Image Loading Libraries in Android

Android is an operating system which is built on mobile phones. It’s based on the Linux kernel. Working with Images in Android is part of the application. 

These images come from local storage on the internet, so loading images into views needs to be effective. One of the basic tasks of every developer is to know how to load image in the mobile application.

Also, this library helps images with good performance. so in this article let’s discuss the top 4 Image libraries in Android.

Android OS mainly uses image libraries. Libraries provide how to effectively and smoothly display an image with placeholder images so users should have time to load the image. Sometimes the image is not visible in the holder image.

List of image loader libraries

1. Picasso

2. Glide

3. Fresco

4. Coil 

 

1. Picasso

Picasso is an open-source and one of the most used image loader libraries in Android. It is one of the most popular downloads and caching libraries in Android. 

Picasso simplifies the process of loading images from external URLs and displaying them on the application. For example, image visibility is the most common task of applications as images come from Android network APIs.

Picasso Dependency

For using Picasso in the Android project add the dependency in the Gradle file. So, For adding dependency open app -> build.gradle file in the app folder in the Android project and add the following lines inside it.

implementation 'com.squareup.picasso:picasso:10.8.3'

2. Glide

Glide is the same as Picasso and displays images from many sources and image loaded URL stored in caching does not take much time. Glide takes a low memory while imaging URL loading. From server APIs. it will also support GIF images  and handles and loading/cashing.

 

Glide Dependency

For using Glide in the Android project add the dependency in the Gradle file. So, For adding dependency open app -> build.gradle file in the app folder in the Android project and add the following lines inside it.

implementation 'com.github.pump tech.glide:glide:3.5.2'

3. Fresco

Fresco is the same as other image-loading libraries for displaying images in Android applications. Fresco is developed by the good folks at Facebook. Fresco is a prominent feature that is the main memory and storage memory for caching images on the application.

 

Fresco Dependency

For using Fresco in the Android project add the dependency in the Gradle file. So, For adding dependency open app -> build.gradle file in the app folder in the Android project and add the following lines inside it.

implementation 'com.Facebook.fresco:fresco:3.1.3'

4. COIL (Coroutine Image Loader)

COIL is an image-loading library for Android by Kotlin coroutines. COIL is fast and performs very high at time image loading on the Android application screen. The coil library provides pausing/canceling requests on the image. It will provide a lightweight for loading images and significantly lead the Glide and fresco. COIL is Kotlin's first time utilizing modern libraries such as coroutines, Okhttp, Okio, and AndroidX.

 

COIL Dependency

For using COIL in the Android project add the dependency in the Gradle file. So, For adding dependency open app -> build.gradle file in the app folder in the Android project and add the following lines inside it. It’s available on mavenCentral().

implementation 'io. coil-kt:coil:3.0.0'

In conclusion, choosing the right image-loading library can make a big difference in your Android application's performance and user experience. With so many great options available, like Coil, Fresco, and Glide, you can find a library that fits your specific needs and helps your app shine!