DearFlip vs zinejs
DearFlip, formerly dFlip, is a flipbook plugin for WordPress and plain JavaScript, and its free WordPress plugin has more than 200,000 active installs. For a WordPress site that wants a no-code flipbook, DearFlip is the better choice. zinejs is the lighter, cheaper alternative for developers who embed flipbooks in their own code without jQuery or three.js.
Facts checked October 2026. zinejs is built by Awecode, which publishes this site. Competitor facts link to their sources, and each page says where the competitor is the better choice.
Side by side
| DearFlip | zinejs | |
|---|---|---|
| Form | WordPress plugin with admin screens; jQuery plugin; Joomla, Shopify, and Windows versions | JavaScript library, mounted from code |
| Free version | WordPress Lite (commercial use allowed); JS Lite 1.7.3 from 2020 under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, non-commercial only | Current release, free for non-commercial use |
| Commercial price, one site | WordPress: $39/year or $119 lifetime (Starter). JS: $49/year or $149 lifetime | $20 one-time |
| Dependencies | jQuery, three.js r148, pdf.js | None; pdf.js for PDFs |
| Viewer modes | WebGL 3D, CSS 2D, PDF viewer, slider, vertical scroll | WebGL2 curl or CSS flip |
| PDF features | Outline, custom table of contents, thumbnails; search, print, and clickable links in paid tiers | Search, outline, thumbnails, print, and download included |
| Popup or lightbox | Yes | No built-in lightbox |
| Right-to-left | Yes | Yes |
| Keyboard and ARIA | Not documented | Arrow keys, Home/End, live page announcements |
| WordPress usage | 200,000+ active installs, rated 98/100 | No WordPress plugin yet |
DearFlip covers more ground. zinejs covers less, at a lower price and a smaller page weight.
Where DearFlip is the better choice
DearFlip suits anyone who manages content in WordPress. Editors upload a PDF, pick a style, and paste a shortcode; categories and popups are handled in the admin screens. The Lite plugin is free for commercial sites, has more than 200,000 active installs, and holds a 98/100 rating from 193 reviews. Version 2.4.37 shipped on 9 September 2026.
DearFlip also offers more viewer modes, including a plain PDF viewer and a slider, plus page-turn sounds and lightbox popups. Its vendor sells versions for Joomla, Shopify, and Windows, so one look can span several platforms. zinejs has none of these today.
Where zinejs is the better choice
zinejs is for code that a developer controls: a React or Vue app, a static site, or a custom CMS. It mounts on any element, needs no jQuery, and ships TypeScript types and an event API for driving the book from your own interface.
The price gap is wide. A DearFlip JS license costs $49 a year or $149 lifetime for one site, while a zinejs commercial license is $20 once. The free DearFlip JS version is the old 1.7 line from 2020 under a non-commercial license, whereas the free zinejs tier is the current release.
Search, print, and download come with zinejs at no extra tier. In DearFlip Lite, PDF search, print, and clickable PDF links require a paid plan.
Page weight
Both libraries use pdf.js for PDFs, and pdf.js is the largest part of either stack. The difference is everything around it. Figures below are min+gzip, measured from the DearFlip Lite 2.4.37 plugin files and from the zinejs 1.0.0 files on jsDelivr.
| File | DearFlip Lite | zinejs |
|---|---|---|
| Viewer | 62.9 KB | About 46 KB (core, WebGL renderer, toolbar, PDF source) |
| three.js | 157.2 KB | Not used |
| jQuery | Required (about 30 KB) | Not used |
| pdf.js main | 63.7 to 108.4 KB, by bundled version | 150.8 KB (pdf.js 6.4 legacy build) |
| pdf.js worker | 248 to 409 KB | 391.3 KB |
zinejs saves roughly 200 KB of three.js and jQuery on the main thread. The pdf.js share is similar for both, and zinejs uses the larger legacy build by default for older browsers.
Which to pick
- WordPress site, editors without code: DearFlip Lite, then a paid tier if PDF links or search matter.
- Several platforms with one look (Joomla, Shopify): DearFlip.
- A developer embedding flipbooks in an app or static site: zinejs.
For WordPress, DearFlip is the clear pick until zinejs ships a plugin. Outside WordPress, zinejs costs less and loads less.
Questions
Is DearFlip free?
The WordPress Lite plugin is free, including on commercial sites. The free JavaScript version is the 2020 1.7 release under a non-commercial license; the current JS version costs $49 a year or $149 lifetime for one site.
Is dFlip the same as DearFlip?
Yes. dFlip was the original name, and the WordPress plugin is still listed as "3D FlipBook: DearFlip Lite". The vendor, DearHive, has stopped selling on CodeCanyon and sells from dearflip.com.
Does DearFlip need jQuery?
Yes. The WordPress plugin registers its viewer script with jQuery as a dependency, and the JS version is a jQuery plugin. zinejs has no jQuery dependency.
Can zinejs be used in WordPress?
Yes, with code: load the UMD build from a CDN in a theme or custom block and mount it on an element. A WordPress plugin with admin screens is not available yet.