Ethers.js vs Web3.js

Quick Comparison

Ethers.js Example

import { ethers } from 'ethers';

const provider = new ethers.JsonRpcProvider(
  'https://eth-mainnet.g.alchemy.com/v2/YOUR_KEY'
);

const balance = await provider.getBalance('0x...');
console.log(ethers.formatEther(balance));

const wallet = new ethers.Wallet('privateKey', provider);
const tx = await wallet.sendTransaction({
  to: '0x...',
  value: ethers.parseEther('0.01')
});
        

Web3.js Example

import Web3 from 'web3';

const web3 = new Web3(
  'https://eth-mainnet.g.alchemy.com/v2/YOUR_KEY'
);

const balance = await web3.eth.getBalance('0x...');
console.log(web3.utils.fromWei(balance, 'ether'));

const account = web3.eth.accounts.privateKeyToAccount('0x...');
web3.eth.accounts.wallet.add(account);

const tx = await web3.eth.sendTransaction({
  from: account.address,
  to: '0x...',
  value: web3.utils.toWei('0.01', 'ether')
});
        

When to Use Each

• Choose Ethers.js: New projects, React/Vue apps, smaller bundle size needed
• Choose Web3.js: Legacy projects, need maximum compatibility