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/jquery/3.7.1/jquery.min.js"></script>
<script>
$(document).ready(function(){
$("#btn").click(function(){
$("#box").fadeToggle();
});
});
</script>
<button id="btn">Toggle</button>
<div id="box">Hello jQuery!</div>
2. Lodash
Lodash is a utility library that makes working with arrays, objects, and functions much easier. It’s extremely popular in both frontend and backend projects.
Example Usage
<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/lodash.js/4.17.21/lodash.min.js"></script>
<script>
const numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5];
console.log(_.shuffle(numbers));
</script>
3. Chart.js
Chart.js is one of the most popular free libraries for data visualization. It provides simple and elegant charts with minimal configuration.
Example Usage
<canvas id="myChart"></canvas>
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/chart.js"></script>
<script>
const ctx = document.getElementById('myChart');
new Chart(ctx, {
type: 'bar',
data: {
labels: ['Red', 'Blue', 'Yellow'],
datasets: [{
label: 'Votes',
data: [12, 19, 3],
backgroundColor: ['red','blue','yellow']
}]
}
});
</script>
4. Axios
Axios is a promise-based HTTP client, widely used for making API requests. It works in both browser and Node.js environments.
Example Usage
<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/axios/1.6.7/axios.min.js"></script>
<script>
axios.get('https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts/1')
.then(response => console.log(response.data))
.catch(error => console.error(error));
</script>
5. Three.js
Three.js brings 3D graphics to the browser with WebGL. It’s ideal for building games, data visualizations, and immersive experiences.
Example Usage
<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/three.js/r148/three.min.js"></script>
<script>
const scene = new THREE.Scene();
const camera = new THREE.PerspectiveCamera(75, window.innerWidth/window.innerHeight, 0.1, 1000);
const renderer = new THREE.WebGLRenderer();
renderer.setSize(window.innerWidth, window.innerHeight);
document.body.appendChild(renderer.domElement);
</script>
6. Anime.js
A lightweight animation library that works with CSS, DOM, and SVG elements.
Example Usage
<div id="box" style="width:100px;height:100px;background:red;"></div>
<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/animejs/3.2.1/anime.min.js"></script>
<script>
anime({
targets: '#box',
translateX: 250,
duration: 2000,
loop: true
});
</script>
7. Moment.js (with Day.js Alternative)
Official Website | Day.js Alternative
Moment.js is a classic library for date manipulation, while Day.js is a modern lightweight replacement.
Example Usage (Day.js)
<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/dayjs/1.11.10/dayjs.min.js"></script>
<script>
console.log(dayjs().format('YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss'));
</script>
8. D3.js
D3.js is a powerful library for data visualization that lets you bind data to DOM elements and create dynamic charts, maps, and diagrams.
Example Usage
<script src="https://d3js.org/d3.v7.min.js"></script>
<script>
d3.select("body").append("p").text("Hello, D3.js!");
</script>
9. FullCalendar
A feature-rich calendar library for scheduling and event management applications.
Example Usage
<link href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/fullcalendar@6.1.8/main.min.css" rel="stylesheet">
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/fullcalendar@6.1.8/main.min.js"></script>
<div id="calendar"></div>
<script>
document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() {
var calendar = new FullCalendar.Calendar(document.getElementById('calendar'), {
initialView: 'dayGridMonth'
});
calendar.render();
});
</script>
10. SweetAlert2
SweetAlert2 replaces boring browser alerts with beautiful, customizable popups.
Example Usage
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/sweetalert2@11"></script>
<script>
Swal.fire({
title: 'Success!',
text: 'Your form has been submitted.',
icon: 'success'
});
</script>
Conclusion
The JavaScript ecosystem in 2025 is more powerful than ever. Libraries like Lodash, Axios, and Chart.js remain essential for everyday tasks, while advanced tools like Three.js and D3.js unlock new opportunities for 3D experiences and data visualization. By leveraging these free libraries, developers can build high-performance, interactive, and scalable web applications with minimal effort.