Pros of flatpickr

• Lightweight and dependency-free
• Supports a wide range of date and time formats
• Highly customizable with extensive theming options

Cons of flatpickr

• Less integrated with Bootstrap styling
• Steeper learning curve for advanced customizations
• Smaller community compared to Bootstrap Datepicker

Code Comparison

bootstrap-datepicker:

$('#datepicker').datepicker({
    format: 'mm/dd/yyyy',
    startDate: '-3d'
});

flatpickr:

flatpickr("#datepicker", {
    dateFormat: "m/d/Y",
    minDate: "today",
    maxDate: new Date().fp_incr(14)
});

Both libraries offer similar basic functionality, but flatpickr provides more built-in options for date ranges and formatting. Bootstrap Datepicker relies more on Bootstrap's styling, while flatpickr offers more flexibility in terms of appearance and customization.

flatpickr is generally considered more modern and feature-rich, but Bootstrap Datepicker may be easier to integrate into existing Bootstrap projects. The choice between the two often depends on specific project requirements and the developer's familiarity with each library.

Pros of Pikaday

• Lightweight and dependency-free, making it easier to integrate into various projects
• Highly customizable with extensive theming options
• Better support for mobile devices and touch interfaces

Cons of Pikaday

• Less extensive documentation compared to Bootstrap Datepicker
• Smaller community and fewer contributors, potentially leading to slower updates
• Lacks some advanced features present in Bootstrap Datepicker, such as range selection

Code Comparison

Bootstrap Datepicker:

$('#datepicker').datepicker({
    format: 'mm/dd/yyyy',
    startDate: '-3d'
});

Pikaday:

var picker = new Pikaday({
    field: document.getElementById('datepicker'),
    format: 'MM/DD/YYYY',
    minDate: new Date(new Date().setDate(new Date().getDate() - 3))
});

Both libraries offer similar functionality for basic date picking, but their initialization and configuration syntax differ. Bootstrap Datepicker uses jQuery and follows a more traditional plugin-style initialization, while Pikaday uses vanilla JavaScript and a more modern object-oriented approach.

Pros of daterangepicker

• Supports selecting date ranges, not just single dates
• Includes time picker functionality
• More modern UI with customizable themes

Cons of daterangepicker

• Larger file size and potentially more complex to implement
• Less extensive documentation compared to bootstrap-datepicker
• May have a steeper learning curve for beginners

Code Comparison

bootstrap-datepicker:

$('#datepicker').datepicker({
    format: 'mm/dd/yyyy',
    startDate: '-3d'
});

daterangepicker:

$('input[name="daterange"]').daterangepicker({
    startDate: moment().subtract(3, 'days'),
    endDate: moment(),
    locale: {
        format: 'MM/DD/YYYY'
    }
});

Both libraries offer easy-to-use initialization, but daterangepicker provides more built-in options for selecting date ranges and handling time. bootstrap-datepicker focuses on single date selection with a simpler API, while daterangepicker offers more advanced features out of the box. The choice between the two depends on the specific requirements of your project, such as the need for date ranges, time selection, and UI preferences.

Pros of datepicker

• Lightweight and dependency-free, making it easier to integrate into various projects
• Supports a wide range of date formats and locales out of the box
• Offers more customization options for appearance and behavior

Cons of datepicker

• Less extensive documentation compared to bootstrap-datepicker
• Smaller community and fewer third-party extensions available
• May require more manual styling to match specific design requirements

Code Comparison

bootstrap-datepicker:

$('#datepicker').datepicker({
    format: 'mm/dd/yyyy',
    startDate: '-3d'
});

datepicker:

const picker = new Datepicker(document.getElementById('datepicker'), {
    format: 'mm/dd/yyyy',
    startDate: new Date(Date.now() - 3 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000)
});

Both libraries offer similar functionality, but datepicker provides a more modern, vanilla JavaScript approach. The bootstrap-datepicker relies on jQuery, while datepicker is a standalone solution. The syntax for initialization and option setting differs slightly, with datepicker using a more object-oriented approach.