React and Vue are the two most popular and widely used JavaScript frontend frameworks today. These frameworks allow developers to create a wide variety of web applications with JavaScript. Choosing between the two can be confusing if you are building a new application. Each has its own use case and serves different business needs.
Most web developers prefer to use Vue.js and React frameworks. Using React or Vue.js provides a quality approach to web development that is consistent and performant. Both Vue and React have their own best scripts and meet different kinds of business needs.
In this article, we will learn about each and explore which is best suited for your business.
What is React?
React.js combines a high degree of concentration with simplicity when it comes to user experience. It was developed by Facebook as an open-source JavaScript library to help developers build user interfaces. React follows a declarative programming style and a component-based approach. It allows for the creation of complex web applications with the highest flexibility and speed.
React.js is the most used web framework in 2021 with 40.14% of the software developers globally using React.
React holds the top spot for the fourth year. Popular companies that are currently using React.js are AirBnB, Netflix, Instagram, and Udemy.
What is Vue.js?
Vue.js is a progressive JavaScript framework that developers use to build interfaces. Unlike the Angular framework, Vue is incrementally adaptable by design. It scales easily between a library and a fully-featured framework. Companies using Vue.js include GitLab, Behance, Upwork, and Grammarly.
Here are a few Vue.js statistics:
- Vue.js is used by 0.8% of all the websites amongst JavaScript libraries.
- Vue.js is used by 1.2% of all the websites amongst the JavaScript library we know and that rank in the top 1,000,000.
- In 2021, 42% of the developers admitted that they used Vue in their company. 55% of the developers are of the view that Vue will get more popular in their organization.
What are the Similarities between React and Vue?
Before looking at the differences between the two, let us look at some similarities. Both React and Vue possess component-based architecture. Also, both the frameworks are lightweight and have an exposure to lifecycle methods. Their performance is fairly similar. Both technologies work with any existing web application, even if it’s not a Single Page Application.
Below are some similarities:
- They have composable and reactive view components
- They use virtual DOM
- JavaScript Code and PWA support
- They concentrate on a core library. They also involve handling of routing and global state management with companion libraries
- Possibility of working with any existing web applications
- Both React and Vue have large proactive communities and plenty of libraries and tools available.
Comparison between React and Vue
You can pick one after knowing how they differ. The most obvious distinction: React is a library, whereas Vue is a framework.
Let us compare them taking into account some essential parameters.
Data Binding
Vue uses two-way data binding. It means whenever you change any interface element, your model state automatically changes with it. It may look simple to read about it. However, for a large project, it is not. If you want a good data overview and want easy debugging, you may prefer React as it has one-way data binding. After the model state is updated, React then renders the change in the interface element.
Desktop and Mobile Development
React Native is the perfect platform for you if you want to build mobile apps that work on Android or iOS. Developers can use their existing skills to get started. The biggest advantage of using React is that you can reuse 99% of code between Android and iOS.
On the other hand, Vue does not have a dedicated platform like React Native. However, it does not mean you cannot develop native applications. Vue developers can use a cross-platform UI framework or plugins and write Vue applications and compile them into native apps – iOS and Android.
Major Differentiator – Syntax
One of the major differences between them is the way the view layer is built. Vue uses HTML templates by default, and there is no option to write in JavaScript Expressions (JSX). On the other hand, React solely uses JSX. Vue is easier to use even for beginner frontend developers as it uses only HTML. React’s JavaScript Expressions combine CSS and HTML into JavaScript. The XML-like syntax allows developers to create self-contained UI components with view-rendering instructions included.
Tooling
React provides third-party tools to help developers create React apps, and it allows them to speed up app development by adding scripts. Earlier, React developers had to copy the files from previous apps and configure everything from zero. It was not only time-consuming but a boring task that no developer liked doing.
Vue, on the other hand, uses a tool called Vue CLI. It enables the user to create any project quickly. It comes with many benefits like easy improvements, adding plugins anytime during the project, etc.
Popularity
It is not easy to pick a winner on popularity, but if you check online communities, React wins this battle. It is mainly because it is backed by Facebook. The Vue community is smaller compared to React with fewer packages and resources. However, it is maintained by the creator himself – Evan You and his team.
Template and Styling
The UI library is incomplete without templates and styles. Additionally, they’re the places where the difference between React and Vue is most apparent, since the code design is different. The approaches both Vue and React take are also quite different.
While Vue has a more declarative approach, React is more functional. Since the logic and markup are both considered as one, they are mixed. It is accomplished with JSX, which is an abstraction of React.createElement, which is used to create Virtual DOM entities.
Templates and styles are treated separately with Vue – a more conservative approach. Here, the templates are viewed as old-fashioned HTML elements.
Performance
If you want to make the decision of choosing anyone between Vue and React based on performance, you will not be able to since both frameworks have remarkable speed. However, as mentioned at the start, you can check for specific use cases to decide which is a better option for you.
Learn more about Vue.js Best Use Cases
Vue has to be integrated into an existing project incrementally. This means there is a per project requirement since it is a progressive framework. For example, you can use Vue.js as a lightweight library to add some interactivity to a web app. Ease of integration is one of Vue’s top assets.
You can hire Vue js developer to easily implement Vue.js into a project – it is a lot faster. The learning curve is easy, and tools like Vue UI and CLI make it a great tool to use for quick MVP delivery and start-up ideas. It is a cost-effective solution for all small to medium applications. However, it does not mean it is not good for large web apps. It has a vast ecosystem of tools and companion libraries, allowing the framework to respond to the complex needs of enterprise-grade applications.
Learn more about React.js Best Use Cases
React was initially created for large-scale web projects, and hence using it for a small and simple app would not justify its usage. Setting up a project using React.js is not easy, and you need some level of expertise to do it, but its architecture ultimately pays off in the long run.
JSX is powerful, and it gives developers a range of powers – flow controls and advanced IDE features such as auto-completion or listing are included in the component view templates. React does not have official packages for routing or state management like Vue. If you are developing complex apps, you have to use third-party solutions in many places. It gives a range of choices to developers. If you have experienced developers, they will know better which libraries are optimum and can be used to meet the business demands of a particular web application.
Choose a framework/library according to your needs
React is a library, and hence the users gain more control, such as the manual re-rendering control. The library heavily utilizes functional programming principles, which is evident in how it handles state and communicates between components. On the contrary, Vue is a framework that brings to the table many more built-in features and companion libraries that come from the core team. Hence, this helps in making the development experience smoother for the user.
Both Vue and React are great tools for building interactive user interfaces. You cannot pick one randomly, you will need to take into account many factors like your business needs, developers’ experience, budget, timeframe to deliver the project, and much more. Performance-wise both are at par, and you won’t be disappointed in this aspect whether you choose React or Vue.
Overall, the data suggests that web app development is a growing and in-demand field, with a wide range of tools and languages available to support it. Whether you’re a small business owner or a developer, starting a web app in 2024 can be a rewarding and successful project with the right planning and resources. With dedication and a willingness to learn, you can become a skilled web app developer in no time.
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