oxframe vs Manim

Pick oxframe when you want a live editor with a timeline, a browser playground with nothing to install, and video, sound and charts in one scene. Pick Manim when the video is a math lecture with typeset formulas, or the Python ecosystem around it is the point.

At a glance

One scene in both

The two scenes from the Manim migration guide: a circle drawn on and turned into a square, then a sine curve with a dot that rides it. 1080p at 60 fps.

from manim import *


class Hello(Scene):
    def construct(self):
        circle = Circle(radius=1.5, color=RED)
        self.play(Create(circle))
        self.play(Transform(circle, Square(side_length=3, color=BLUE)))
        self.play(circle.animate.shift(RIGHT * 2))
        self.wait()


class Graph(Scene):
    def construct(self):
        axes = Axes(x_range=[-3, 3], y_range=[-1.5, 1.5])
        sine = axes.plot(lambda x: np.sin(x), color=BLUE)
        self.add(axes)
        self.play(Create(sine))
        x = ValueTracker(-3)
        dot = always_redraw(lambda: Dot(axes.i2gp(x.get_value(), sine)))
        self.add(dot)
        self.play(x.animate.set_value(3), run_time=2)
        self.wait(0.5)

use oxframe::prelude::*;

fn circle(r: f64) -> BezPath {
    use oxframe::core::kurbo::Shape;
    oxframe::core::kurbo::Circle::new((0.0, 0.0), r).to_path(0.1)
}

#[oxframe::scene]
pub async fn hello(view: View) {
    let shape = view.add(
        Path::new()
            .data(circle(150.0))
            .fill(Color::TRANSPARENT)
            .stroke(color!("#e13238"))
            .line_width(6.0)
            .end(0.0),
    );
    shape.draw_on().await; // Create(circle)
    all((
        // Transform(circle, Square(...)): any path morphs into any other
        shape.data().to(BezPath::from_svg("M-150 -150 H150 V150 H-150 Z").unwrap(), 1.0),
        shape.stroke().to(color!("#68abdf"), 1.0),
    ))
    .await;
    shape.x().to(300.0, 1.0).await; // circle.animate.shift(RIGHT * 2)
    wait_for(1.0).await; // self.wait()
}

#[oxframe::scene]
pub async fn graph(view: View) {
    let axes = view.add(
        Axes::new()
            .x_range(-3.0..3.0)
            .y_range(-1.5..1.5)
            .width(pct(80))
            .height(pct(60)),
    );
    let sine = axes.plot(|x| x.sin()).stroke(Accent);
    sine.draw_on().await; // Create(sine)
    let x = Signal::new(-3.0); // ValueTracker(-3)
    axes.point_on(&sine, x.clone()); // the dot follows x, like always_redraw
    x.to(3.0, 2.0).await; // x.animate.set_value(3), run_time=2
    wait_for(0.5).await;
}

pub fn project() -> Project {
    Project::new("hello").scene(hello()).scene(graph())
}

Render time

Each time is the whole render command, start to file. oxframe's scene is already compiled; after a one-line edit, cargo build adds about 0.6 s. On a scene this short the GPU spends more time starting than drawing, so the CPU renderer wins. The script is bench/vs/measure.sh: run it to time both on your machine.

Where each one is strong

When to pick Manim

• The video is about formulas and needs LaTeX or Typst.
• You write Python and want its scientific libraries in the scene.
• You want the 3Blue1Brown look and the largest set of examples to learn from.

When to pick oxframe

• You want a timeline editor, or a playground in the browser with nothing to install.
• The video mixes plots with code, clips, sound and a voice.
• An agent writes the scenes and should check them itself.
• You need vertical and square versions of the same scene.

Moving from Manim

The Manim migration guide maps Scene, self.play, Transform, Axes and ValueTracker to oxframe and ports both scenes above. Formulas do not carry over yet.

FAQ

Can oxframe render LaTeX formulas?

Not yet. Typst formulas are planned but postponed while their cost to the browser playground is weighed. For formula-heavy videos, Manim is the better fit today.

Do I need to install anything to try oxframe?

No. The playground on oxframe.dev compiles and plays a scene in the browser. To render video locally you need Rust and ffmpeg.

What does Manim need installed?

Python with Cairo and Pango development libraries (pkg-config, cairo and pango on Linux and macOS) and, for typeset formulas, a LaTeX distribution. Typst support is an optional Python extra.

Does oxframe have something like ValueTracker?

Yes: signals. A Signal holds a value that animates over time, and other properties can be bound to it, as the dot bound to the sine curve in the scene above.

Is oxframe faster than Manim?

On the guide scenes on one laptop, oxframe is faster; the numbers and the script are on this page. For long scenes with many objects, measure your own: Manim's OpenGL renderer and caching change the picture.

Can I make a 3Blue1Brown-style video in oxframe?

The parts are there: axes, plots, morphing paths, a moving camera, transforms of the plane. Typeset formulas are the missing piece.

Sources

Checked on October 22, 2026. Found something out of date? Open an issue on oxframe-web.

• Manim Community on GitHub
• Manim releases
• Manim installation
• oxframe license and what leaves your machine
• oxframe-sdk on GitHub

Other comparisons

• oxframe vs Remotion
• oxframe vs HyperFrames
• oxframe vs fframes
• oxframe vs Motion Canvas
• oxframe vs Revideo
• oxframe vs cloud video APIs
• Remotion alternatives

Get started with oxframe