Angular, React or Vue.Js for my web application?

So, you have a project in mind that would make a killer web app, and you're thinking about hiring software developers to make that project a reality. What type of developer should you look for?

At first glance, the answer may seem simple: a full stack developer who can handle both the frontend and backend of your application. And when it comes to frontend, you almost certainly need someone with JavaScript experience.

Unfortunately, the answer is not that simple. See, JavaScript experience can mean different things to different people, and 2 developers with the same JavaScript experience can have very different skill sets depending on what framework they know and have worked with in the past.

When it comes to front-end development and web applications, there are dozens of frameworks out there, but the 3 most popular based on JavaScript (or TypeScript) are: Angular, React and Vue.

React may be the most popular and loved among developers today, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's the best solution for every project out there. Depending on the nature of your web application, Angular or Vue.js may be a better solution, or perhaps another framework.

Remember, this is not a popularity contest or competition. Each structure will deliver great results in the right hands, but each one shines in a different area, and that's what you should consider when making a choice.

So let's delve into what you can achieve with these frameworks and which projects they are best suited for.

Angular

Angular.js is the oldest of the 3 frameworks we will talk about today. Originally launched by Google in 2010 with a major redesign in 2016 called Angular2 (or simply Angular, abandoning js), this framework is well known for its component-based structure and ease of maintenance.

One of the reasons why Angular is extremely popular is that it works with TypeScript, a superset of JavaScript developed by Microsoft with the aim of creating a programming language with a syntax similar to JavaScript.

For all its strengths, flexibility and ease of use, JavaScript was not originally conceived as a language for large projects. That's why TypeScript exists and that's why Google preferred it over Angular: it was the obvious choice for building a framework designed for advanced, complex projects.

Angular is well known for its compartmentalization. In this structure, each part of the UI is a component, a section of the application encapsulated with its function, all structured under a defined hierarchy.

In large-scale projects, it is not uncommon for different developers to work on different parts of an application, and Angular excels in this type of situation. This is because each component can be created independently and then assembled into a final product.

Maturity is the biggest disadvantage of Angular. This framework is huge and has a very steep learning curve. Much like Django, it's a toolbox with dozens and dozens of tools, and there's very little incentive to use it if you're designing a small application, so much so that the library can even be larger than the application itself.

To react

React (or React.JS) was created by Facebook in 2013 and released under the MIT license. Since then, it has become a healthy front-end framework with a strong community and active development.

Widely used by Facebook, React is an integral part of both the social network page and the web versions of WhatsApp and Instagram. It's designed to create lightweight single-page and mobile apps, and in that regard, it delivers.

For example, it is a well-known fact that Netflix turned to ReactJS while looking for a way to create faster loading apps that can work on low-end smart TVs. The result? The streaming giant managed to cut loading times in half and increase performance on almost all devices.

Just like Angular, React uses its brand of JavaScript called JSX (short for JavaScript XML), which can be a blessing and a curse.

JSX is a syntax extension that allows HTML and JavaScript to be mixed and used together, allowing developers to create JavaScript objects with HTML syntax. For those who already know how to use it, it is a godsend. For those just starting out, it's the biggest hurdle to overcome when learning React.

That being said, JSX is optional. Software engineers can use React with good old JavaScript and HTML, but most experts agree that it's better to get used to the new syntax as it ends up being much more flexible.

If speed and optimization are React's main strengths, its poor documentation is its biggest disadvantage. Fortunately, it's very easy to find help online with such an active community.

React is a great tool for small-scale projects and mobile navigation. If you think your user base might be working with low-end devices, this framework is worth a look.

Vue.Js

Of all three, Vue.js is the newcomer and, as is often the case in the world of software development, it brings some new ideas to the table. It also means that it tries to solve some of the problems perceived by other established structures, but has less support from the community than its brothers.

That's not to say that Vue.js isn't appreciated – quite the opposite. Created by Evan You as a more user-friendly alternative to Angular for single-page projects, it has quickly grown to become one of the most beloved frontend frameworks on the market.

It's well known that Vue.js was heavily inspired by You's experience with Angular, so naturally the syntax of both frameworks is surprisingly similar. What this framework offers is a less opinionated approach which in turn provides more flexibility for the developer.

Vue.js differentiates the functions of directives and components. Directives are manipulations of the DOM, while components are self-sufficient elements with their view and logic.

It has support for traditional HTML and JSX, which means anyone coming from Angular or React will feel right at home.

Just like React, one of its strengths is how well optimized and lightweight the framework is, with the additional advantage of being very intuitive and having very detailed documentation full of examples.

Although full of potential, Vue.js still has a long way to go. At the moment, its biggest disadvantages are the lack of plugins, code flexibility, lack of scalability and difficulty when dealing with mobile devices. Many of these issues will be resolved with Vue3, which is abandoning JavaScript in favor of TypeScript.

If you want a very simple framework for a small-scale web application intended primarily for desktop use, there is no better option than Vue.js.

Deciding which framework to use in your project should not be a decision based on the popularity of the framework, but rather on the needs of your project and how each framework addresses the problems you will encounter in development. As you can see, Angular, React and Vue serve specific purposes and can power different projects. Keep this in mind when selecting the framework for your next project.

If you liked this, be sure to check out our other Vue articles.

• My experience with Vue 3
• Simplify your design with Nuxt and Tailwind
• Leveraging Vue $Emit for Effective Event Handling
• Vue JS Routing: A Comprehensive Guide
• Best UI Frameworks and Vue Component Libraries