Are you searching for the best framework that suits your web development needs? Torn between React & Vue.JS for your next project? This article hopes to make this decision easier for you.
As we all know, Vue.JS and React.JS are the most popular frameworks in the world of web development. Both these tools offer developers a highly productive approach to creating different digital applications, but each is armed with its unique set of characteristics that fulfill different business needs. Before getting into their differences, let’s get a basic understanding of both these frameworks.
What is React JS?
React.JS is a front-end, free, and open-source javascript UI library that was developed by Facebook (now Meta) in 2011 to build user interfaces based on individual components of an application. It can be used to develop single-page, server-rendered, or mobile apps with frameworks like Next.JS.
React allows developers to use individual components of their apps on both the server side and the client side. This boosts the speed of the process of web development. Below are a few statistics about React.JS:
- According to GitHub, React has 42.9K+ Forked projects and has received over 206K stars.
- With this huge community of contributors in its evolution, there are over 13.55M live websites built using React.
- According to the StackOverFlow survey 2023, more than 42.87% of professional developers use React.JS and 40.58% of all respondents use React.JS.
React.JS can be used to build many types and scales of apps like Single Page Applications (SPAs), Media sites, Video streaming platforms, SaaS solutions, Content Management Systems (CMS), Progressive Web Apps (PWA), Interactive Dashboards, E-commerce Websites, Educational Apps, Travel Booking Apps, Desktop Apps, and Mobile Apps.
Many top-notch brands have used React.JS to build their apps, such as Facebook, Walmart, Airbnb, Netflix, Twitter (now X), Myntra, Uber, Pinterest, Grammarly, and many more.
Pros and Cons
Following are some of the Pros of using React.JS:
- Smoother and enhanced user experience and faster loading speed
- Easy-to-read code
- Reusable components
- Improvement in efficiency and effectiveness
- Easier to learn
- Huge and active community
- Develop high-quality, high-performing, and scalable applications
- SEO-friendly
- Uses Virtual DOM
Here are a few of the Cons of using React.JS:
- Needs constant updates
- It’s a library, not a Framework
- Increased code complexity
- Difficult to learn for beginners
- Focuses only on UI layers of the application
What is Vue.JS?
Vue.JS is an open-source, MVVM-based, and high-performing front-end JavaScript framework used to build user interfaces and single-page applications (SPAs). It is very popular amongst developers because it’s simple, versatile, and flexible.
Vue.JS has an easy-to-adapt nature which makes it the best to update current digital applications. It can also be used to build new apps right from scratch. Following are some statistics about Vue.JS:
- According to Reddit, Vue.js has a wide and active community of 99k members and comes in the top 5% of communities ranked by size.
- As per the survey of BuiltWith, over 1,689,786 live websites use Vue currently.
- According to the StackOverFlow survey 2023, 16.38% of all respondents use Vue.JS and 17.64% of professional developers use it.
Vue.JS can be used to build many types of front-end web applications like Single-page Applications (SPAs), Progressive Web Applications, E-commerce Websites, 2D Board Games, Online Ticket Booking Platforms, Content Management Systems (CMS), and Real-time Web Applications.
Many top brands have utilized Vue.js to make their web apps, such as Trivago, Behance, Upwork, Adobe Portfolio, and many more.
Pros and Cons
Here are some of the Pros of using Vue.JS for web development projects:
- Short and Simple To Learn
- Simple App Development Process
- Wide Array of Support Tools
- Doesn’t Occupy Much Space & is Faster
- Easy to Integrate with Other Frameworks
Following are some of the Cons to using Vue.JS:
- Ecosystem is Narrow
- Smaller Community
- Too Flexibility Leads To Irregularities & Errors in Code
- Countless and Frequent Updates
- Language Barrier Due To Its Creation in China
- Limited Amount of Plug-ins
- Mobile Browser Incompatibility Issues
What Are The Similarities Between React & Vue?
Before jumping into the differences between React & Vue, let’s first understand the key similarities between them:
- Both frameworks partially use JavaScript which means that web developers who know JavaScript can easily navigate React and Vue both.
- Both frameworks are open-source projects, free to use, and have a dedicated community of developers.
- React and Vue are focused on the view library and are used to build dynamic and interactive UIs.
