Quick verdict
Choose ThinkInsideTheBox if
Choose the other tool if
Side by side
| Feature | ThinkInsideTheBox | three.js editor |
|---|---|---|
| Main idea | A 3D physics scene you script | A general three.js scene editor |
| Built-in physics | Rapier rigid bodies, Verlet cloth | None bundled |
| Scripting | Per-frame scripts with a physics API | Per-object scripts: init, start, update, key and pointer events |
| Custom shaders | GLSL vertex and fragment shaders | GLSL vertex and fragment shaders |
| Export | GIF recording | glTF/GLB, OBJ, STL, PLY, USDZ, Draco |
| Saving | Cloud saves with a free account; share by link | In the browser (IndexedDB) and project.json files |
| Open source | No | Yes, MIT license |
| Learning material | 14 interactive lessons on graphics and physics | Built-in examples, plus the three.js docs |
three.js editor details are from its source code, checked November 2026. "None bundled" means no physics library ships in the editor's libraries.
Where the three.js editor is stronger
It's open source under the MIT license, exports to the standard 3D formats, and works with three.js scenes directly. If the scene is going into another project, or you want to change the tool, it's the better fit.
Where ThinkInsideTheBox is different
Physics is the starting point, not something to wire up. Objects already have mass, friction and restitution and collide with each other, and cloth already reacts to wind and pins. Scripts get functions made for simulation (impulses, torque, gravity scale, velocity) instead of raw scene access, so trying a mechanic takes a few lines. The game physics use case shows two examples.