Pros of flatpickr

• Lightweight and dependency-free
• Extensive customization options and plugins
• Better cross-browser compatibility

Cons of flatpickr

• Steeper learning curve for advanced features
• Less intuitive for simple use cases

Code Comparison

flatpickr:

flatpickr("#myDatePicker", {
  enableTime: true,
  dateFormat: "Y-m-d H:i",
  minDate: "today"
});

datetimepicker:

jQuery('#myDatePicker').datetimepicker({
  format: 'Y-m-d H:i',
  minDate: 0
});

Key Differences

• flatpickr is a standalone library, while datetimepicker requires jQuery
• flatpickr offers more modern features and a wider range of customization options
• datetimepicker has a simpler API for basic use cases

Performance

flatpickr generally performs better due to its lightweight nature and lack of dependencies. It has a smaller file size and faster load times compared to datetimepicker.

Community and Maintenance

Both projects have active communities, but flatpickr has seen more recent updates and contributions. It also has a larger user base and more frequent releases.

Conclusion

Choose flatpickr for modern, lightweight, and highly customizable date/time picking functionality. Opt for datetimepicker if you prefer a simpler API and are already using jQuery in your project.

Pros of Pikaday

• Lightweight and dependency-free
• Highly customizable with extensive theming options
• Better cross-browser compatibility, including older browsers

Cons of Pikaday

• Less feature-rich compared to datetimepicker
• Requires more manual configuration for advanced use cases
• Limited built-in localization support

Code Comparison

datetimepicker:

$('#datetimepicker').datetimepicker({
  format: 'Y-m-d H:i',
  inline: true,
  lang: 'en'
});

Pikaday:

var picker = new Pikaday({
  field: document.getElementById('datepicker'),
  format: 'YYYY-MM-DD',
  onSelect: function(date) {
    console.log(date);
  }
});

Both libraries offer simple initialization, but datetimepicker provides more built-in options like inline display and language selection. Pikaday requires additional configuration for similar functionality but offers more flexibility in terms of customization and integration with other libraries or frameworks.

Pros of bootstrap-datepicker

• Better integration with Bootstrap framework
• More extensive documentation and examples
• Wider range of customization options for appearance and behavior

Cons of bootstrap-datepicker

• Larger file size, potentially impacting page load times
• Steeper learning curve due to more complex configuration options
• Less frequent updates and maintenance compared to datetimepicker

Code Comparison

bootstrap-datepicker:

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

datetimepicker:

$('#datetimepicker').datetimepicker({
    format: 'd/m/Y H:i',
    minDate: '-1970/01/02',
    allowTimes: ['12:00', '13:00', '15:00']
});

Both libraries offer similar functionality for date and time selection, but bootstrap-datepicker focuses more on date-only selection with Bootstrap-specific styling. datetimepicker provides a more compact solution for both date and time selection with a wider range of formatting options.

The choice between these libraries depends on your specific project requirements, such as Bootstrap integration, date/time selection needs, and desired customization level.

Pros of daterangepicker

• Supports selecting date ranges, not just single dates
• Offers more customization options and configurations
• Includes time picker functionality

Cons of daterangepicker

• Larger file size and potentially heavier performance impact
• Steeper learning curve due to more complex API

Code Comparison

datetimepicker:

$('#datetimepicker').datetimepicker({
  format: 'Y-m-d H:i',
  inline: true
});

daterangepicker:

$('#daterangepicker').daterangepicker({
  timePicker: true,
  startDate: moment().startOf('hour'),
  endDate: moment().startOf('hour').add(32, 'hour'),
  locale: {
    format: 'YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm'
  }
});

Summary

Both datetimepicker and daterangepicker are popular date and time selection libraries for web applications. datetimepicker is simpler and more lightweight, focusing on single date selection with optional time picking. daterangepicker offers more advanced features, including date range selection and extensive customization options, but comes with a larger footprint and more complex usage. The choice between the two depends on the specific requirements of your project, such as the need for date range selection or the level of customization desired.