- Both React and Vue are front-end frameworks that support Virtual DOM and help in building UI components.
- Both React and Vue can be used in building Progressive Web Apps that offer a native-like experience to users.
- React and Vue become the ideal choice for rapid app development projects due to both having component-based structures.
What Are The Key Differences Between React.JS & Vue.JS?
Both popular JavaScript framework development technologies have their pros and cons. But there are some areas where one supersedes the other. So, let’s find out the major differences between them
Syntax
One of the most key differences between React and Vue is the building method of their view library. Vue uses HTML templates by default but can write them in JSX as an alternative. React only uses JSX. Its JSX combines both HTML & CSS into JavaScript.
Popularity
While comparing the popularity of React vs Vue, React wins this round marginally. React is supported by Facebook (now Meta) and so it is widely used by business owners for developing web and mobile applications. React has more than 189k stars on GitHub. There are more than 331,000 #reactjs questions on StackOverflow. React also has a huge and active community. In comparison to React, Vue is known as a young and growing framework because React has been around since 2013. Vue has over 196k stars on GitHub and more than 74,000 questions on StackOverflow.
App Performance & Speed
When you compare React vs Vue based on their speed, Vue is faster than React. Both frameworks perform decently in comparison as they both have a similar-sized architecture using virtual DOM. React.JS stands out from any other front-end frameworks when developing highly performant web applications due to its component-based architecture, a lightweight UI library to reduce DOM manipulation, to eliminate the app code clutter by offering to reuse components and help build robust and efficient SPAs. Due to its server-side rendering, lazy loading feature, and strong design principles, Vue.JS helps enhance the app’s speed and performance.
Learning Curve
When comparing React vs Vue based on their learning curve, Vue takes over the React framework easily. It can take anywhere from a few days to less than a week for anyone to learn Vue, based on your grasp on E6 functions fundamentals. It is also relatively easy to learn the documentation of Vue, especially for those with prior knowledge of JavaScript but a language barrier could be an issue due to lack of translation of some documented resources.
App Scalability
Their approach to HTML is one of the biggest differences between React and Vue. React is more scalable due to its ability to allow web developers to write template code in JavaScript, whereas Vue is less scalable due to its use of regular-old HTML for writing templates. Vue is more beginner-friendly as it allows developers to freely use CSS and HTML in standard forms, whereas React is more complex as it uses a syntax extension (JSX) which allows developers to integrate HTML with JS code.
Mobile Device Adaptability
React wins hands down over Vue when it comes to mobile device adaptability. Although React seems like a small library, it can be used by developers to seamlessly build Android and iOS native apps with React Native App Development, whereas Vue has paired with NativeScript to create cross-platform apps. React Native was released by Facebook with its key focus on mobile app development. It is often considered to be one of the best cross-platform frameworks by web developers because it enables developers to reuse up to 99% of the code for cross-platform app development between Android and iOS.
Flexibility
The flexibility of React is well known, as it enables web developers to install third-party components of their choice, whereas Vue suggests a few sets of components to choose from to create application features. Experienced developers often enjoy the flexibility of React and beginners prefer the approachability of Vue. Due to its extensively active open-source community, any complexities or errors occurring during front-end web development can be easily dealt with, giving React.JS the upper hand.
How Can Aarrsol Help You in Front-end Framework Development?
So, the final question that comes to mind is which one to choose in 2024; React or Vue. But to be honest, it would take a lot of work to find a suitable answer as both are equally robust candidates. The ultimate choice between the best framework by comparing React vs Vue depends on your business requirements, preferences, and objectives. If you wish to create a complex feature-rich app, then choose React.JS, whereas to create a simple, lightweight, flexible application choose Vue.JS framework. Hopefully, this article has given you a clear picture to choose the suitable front-end technology for your business web app development.
However, for business owners who are still unsure about the choice between Vue or React, you can always reach out to the web experts at Aarrsol, who are dedicated to producing top-notch apps that exceed customer expectations. Our team at Aarrsol is adept at developing native apps for Android, iOS, and Windows platforms that can take full advantage of device capabilities, easily adjust to different screen sizes, and support push notifications.
So, share your requirements today and convert your investment into better returns for your bright business future.
